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Deb's Continuing Education Blog

By Deb Peterson, About.com Guide to Continuing Education

As Baby Boomer Teachers Retire, Other Boomers Take Their Place - Which Are You?

Sunday October 19, 2008
James Armstrong wrote an interesting article for FedSmith.com, an online newspaper for federal employees, about an interesting phenomenon. As baby boomer teachers retire, other boomers are finding second careers in the classroom. Retirement for many baby boomers has more to do with changing careers than leaving the workplace. There's no doubt that boomers have a whole lot of life experience to share, and the classroom is the perfect place to share it.

Armstrong gets into the economics of it, which is a good point, since teachers can often stay in the classroom as long as they're willing and able to teach, but I'm more interested in the choice itself. I recently considered going back to school for my teaching certificate, so I signed up to sub at one of my local schools. I discovered very quickly that I'm not cut out for the job, at least at the younger levels.

What about you? Are you a boomer thinking about a second career? Does it involve going back to school for a certificate or degree? Is there a way for you to test whether or not it's the right path for you before you invest time and money? I'd love to hear your story. Share it with us here or in the Continuing Education forum.

Thinking about returning to the classroom?

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