in your previous life? By that I mean, before you stayed home to hs. I know some people still work from home, or out of the home. For those people, what do you do now? I was just wondering because I know there are many previous teachers (I am one myself) and wondered what else we have amongst us. I always love to hear what people were (did) before settling down to raise children. I have been surprised with my mommy groups to find people who were lawyers, dentists, social workers, and the list goes on. I taught first grade for 4 years and have a master's degree in bilingual/multicultural education. I taught in a border town (Nogales) and had many students just learning English. I had up to 28 students in a class at a time.:roll: I just renewed my certificate for 6 more years, so I have that as a back up plan in case we decide to stop hs. It has been 6 years since I taught in a ps. Who's next, tell us your career background....
I, too, am a former teacher. I have my master's in curriculum and instruction with a focus in reading. For 2 years I taught Kindergarten and First grade and the last 5 as a reading specialist. I ended work in May, so this is new being home during the school year! Actually I have not permanently resigned from my job, just a year w/o pay and can take another year off and after that who knows, I hope to keep hs for awhile...thanks for starting this it's great to learn about others!
I was a dance instructor, model and actress. ETA: I have an AA in Theatre, an AA in General Education, a BS in Communications, and am getting my MA in Theatre. Jack of all trades; master of none (yet).
I didn't stay home to homeschool. I started staying home when my oldest was born. I started a home business when my oldest was a baby. I had a cloth diaper/wooden toys/baby products internet store that I sold a couple years ago. Before all that I used to work in Early Intervention programs, Head Start programs, preschools, and elementary schools as a Speech-Language Pathologist. I worked in programs/schools in Alaska, Oregon, and Texas. I have a Masters in Speech-Language Pathology and did extra study in graduate school in the area of accent reduction.
My degree is in Business and Information Technology. I owned a dance and gymnastics studio before my first was born. I closed it after he came and now work part time teaching preschool gymnastics.
I went to school and got a master in psychology, then an Ed.S. in counseling (basically another 30 hours) so I could get a job LOL! I was an academic advisor at our local communtity college for 4 years. Then when my kids were little I did some part time tutoring at the college. About 5 years ago, shortly before we started homeschooling, I got a job teaching Psychology 101 classes at the community college ONLINE! It's so awesome! Real money, on my schedule! Since then I also started up an online business selling jewelry supplies at Etsy. It started as a way to help support my jewelry making habit but actually grew into a money making business. I have a business partner who handles all the packing and shipping. I do all the research, ordering, listing, feedback etc. Then last year we opened a small bead shop in our small town! We're open about 25 hours a week in the afternoons and evenings. It's nice to have a separate place for work. I have a kids space so they can come with me. Or if big sis wants to stay home with the youngers she can... it's only two blocks from home. Most often while DH is working I take the 6 yr old with me and leave the olders at home. I do my online work at the store and make jewelry, and help customers. It's a fun place to be!
I have a double major in pyschology and sociology but had just graduated when I found out I was pregnant with my first. I worked PT in a day care teaching preschool for a while then decided my babies (# 2 was coming) were more important the the job. Homeschooling came later. I now work very PT outside the home-bascially to pay for extracurricular activities.
I've done a lot, actually. I was a PS teacher for a year, a private music instructor for 12 yrs, a professional musician for 4 years, a financial planner for 1 year, and a WAHM webmaster and book & magazine editor for 3 years. Now, I own my own business selling children's books. I'm one of those people with a lot of interests who's pretty good at everything but not really amazing at anything (except multi-tasking). My ultimate goal is to get a medical degree. My minor was in science. I should've majored in it, but I never had the opportunity to take higher level math, so I knew I wouldn't be accepted into the courses. *shrugs*
I got my bs at college, and then started on a bio-medical masters at the University (In Holland, so the system is a little different). Didnt complete it though, got married. After marriage, I got pregnant 4 months in, and never did get a job. Once in a while I write freelance articles for an online company.
I taught orthopedically/health handicapped students. They had cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, severe brain injury, etc. I was orignally certified to teach hearing impaired and had worked as a part-time house mother at the Ohio School for the Deaf. But while subbing, I ended up with three back-to-back long-term subbing jobs (over a year total!) in the OH program, and the principal told me that if I were to get OH certification, she would do what she could to get me a job. I ended up student teaching children I had in class the year before, lol!
I got married young...my senior year of college...had my oldest just after graduation. I was always (well, decided in college) going to be a SAHM but HSing didn't occur to me til later. Now, I'm a freelance science writer, blessed to work from home and get paid to do what I love...while getting to stay home and do what I love.
I have an English degree with an education focus but hated teaching in the ps system. I worked for a bank for over 10 years and left as a Compliance Analyst in the legal department.
I was a Teacher, preschool to pre-k, and assistant teacher to Kindergarten, also did B and A day care stuff.. I may be doing that again here soon to help with $ so ds can go out to band class next semester. My goal since 2 o 3rd grade was to be a teacher of K-1 to teach kids to love school so they would want to be there and to have a ranch so I could have kids camps for kids who could not pay to go to camps.
Hi being a little unorthodox. I was a stay at home wife long before motherhood. It took us years to have kids. And we decided we wanted the connectedness that me being at home allowed rather then tonnes of money and less time for each other. When the kids came it was just a natural progression. And homeschooling wasn't even on my radar seriously until my DS hit first grade and the life was being zapped out of him before our very eyes. Now I can't imagine my life without the lessons and kids. I did a lot of various things before the kids and still tend to fill my spare time with other pursuits but not as in depth as before the kids.
I worked in Children's Ministry at a large church, specifically with elementary age children. Loved it! But I always knew I was of the personality that would do best as a SAHM, so as not to struggle with work/home balance stuff. I have many friends who do it well, but I knew early on I wasn't one of those people.
I worked as a receptionist for an oil company. I still know more about oil prices than I should Then we had ds, and after a rash of illnesses because of daycare, we opted out. Dh stayed home for 8 months, then I left my job. I always felt like I should be home with our child, but was still fighting against social programming to work. I'm also a student (on hiatus this semester) at a local college. Will get my B.S. in.. something. English, most likely. Really just want to write, though, and the degree won't help me with that . The degree was supposed to get me a decent job until my career took off. That was before homeschooling took over, though. Now I'm in at least until both kids are out of the local elementary, and maybe even through high school. When my writing well (drained by too many essays in college) finally refills, I'll resume writing.
