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Volume 14, Number 2         May 27, 2011                ISSN 1099-839X 
 

 

Changing Course: Reflections of Second-Career Teachers  

 
Darrell Lee 

Polk School District (Polk County, GA) 

 

 

 

 

 
This study examined the phenomenon of second-career teachers.  The participants in this 

study shared their reflections concerning the motivating factors and common experiences 

associated with leaving established professions in order to pursue careers in teaching.  

The study also inquired into the process involved in professional preparation as well as in 

assimilating to the culture of schools.  The participants in this study indicated several 

reasons for changing careers such as the need for more meaningful work, a more flexible 

and family-friendly schedule, and the desire to share their experiences with the younger 

generation.  Many of the participants also discussed a sense of religious calling.  

Hardships faced by second-career teachers are discussed, along with an examination of 

the strengths and weaknesses of teacher education programs as they relate to second-

career teacher candidates.  Reflections concerning the participants‟ current teaching 

practices are also examined. 

 

Keywords: second-career teachers, late-entry teachers, career-changers, qualitative 

 

 
Hermeneutics, Interviews 

Changing careers is a relatively new phenomenon 

among working professionals.  In the past, a career was 

likely to be characterized by an employee seeking to stay 

with a single company for the duration of one‟s working 

life.  Leading theorists from the 1950s through the 1970s 

continued to support this traditional understanding of career 

(Super, 1957; Levinson, 1978).  By contrast, recent trends 

indicate the prevalence of the so-called “boundaryless 

career,” where one may change professions many times 

over the course of a working lifetime (Arthur & Rousseau, 

1996).  Some have argued that the very nature of work has 

changed in modern society due to a number of factors 

including technology, globalism, and economics (Sullivan 

& Emerson, 2000; Chope, 2001).  These factors have led to 

the emergence of the career changing worker who has 

traded the “company man” mentality of the past for the 

free-agent approach of the present.  Conversely, Valcour 

and Tolbert (2003) found that boundaryless careers tend to 

work well for women, due to a number of factors including 

time off for child bearing and raising and moving due to a 

spouse‟s career.  The study also found that these types of 

career paths do not serve men well as they are more likely 

to stay with one company while seeking promotions within 

the organization.  It is also important to note that little 

research has been done to look at the effects of the 

changing nature of careers upon minority populations 

(Sullivan, 1999). 

Some career changers are looking for work that 

may be more fulfilling and personally satisfying than their 

original choice of profession.  For example, Jung (1933) 

believed that a mid-life crossroads was common for the 

worker, and at this point one would choose to change 

careers toward a profession that mirrors one‟s belief 



Current Issues in Education Vol. 14 No. 2   

 

2 

systems and personal goals.  Holland‟s (1972) 

groundbreaking work on the nature of careers stated that 

people gravitate toward types of work that are compatible 

with their personalities and are more satisfied once they 

have settled in such a job, becoming far less likely to switch 

careers in the future.  This theory provides a possible 

explanation for those second-career teachers who have 

given up what are often well paying professions to seek a 

career more in line with personality traits and value 

systems.  However, Thomas and Robbins (1979) asserted 

that those who moved into what they labeled as congruent 

careers were no more likely to remain in those careers after 

five years than those in non-congruent careers.  Certainly, 

there are implications here for the second-career teacher 

who enters the profession believing it to be more in line 

with his or her personality.  Thomas and Robbins went on 

to speculate that one‟s profession holds less importance 

after a middle point in life and that changes in profession 

are just as likely to be influenced by the need for more 

leisure time as it is by a need for an alignment of profession 

with values and beliefs.  Just as there are different reasons 

for changing careers, there are also different results.  Not all 

adults experience a seamless transition from one career to 

another, even if the second career is something that the 

career changer has always dreamed about doing.  Lewis 

(1996) pointed out the obstacles faced by many older career 

changers in the quest to pursue a second career, including 

considerable investment of time and money as they prepare 

for a new profession.  By contrast, younger career changers 

are often suffering from negative self-images and a lack of 

information “not only on occupations, but also within their 

own interests and skills” (Lucas, 1999, p. 117).   

Rationale for Study 

There is much to be gained from a scholarly 

investigation of individuals who have chosen teaching as a 

second profession.  For example, there may be advantages 

that a mature, non-traditional teaching applicant has over 

the recent college-aged graduate who enters the profession.  

Investigating a sample of this population provided data that 

may be useful for teacher education programs as they seek 

to provide learning experiences designed to best train these 

unique educators by emphasizing the value of prior work 

experiences in the preparation process.  In addition, school 

administrators may find the results of this study useful in 

recognizing the strengths of this population of teachers, 

which is clearly different from the traditional entrant to the 

teaching profession.  Finally, this study may be useful to 

second-career teachers themselves as they learn how 

experienced second-career teachers have been able to 

weave prior work experiences into the practice of teaching.  

