What should I do? (Please read)

Question

I just graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology three months ago. When I first started college, my initial plan was to go for early childhood education to become an elementary school teacher. That was my dream job for as long as I could remember. I started doing research on the profession and got scared about the horror stories and decided to change my major to business thinking it was a smart money decision. Long story short I ended up failing calculus so I could not go on with the business major. I ended up choosing psychology because I was always interested in it and because I had to commit to a major. 
Starting my senior year of college, I started thinking about my teacher dreams again but I shut them off because I was already getting a degree in something else. Now that I’ve graduated though, all of the jobs I’m seeing for my degree and no experience are just administrative assistant roles. I’m good at office work and I’m introverted, but I have come to find that I hate meaningless office work and don’t want to spend the rest of my life stuck in an office. All the starting ranges for these jobs are lower than teaching jobs too - like $12-17 an hour. 
I keep failing all of my interviews due to nerves and I had the idea to apply to be a substitute teacher for a couple of months. That way I can have some sort of income while seeing if I like being in the classroom before I fully commit to becoming one. Then if I like it, I can do an alternate teaching licensure program that lasts about 16 weeks and is fully online (it costs $750) that will give me my license to teach elementary. 
This is what I want to do, but I feel foolish for getting a degree in something else and then paying more money to get a license in what I originally was going to do. Should I apply to be a substitute teacher or should I forget about my teaching dreams and just try to get a job with my current degree?

Answer

As a teacher, I recommend people only get into the profession if they REALLY want to do it, not as a back up plan. THAT being said, you mentioned that this was something you thought about a lot, but were scared away from due to stories. 
Teaching is hard. It takes a special brand of person to make a real difference in the classroom. If you feel strongly about it still, definitely sub for a year or two to see if it’s something you really want. Subs are really in demand in my school, and are almost guaranteed a daily sub job. 
Keep in mind, subbing is harder than having your own class and students. I subbed for a year before I had my first classroom and I loved the flexibility and constant demand, BUT since the kids didn’t know me and I didn’t know them, they could act differently than they would for others. Even my students act differently for a sub than they do for me. Don’t let that scare you. Teaching is about relationships. 
I wish you the best of luck! We need good teachers in the world. ♥️

Answer

I think you should follow your heart. The psychology degree will always come in handy. Once you're in the system, you can go on to become fully licensed in teaching (degree etc).
Another option: How about doing the licenseure and then later on a Msc in School Counselling? That way you can put your psychology to use while also doing your first love of being in the classroom. I'm not sure how it is set up where you are, but in some places, the school counsellor also teaches.

Answer

I have a masters degree in psychology. Bachelors level psych jobs are quite frankly really crappy pay and very demanding. You should invest in doing what you love. I have several friends and family members who are teachers and love it

Answer

I think it’s fine to have more than one especially in the world we live in today. If covid showed us anything it’s that things can change fast and you can never be too prepared.

Answer

I wouldn’t apply to be a substitute teacher if I was in your position. You’re not qualified. Teaching is hard and you need to be qualified (I’m surprised that you can even apply without being licensed). There are tons of options for people with psych degrees. Take a job that you’re actually qualified for and do the alternative route to getting your teaching license.

Answer

Life's too short. If you think you might enjoy teaching, substututing would be a great way to see how you like the fit. From there you could maybe go back to school or to get what certifications you need in order to teach full time. A psychology degree probably will help you to some extent with understanding kids and how their developing at their ages anyway, so you might find it super helpful and use a lot of what you've learned in those classes too. So, by all means, take the job, and go from there. Worst case, it's not a permanent thing and you can look at new positions later on!

What should I do? (Please read)

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