Dogmama you seem to love dogs and maybe dog training..I heard of program where one takes vision oriented dogs for temporary training or something similar. That would be a real value... Hope you find your passion.
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Dogmama you seem to love dogs and maybe dog training..I heard of program where one takes vision oriented dogs for temporary training or something similar. That would be a real value... Hope you find your passion.
Wow - so funny that you said this.Quote:
Originally Posted by shootingstar
Several evenings ago, I showed up at my dog training class to find the owner fuming. It seems that the instructor just quit with no notice. The owner (whom I known casually for many years) was stuck. Long story short - as of next Monday, I'm teaching those classes! They range from beginning and intermediate obedience up to competition level AKC showing.
Simultaneously, I answered a Craig's list ad for a spin instructor at an exclusive "boutique style" fitness club. Emails have been exchanged and frankly, I have a bad vibe about this. I would LOVE to work at an upscale fitness facility, but I have this heart-feeling that something is wrong. The owner seems pushy, unresponsive to my questions and disorganized. Major red flags.
So - my basic tenet about putting out the intention then waiting & watching has borne fruit again. At least for now.
That's fantastic about the dog training position. Isn't it funny how some things just fall into our laps? As for the fitness club, just listen to your gut. I hate dealing with unresponsive and disorganized people, so I'm with you on the red flags.
That's wonderful news about the dog training position just dropping into your lap. Sometimes things are just meant to be and the universe provides!
Hope it goes well for you... I think it will!
I totally agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by emily_in_nc
That's great news, Dogmama! I hope the dog training turns out to be a wonderful opportunity for you!
That's great. I agree with Emily, too!
Thank you all for your input. It really helped me sort things out. Sometimes I get caught in the squirrel cage of my brain & make myself crazy.
The woman who owns the place is very flexible & wants me to draw up a curriculum for each level of obedience. I already have this from a previous dog training position. It's good to follow a format because 10 people & their dogs in a beginning class can be challenging for the first few classes!
This has been a interesting thread to read.
Dogmama, glad to hear that there may be some windows opening up for you with the dog training.
I am 56, and teach middle school science. Theoretically could retire from teaching in July of this year. But the AZ state retirement isn't enough to live on with our current expenses ( about 6 more years on our mortgage, kids not totally independent) so I can't just retire. I'm finding teaching is more and more demanding as a profession. Classes are bigger, so much emphasis is on test scores, and money is pretty tight. I am in a district that has been ranked #1 in the state, and they expect a lot of the teachers. It can be more physically demanding now that I'm a little older - sometimes it's harder to hear students, for example and I'm on my feet all day.
I have been trying to think about what kind of career change I might be able to make and not sure. I have my MS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and worked as a field biologist before becoming a teacher. I don't know what kind of opportunities are out there for a person with my skills and background.
My husband works at a community college and I can take classes for $10 plus books- but am not sure if they offer an career programs that interest me. I briefly looked at the para-legal program but don't think I'm really suited for it, and heard there aren't that many opportunities any way.
I did speak to the executive direction of the Tucson Audubon Society (large, well-organized, well-funded, many programs), as I have lots of natural history education and research experience but of course the job opportunities might not come up at an appropriate time.
Any way- just wanted to join in the discussion...
azfiddle - not sure if this is something you'd like. My brother was a teacher in New York, he semi-retired and now does online tutoring. I'm not even sure how he got into that, but he enjoyed it.
He's taking a break right now, he and SIL are in Botswana for a year while she does research and teaches at the University.
OK, this is a little "woo woo out there crunchy granola" That's my warning.Quote:
Originally Posted by azfiddle
I like to put out the intention to the Universe/God/Higher Power. So, if I were in your position, I might say/think/feel that I want to do something that uses my talents, education and will be fulfilling. Then wait and watch.
I've done some things that I thought I'd enjoy but they didn't work out. It's hard (for me) to abandon things without feeling like a failure/quitter or other lovely things society heaps on in spades. For example, I did dog training with a fairly well known person in town. I found that she was riddled with insecurities, used very harsh methods that I couldn't do, was demeaning, belittling and moody. After several months, I had to leave. Luckily, the person I'm working for now is well aware of this other trainer & understands why I left. I also taught spinning for quite awhile but found that 6AM just didn't work for my body. So, I had to say, "I love to teach, but need a later class." That served me well when the boutique-style fitness club approached me about teaching a M/W/F 5:45 AM class (BTW, I'm subbing for them now - perfect way to find out if they are a "fit" for me.)
So, my experience has been to put out the intention & trust that it will be answered. And, know that you may go down several paths. I am not sure that I'm on the right path, but I'm willing to take the risk. The key (for me, again) is to not beat myself up when I think I've made a mistakes. After all, mistakes are just situations that we don't learn from.
Enough of this philosophy. I'm going riding.:)