Second-career teachers often have vastly different 

experiences rooted in many other professions (Brady, 1997; 

Wolpert-Gawron, 2008) and may have a unique set of 

experiences that allows them to adjust more easily to the 

demands of the teaching profession.  Career changers often 

bring a lifetime of knowledge and work experience that 

may have a profound effect on themselves, their colleagues, 

and their students.  It is also plausible that an older 

beginning teacher, with diverse work experiences, may 

have a stronger appreciation of the profession.  In many 

cases, these older novice teachers have raised families and 

have considerable experience dealing with children prior to 

serving as a teacher.   

Literature Review 

Second-career teachers are different from most 

new college graduates.  As Resta, Huling, and Rainwater 

(2001) have pointed out, “midcareer individuals bring many 

strengths to teaching, including maturity, life experience, 

and good work habits” (p. 61).  The retention rate for these 

teachers is also much better than that of their counterparts.  

Rather than gain these attributes as most traditional teachers 

do, in the first difficult year of teaching as a young person 

starting their first job, these career changers are ready for 

the task.  Many of these teachers are eager to utilize what 

they have learned in prior careers and teach the values of 

democracy in their classrooms (Unterreiner, 2006).   

Most teacher candidates who seek to enter the 

teaching profession as a mid-career transition choose to do 

so by way of non-traditional teacher education programs.  

These non-traditional programs can focus purely upon 

preparing career changers to apply what they already know 

to a new situation.  Some of these career changers give up 

professions that pay considerably better and have more 

benefits than teaching (Peske, Liu, Kaufman, & Kardos, 

2001).  There are also suggestions that employers draw 

upon the paraprofessional ranks for new, but experienced, 

teaching candidates.  In fact, a number of school districts 

are working in conjunction with teacher education 

departments to create flexible certification programs in 

order to prepare these potential teachers (Villegas & 

Clewell, 2001).  Conversely, other districts are partnering 

with local colleges to ensure that quality mentoring and 

residency programs are in place, especially in hard-to-staff 

urban schools (Hueser & Owens, 1999; Keller, 2006; Chin 

& Young, 2004).  Such programs help to guarantee not only 

that better and more diverse teacher candidates enter the 

classroom, but also increases the likelihood that they will 

stay there.  These measures become imperative in high 

turnover schools, which are more likely to hire 

inexperienced teachers. 

Theoretical Framework 

 This study draws upon four major theorists in an 

effort to understand the motivations of career changers who 

have chosen teaching as a second profession.  These 

theories include Maslow‟s Hierarchy of Needs, which 

asserts that lower level basic needs must first be met before 

an individual can progress to higher order needs, such as 

self-esteem and self-actualization; Alderfer‟s Existence, 

Relatedness, and Growth (ERG) theory which proposes that 

when an individual fails to obtain higher order needs, he 

will work doubly hard at establishing lower order needs; 

Herzberg‟s Hygiene and Motivational Factors, which is a 



Changing Course: Reflections of Second-Career Teachers  

 

3 

variation of Maslow as it relates to the workplace; and 

Levinson‟s Adult Development Theory, which identifies 

the stages in a man‟s (later expanded to woman‟s) life, 

including within the workplace.  These four theories are 

interrelated and will serve to form a theoretical framework 

for this study of the perceptions of second career teachers. 

Motivation to Teach 

 A recent study by the Woodrow Wilson 

Foundation (2008) found in a nationwide survey of almost 

2,300 adults aged 24 to 60; a full 42% would consider 

teaching as a second career.  This number is in spite of the 

many high profile problems with the profession that have 

been highlighted by the news and entertainment media over 

recent decades.  These second-career teachers share some 

of the motivating factors that lead traditional age students to 

choose education as a future career, as well as different and 

unique factors that set them apart.  Snyder, Doerr, and 

Pastor (1995) surveyed 3,000 pre-service teachers, 

including significant numbers of career changers, and found 

that most were interested in the profession because of an 

interest in and a love for young people.  With regards to 

older students seeking teaching as a second career, most 

had the benefit of children of their own and saw “teaching 

as an end in itself, rather than as a means to some other 

professional end” (p. 9).  Redden (2008) adds that those 

with degrees in engineering and science, as well as those 

with graduate degrees, are increasingly becoming interested 

in teaching as a second career.  This is good news 

considering the current shortages in science and math fields 

and the prevalence of out-of-field teachers in these areas 

(NCES, 2005).  

Second-career teachers also differ from traditional 

age entrants in the area of influential factors leading to 

teaching.  For example, traditional age pre-service teachers 

were often strongly influenced by a former teacher or by 

those in the family who are teachers.  By contrast, second-

career teachers are more likely to be influenced by value 

systems and other intrinsic motivators as well as by prior 

work experiences (Powell, 1994).  In addition, many of 

these teachers had extensive experience with children as 

most have raised children of their own.  Other studies have 

shown that additional factors also contribute to the 

decisions of those who choose to change careers in order to 

become teachers.  Richardson and Watt (2005) found that a 

desire for security, more time with family, and a sense of 

calling were significant reasons why non-traditional 

teachers were leaving their jobs and steady incomes in 

order to prepare to become a teacher.  They went on to 

indicate that these teachers were realistic and prepared for 

the demands of the job and were not dissuaded by the 

perceived lowly status of the profession.   

 Novak and Knowles (1992) asserted that second-

career teachers were as equally overwhelmed by the 

realities of the classroom as traditional age first year 

teachers.  The authors contended that the subjects in their 

study had erroneously believed that prior, but unrelated, 

work experience would immediately transfer to the 

classroom and it did not.  These teachers needed mentoring 

and adjustment time just like other novice teachers.  

However, they were eventually able to incorporate prior 

experiences into their classrooms effectively after an 

appropriate amount of time settling into their new jobs.  

The study points out the need for teacher education 

programs to teach these students how to tap into these prior 

experiences. 

Preparation 

Some researchers suggested the need for change in 

teacher education programs in order to attract career 

changers (Suell & Piotrowski, 2007; Hale & Chowning, 

1999).  Others called for changes to teacher education 

programs to be adapted to the specific needs of older, work 

experienced career changers, including a challenging and 

accelerated curriculum (Project Innovation, 1999).  These 

older candidates, who enter graduate school already with a 

lifetime of diverse experience, need programs tailored to 

them as students who are very different from traditional age 

college students.  In another study of second-career pre-

service science teachers, Bohning, Hale, and Chowning 

(1999) found that these teachers were anxious about the 

content to be taught more than concerns over learning to 

teach.  The authors theorized that these teachers had been 

able to develop beyond the concerns common to most pre-

service teachers much earlier than traditional candidates do.   

 An emerging theme among much of the literature 

is the need to attract older and diverse candidates into 

teacher education programs while retooling these programs 

to meet the needs of these potential teachers (ERS e-

Bulletin, 2008; Reichardt, 2001; Shroeder, 2002).  Clearly, 

there are concerns that are unique to this group of teachers 

that are different from their younger counterparts, such as 

balancing current work schedules with school and meeting 

the demands of family responsibilities.  Bray (1995) looked 

at the perceptions of three groups of students as they cycled 

through a traditional teacher education program: traditional 

college students, older returning students, and career 

changers.  This study found that there is a need for 

individualization in teacher education programs that would 

allow some customization to meet the needs of non-

traditional students, including a re-design of the typical 

student teaching experience.   

 Kolb (1984) argued for the incorporation of 

experiential learning as a key component in viewing 

personal development as process, rather than product.  Key 

to this approach is the understanding that, as new 

experiences are acquired, the learner should reflect and then 

modify behavior based on new information.  This approach 

would benefit the pre-service teacher candidate, as well as 

the in-service teacher, as it requires continuous reflection, 

evaluation, and adjustment.  Schon (1983) advocated a 

reflection-in-action practice in which “doing and thinking 

are complimentary” (p. 280).  Only through constant 

reflection and adjustment does the practitioner substantively 



Current Issues in Education Vol. 14 No. 2   

 

4 

grow in the chosen profession.  Such practices are 

becoming increasingly interwoven into teacher education 

programs seeking to provide meaningful and abiding 

experiences in addition to theory. 

Transition to the Classroom 

Once they have gained credentials, teachers find a 

classroom that is often very different from what they 

expected.  Some teachers note that the transition is not as 

smooth as they might have anticipated (Bulloch & 

Knowles, 1990) and that teaching is more difficult than they 

expected.  In fact, many second-career teachers‟ 

perceptions of the teaching profession and of themselves as 

a teacher begin to alter after some time in the classroom 

(Freidus & Krasnow, 1991).    

Teaching has traditionally been a relatively lonely 

profession with teachers closing the door of their 

classrooms and having little time to interact with peers.  

Yet, this collegiality is of extra importance to the second-

career teacher, many of whom enter the teaching profession 

from the business world with its work teams and 

collaborative projects.  Roy (2002) emphasized the 

importance of developing cohorts of colleagues as these 

second-career teachers transition from college to the 

classroom.  The author also encouraged the maintenance of 

online communities in which new entrants to the teaching 

profession can stay in contact with other second-career 

teachers to share frustrations, victories, advice, and other 

messages of support.  The opportunity to establish peer 

support networks would likely benefit novice second-career 

teachers immensely and eases the transition into a new 

work setting, complete with its own unique culture and 

norms.   

Gender and Age 

 Several interesting studies have considered the role 

of gender in the selection of teaching as a second career.  

Both men and women who had originally rejected teaching 

considered the major as an easy path to a college degree 

and a career for the non-ambitious (Lerner & Zittleman, 

2002).  Freidus (1989) examined the degree to which 

gender plays a role in the decision of career changers 

choosing education.  In a follow-up study (1990), Freidus 

conducted case studies of four second-career teachers with 

a specific emphasis upon gender roles and societal 

expectations.  The study found that a world view 

constructed in early years, while still living at home, had a 

profound impact upon career decisions, and later, the 

decision to change careers.   

 Increasingly, college graduates are looking to the 

field of teaching as a viable career alternative.  Some have 

decided to turn their backs on the corporate world and look 

for a career with meaning (Brady, 1997).  Even later in life 

some, who have been quite successful in other careers 

having earned recognition and handsome salaries, have the 

desire to impact and serve society in professions such as 

nursing, teaching, and fire-fighting.  Gender and age seem 

to be less important when determining the reasons why 

those with established careers choose to change course to 

become teachers. 

Teacher Identity 

Other researchers have called for the need to help 

second-career teachers develop a teacher identity in order to 

establish roots in the profession.  Allen (2005) made the 

point that second-career teachers need time to reflect upon 

life histories and to adapt to the profession in order to 

properly form a new identity, rather than the traditional 

baptism by fire that is common to most beginning teachers.  

An important, but often ignored, component of teaching is 

developing an identity as a teacher.  This identity formation 

is a process that often takes a great deal of time and likely 

involves a shift away from idealism and naiveté toward 

survival mode in the first year of teaching toward reflective 

practice as one gains experience.  The second-career 

teacher is not spared this often painful process (Bullough & 

Knowles, 1990).  Yet, the degree to which second-career 

teachers are able to adapt and develop an individual and 

unique teacher identity may be shaped considerably by 

prior working experiences. 

Teacher Certification 
 Licensure and certification have also become 

daunting challenges to the potential second-career teacher.  

As if going back to school while trying to fulfill the 

obligations of adult life aren‟t enough, many states have 

created excessively bureaucratic hoops that one must 

repeatedly jump through in order to teach.  As Peske, et al. 

(2001) stated: 

Currently, there are two competing views about 

how to best prepare, license, and hire teachers in 

the years ahead.  One calls for extensive pre-

service preparation and rigorous, enforced 

certification requirements.  The other argues for 

opening many routes to teaching and deregulating 

teacher certification (p. 310). 

The authors contended that each approach has 

severe limitations as stand alone policies and propose a 

“mixed model” approach to teacher certification.  In 

addition, Serotkin (2007) pointed out the need for “more 

field placement and a longer pre- and post-certification 

training experience” (p. 211).  Harrell and Harris (2006) 

highlighted an innovative online certification program with 

high admissions standards, a rigorous curriculum, and a 

success rate in preparing non-traditional candidates that is 

hard to dispute.  This program, and those like it, has gained 

broad appeal because of its market based approach that 

maintains the integrity of the licensure process while 

encouraging non-traditional candidates to apply. 

Attrition and Retention 

If a person can make the decision to walk away 

from one career after spending many years establishing a 

place in the working world, it is plausible that some may 

choose to change professions again once they have become 

teachers.  Furthermore, it is possible that constant teacher 

turnover has a negative effect on student motivation and 



Changing Course: Reflections of Second-Career Teachers  

 

5 

performance.  Bird (2004) found that teachers who leave 

the profession within the first five years do so because of 

being overworked and beaten down by disruptive student 

behavior.  In addition, many second-career teachers are 

simply not prepared for the demands of both the students 

and the administrative tasks of teaching (Denny, 2007).  

Johnson and Birkeland (2002) found that second-career, 

alternatively prepared teachers were much more likely to 

leave the profession that those who were prepared by 

traditional programs at the customary college age.  Salary 

and work conditions were the major contributors to most of 

these decisions to leave, along with the lowly status 

associated with the teaching profession. 

 On the other hand, teachers who see the profession 

as a “calling” are willing to juggle the various demands 

between their personal and professional lives, 

understanding that teaching is a difficult line of work 

(Weasmer, 2002).  Even in the challenging setting of hard-

to-staff urban schools, which are often rife with violence, 

underfunded, and offer poor working conditions, many 

second-career teachers make the decision to stay.  Induction 

programs can be designed that foster the growth of teachers 

who have chosen the most difficult assignments and 

incentives created to keep teachers in these schools with 

children who need the consistency of teachers with a long 

term commitment (Jorissen, 2003).  Another study 

contended that “people entering teaching through alternate 

routes who are in their 40s or 50s are the most committed to 

staying in teaching for 10 or more years” (Feistritzer, 2005, 

p. 33).   

Teachers, in any setting, who are given the time 

and encouragement to develop a reflective practice, are also 

much more likely to stay in the profession for many years.  

Duck (2000) suggested learning to reflect “on growth 

toward the profession and planning for growth within the 

profession” as a means for creating the endurance and 

freshness to sustain a career in education (p. 42).  

Ultimately, second-career teachers make the decision to 

stay in the classroom based on a desire to grow as an 

individual, find a career that is congruent with family 

responsibilities, and because they want to make a difference 

(Hedrick, 2005).  When these teachers find a setting that 

allows them to accomplish these objectives, they are far 

more likely to stay with the profession.       

Methodology 

Goals of the Study 

 This study was designed to examine the 

motivations, experiences, and perceptions of second-career 

teachers who are at different stages in their teaching 

careers.  Specifically, the study sought to discover the 

motivations to become a teacher, entry experiences, and 

challenges faced during the process from the perspective of 

the non-traditional teacher.  The literature indicates that 

these unique teachers are different from their peers who 

entered the profession through the usual route and at the 

traditional age. 

Guiding Questions 

 The development of a sound set of guiding 

questions is critical in any form of qualitative research.  

Ary, Jacobs, and Razavieh (2006) emphasized developing 

questions before settling on the specific qualitative 

approach to gathering data.  Particularizing questions are 

those which focus upon describing and then interpreting a 

given phenomenon and processing questions focus upon 

how a phenomenon takes place.  Both types of questions 

were employed in this study.  In order to understand the 

phenomena surrounding second-career teachers, the 

following research questions were developed: 

1. What motivating events precipitated a change of 

career to education? 

2. What common experiences do these teachers share 

that may be unique to non-traditional entrants to 

the field of education? 

3. Do these teachers believe that the teacher 

education and/or alternative certification process 

helped them learn to utilize their prior work 

experiences? 

4. How have these teachers‟ previous careers guided 

and/or benefited them in their new profession? 

5. What degree of satisfaction have these teachers 

found in their new profession? 

Design of the Study  
Hermeneutics.  The method of research chosen 

for this study was hermeneutic phenomenology.  This 

particular method is “concerned with the life world or 

human experience as it is lived” (Laverty, 2003, p. 7).  The 

study sought to uncover the essence of the experiences of 

those entering teaching from previous careers.  The 

language used by the participants in recorded interviews 

becomes particularly important using this method.  

Gadamer (1975) referred to the “bond” between 

understanding and subject knowledge, in this case the skills 

and experiences acquired in a prior profession.  The deeper 

meaning of these experiences is what hermeneutics seeks to 

uncover. 

Hermeneutics attempts to derive meaning of 

phenomena through language.  Heidegger (1927) asserted 

that the researcher‟s own experiences are an integral 

component in the process of interpreting the meaning of 

phenomena.  These experiences should be used as a lens by 

which the researcher may view the data as it relates to the 

event or phenomenon.  As Laverty (2003) pointed out, “a 

hermeneutical approach asks the researcher to engage in a 

process of self-reflection…specifically, the biases and 

assumptions of the researcher are not bracketed or set aside, 

but rather are embedded and essential to the interpretive 

process” (p. 17). 

Site Description and Demographics 

  The sample of twelve teachers were from six 

schools in the state of Georgia, one junior college, two high 

schools, two middle schools, and one elementary school 

spanning five non-adjacent counties.  These teachers 



Current Issues in Education Vol. 14 No. 2   

 

6 

represented schools from urban, rural, and suburban 

settings.  The researcher found subjects that represented a 

good cross section of teachers who were assigned to 

ethnically diverse classrooms.  Many of these teachers also 

served special education students.  The schools ranged in 

size from 700 students to over 1500 students. 

Sampling Procedures 

The intent of this study was to find a sample of 

twelve diverse career changers working on different grade 

levels from kindergarten to college and in diverse subject 

matter, in different schools and school districts, with an 

experience range from pre-service to 20-plus years of 

service.  The participants for this study were purposefully 

chosen using two methods.  First, the researcher selected 

teachers whom he knew had a minimum of three years of 

work experiences prior to becoming a teacher.  Second, the 

researcher utilized a method that Groenewald (2004) 

referred to as snowballing, in which one participant 

suggests another potential participant.  This 

recommendation led to the 12 diverse candidates 

highlighted in this study.  Purposeful sampling was most 

appropriate for this study as confirmed in Patton‟s (2002) 

assertion that “information-rich cases are those from which 

one can learn a great deal about issues of central importance 

to the purpose of the research” (p. 46).  In purposeful 

sampling for this study, it was important to consider 

individuals who would provide a number of perspectives, 

but most importantly, an opportunity to learn about the 

phenomenon from this population of teachers (Stake, 2005).   

It was important to include teachers at the high 

range of experience continuum as they might provide 

insight into the experience of teaching well beyond what 

would be the customary teacher retirement age.  Three of 

the subjects gained certification by a means other than a 

graduate level program in the form of the Georgia Teacher 

Alternative Preparation Program, or TAPP.  This program 

allows career changers to enter the classroom on a 

provisional basis, at a reduced level of pay, and teach 

under the direction of a mentor while gaining full 

certification.   

In terms of selecting participants, Moustakas 

(1994) pointed out that it is essential that “the research 

participant has experienced the phenomenon, is intensely 

interested in understanding its nature and meanings, and is 

willing to participate” in the various methods required to 

gather the data (p. 107).  Those who were a part of this 

study met these criteria.  They were a diverse group of 

teachers who were interested in how they got where they 

are and how they could reflect upon and utilize those past 

experiences in order to help them be better teachers. 

Overview of Participants 

This study sought to examine second-career 

teachers with a diversity of prior careers who are now 

serving in different educational roles.  Silverman (2006) 

advised that the qualitative researcher first determine the 

“parameters of the population that we are interested in and 

choose our sample case carefully on this basis” (p. 306).  

All participants in this study were classroom teachers in the 

state of Georgia (see Figure 1). Teaching experience for 

this group ranged from one to 20 years on elementary, 

middle, high school, and collegiate levels.  Four of the 

participants were male, eight were female, all but two were 

Caucasian.  Eight of the participants were high school 

teachers, two taught at the middle school level, one was a 

college instructor, and one was an elementary teacher.  All 

of the teachers in this study were teaching in schools where 

they were responsible for multiple classes, grade levels, and 

subject matter.  The study was designed to focus upon 

unique experiences prior to becoming a teacher, while in 

professional preparation, in the early transition phase, and 

then at the respective points in their individual careers. 

All of the participants had at least three years of 

previous professional experience outside of the field of 

education prior to entering the classroom.  Previous career 

fields varied considerably with an average of 10 years spent 

in the prior career before choosing to become a teacher.  

Three of the 12 participants had spouses who were teachers 

and instrumental in the decision to become a teacher.  Five 

of the participants reported having always wanted to be a 

teacher, but having avoided the profession for reasons such 

as better pay and more prestige.  Four mentioned the 

required education methods classes having been a 

dissuading factor while considering the field in college.  

Findings 

Interviews 

The interviews were audio recorded with each 

initial interview lasting approximately one hour and each 

follow-up interview lasting approximately 30 minutes.  

These recordings were then transcribed verbatim over a 

period of several weeks.  The researcher made the decision 

to leave the interviews essentially unedited in order for the 

reader to clearly understand the entirety of the response, 

along with the accompanying emotion, enthusiasm, and 

misgivings concerning each question.  There was some 

redundancy in the interview responses, along with the 

occasional digression or diatribe.  However, it was 

important to allow the participants to address the question 

without editing from the writer.  Initial interviews were 

coded in order to identify emergent themes.  Focused 

follow-up interviews, based upon the themes, were then 

conducted.  The result of these interviews is approximately 

20 hours of taped conversations.   

Group Analysis 

 The twelve participants chosen for this study 

ranged in ages from 30 to 55 years, with a median age of 

41.5 years. The variety of previous careers included a 

financial analyst, social worker, police officer, stockbroker, 

graphic designer, juvenile justice counselor, retail manager, 

seamstress, minister, prison counselor, and an office worker 

in a manufacturing setting.  These careers ranged from three 

years in duration to over 33 years, with a mean of 10.5 

years spent in the previous profession before



7 

 

Name Prior Career Yrs. In Prior Career Now Teaching Years Teaching 

Andrea 

 

Finance 

 
3 years HS Vocational 5 years 

Anna 

 
Graphic Design 10 years Elementary <1 year 

Chad 

 
Juvenile Justice 6 years MS Physical Ed 5 years 

Chuck 

 
Stock Broker 3 years HS Special Ed 15 years 

Hilary 

 
Counselor 3 years HS English 7 years 

Janet 

 
Manufacturing 10 years MS Special Ed 8 years 

Marjorie 

 
Seamstress 10 years HS Drama 20 years 

Rhonda 

 
Peace Corps 3 years College Math 4 years 

Rick 

 
Retail Manager 33 years HS Civics 3 years 

Sara 
Ministry 

 
24 years HS History 6 years 

Susan 

 
Social Worker 9 years HS Guidance 12 years 

Thomas 

 
Police Officer 13 years HS Vocational 3 years 

 

Figure 1.  List of Participants      

 

beginning the process of becoming a teacher.  The method 

by which these second-career teachers gained certification 

also varied significantly with three of the participants 

seeking alternative certification through the state 

department of education, eight obtaining certification 

through a formal graduate degree program, and one 

teaching on a collegiate level and not requiring a state 

license.  The average time spent acquiring teacher 

certification, whether through graduate school or state 

operated programs, was 2.8 years.  Eight of the participants 

worked in public high school settings, two in public middle 

schools, one in a public elementary school, and one in a 

private vocational college setting.  These participants 

ranged in teaching experience from three to 20 years with a 

mean of 7.3 years.

 

 

Second-Career 

Teachers 

Average age 

 

Average years of prior 

work experience 

Average time spent 

acquiring teaching 

credentials 

Average years of 

teaching experience 

Participants 41.5 years 10.5 years 2.8 years 7.3 years 

 

Figure 2.  Group Analysis 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Current Issues in Education Vol. 14 No. 2   

 

8 

Themes 

 Over the course of the data collection process, six 

themes emerged from the initial and detailed coding 

categories.  These themes were consistent across the initial 

and follow-up interviews with the 12 participants.  These 

themes are as follows: 

1. Reflection: The Value of Prior Experiences 

2. Inspiration: Factors Motivating Change  

3.  Preparation: Teacher Training 

4.  Assimilation: School Culture 

5.  Perception: Teacher Self-Efficacy 

6.  Vision: Glimpsing the Future 

A closer examination into the phenomenon of second-

career teachers was provided by grouping responses into 

these thematic categories.  Of course, not every teacher fit 

neatly into every theme but, in accordance with the coding 

process, these themes were repeatedly identified in the 

responses and the writings of a majority of the participants. 

Reflection: The Value of Prior Experiences 

 Virtually all of the participants agreed that prior 

work experiences were not only valuable to them as 

teachers, but influenced the teaching process on a regular 

basis.  Some of the participants entered the teaching 

profession from careers that held much in common with 

teaching.  For example, Rhonda had served in the Peace 

Corps as an English teacher for African students.  Sara had 

entered the profession after many years in Christian 

ministry, which often involved leading Bible study groups.  

Susan, a high school counselor, had previously worked in 

family and social services.  On the other hand, an equal 

number of the participants entered the teaching profession 

from business, industry, and public service professions that 

offered little in the way of crossover skills to education.  

Nevertheless, even these participants felt that there was at 

least one valuable skill that their prior career had equipped 

them with that now benefits them in the classroom.  Andrea 

pointed out that having prior work experiences allows her 

to focus upon her teaching without wondering what life 

might have been like if she had chosen another career.   

Stress.  Rick emphasized his prior experiences as 

having been far more stressful than teaching, which allows 

him to have an attitude of thankfulness that he feels many 

traditional teachers do not have.  In responding to a 

question regarding how well adjusted he believes himself to 

be for the demands of teaching, he stated: 

I think I‟m ahead of the curve than people who just 

come out of school and are teaching because retail 

is a lot more demanding than this job with a lot 

more at stake.  You don‟t have a union to protect 

you as a manager.  You have expectations that you 

have to meet in business and if you don‟t get it you 

are out.   

This assessment was shared by many of the 

participants who entered teaching from the corporate arena.  

The general agreement was that, in the business world, 

everyone is expendable.  Conversely, all 12 participants 

spoke of the teaching profession‟s lure of time off, good 

benefits, and the opportunity for personal development as 

pull factors and as elements that distinguish the teaching 

profession from other careers.   

Maturity.  Maturity was a recurring term when 

the topic of prior experience was discussed.  All of the 

participants felt that entering the profession at an older age 

than their traditional counterparts had provided them with 

an opportunity to mature as working professionals.  Janet 

pointed out that she thinks “you are going to learn the tricks 

of the trade anyway, but being older, you just know more 

how to act in the working world.” Many of the participants 

offered similar reflections regarding how they were 

different from those who entered the profession 

immediately upon graduating from college.  Thomas, the 

former police officer, added, “I can see myself if I was a 

teacher 10 years ago.  I may have been too friendly instead 

of being firm and friendly.”  Anna stated that many of the 

skills that she learned in her previous setting would likely 

have been learned by the traditional teacher in time, but 

added that she entered the profession better equipped as a 

result of already having these experiences.  She said that 

among these experiences are things such as,  

Listening closely to details so you don‟t have to go 

back and redo whatever you‟re doing, reading your 

e-mail, all of the intangibles that you simply have 

to learn from working.  Would you learn these 

anyway?  Of course, but I feel that I have those 

skills with me on day one.   

Hilary added that having to deal with difficult 

prisoners in her work in a state penitentiary prepared her for 

dealing with difficult students.  Rhonda stated that 

organizational and time management skills are among the 

most important skills that she acquired in her previous work 

setting.  Virtually all of the participants echoed this 

sentiment. 

 Set apart.  When participants were asked what it 

is that sets them apart from their traditional track 

counterparts, the answers were widely varied.  Andrea 

pointed out what she considered to be the unprofessional 

nature of many teachers which she found incredible.  She 

said: 

I was always surprised by the amount of teachers 

that did not even check their email.  There are 

teachers that consistently have to be asked to 

complete necessary items.  In the business world, 

these people would be fired!  My ability to work 

with a sense of urgency, follow through, and 

anticipate sets me apart from my colleagues.   

Rhonda added that she believes the burnout 

tendency is higher among traditional track teachers.  Rick 

pointed out that he has something more to offer his students 

after a 33 year career in business.  He stated that “I can tell 

kids to stay in school, get your education, and keep your 

nose to the grind stone or this is what you could expect, 



Changing Course: Reflections of Second-Career Teachers  

 

9 

because I‟ve been there and I‟ve done those sorts of 

things.”   

Sara and Anna spoke of their experiences raising 

their own children as being a tremendous advantage to them 

as new teachers.  When asked what sets her apart from her 

colleagues who entered the profession upon graduating 

from college, Marjorie simply answered, “They can retire 

earlier.” 

Inspiration: Factors Motivating Change  

 This diverse group of second-career teachers chose 

to leave their previous professions for a number of reasons.  

Among the reasons mentioned were the strain of the prior 

career on personal and family life, the unsatisfying nature 

of the work, a desire to do something meaningful, and a 

sense of calling in a religious or humanistic sense. 

 Lifestyle.  One of the most appealing factors of 

teaching among this group of participants is the lifestyle 

that the profession offered.  A few of these second-career 

teachers even sacrificed much better paying careers because 

they were lured by the potential of a career that is family 

friendly, with free weekends, holidays, and summers.  

Some commented on the strain that the previous line of 

work created, including personal life and family pressures.  

Rick stated: 

I knew that my career had pretty much cost me my 

first marriage and I missed a lot of time with my 

children growing up.  My second wife and I had a 

child and I did not want that to happen the second 

time around so I thought, „I‟ve got to make a 

change.‟   

Chad reflected that in his first career he became 

unsatisfied after five years, adding, “I probably over 

worked myself, and committed to a really difficult career 

path, and I considered leaving that just because it was more 

than I could handle.” Janet commented on the monotony of 

her previous job and the dismal prospect of never having 

any significant time off:  “When you work a regular 40 

hour per week job, it is just week after week with no 

break.” She went on to say that the opportunity to have time 

off was a major factor in choosing teaching as a second 

career.  Thomas, who worked a demanding and constantly 

changing schedule as a police officer, decided to try 

substitute teaching first to see if he might prefer the 

schedule of a teacher.  He elaborated that “somebody told 

me to substitute teach and see if you like that, you know, 

you‟ll be off during the summer.  I thought, that would be 

nice.” 

 Satisfaction.  Rather than pull factors to teaching, 

some participants were influenced by push factors from 

their old job, most notably the unsatisfying nature of the 

work.  Several of the participants commented that they felt 

that their work was meaningless and that they eventually 

came to desire a purpose in their work.  Andrea felt that she 

was approaching the proverbial glass ceiling that many 

women encounter in the corporate workplace.  In reflecting 

upon that experience and her decision to become a teacher, 

she said: 

They‟re very male oriented and, and I just realized 

that I couldn‟t really progress very high up in the 

company.  Then I remembered fourth grade.  I was 

a nerd and I guess I decided to stand up and give 

some presentation in front of the class and my 

teacher called my mom and said „she‟s going to be 

a teacher one day.‟   

Chuck voiced a similar dissatisfaction with the 

financially volatile world of stock brokering.  He added that 

in “February of „88 I made $10,000 take home, March I 

made $250.  You just didn‟t know.”  He went on to state 

that he had always wanted to teach and coach baseball and 

he began to seek the advice of friends and family, as well as 

former teachers and coaches, who encouraged him to 

change professions.   

 Making a difference.  The desire to do something 

meaningful has served as a strong motivator for all 12 of 

the participants in this study.  Each of them repeatedly 

referred to teaching as a profession that has a tremendous 

impact on the lives of other people.  In fact, Smith and 

Pantana (2009) found that the desire to “make a difference” 

rated higher than any other factor among a sample of 311 

second-career teachers in a recent study of pre-service 

career changers.  Eleven of the 12 participants in this study 

indicated that they are more satisfied with teaching than 

their previous career.  Chuck characterized himself as much 

more satisfied with his teaching career “because it‟s more 

fulfilling and you are touching people in a positive light, no 

matter who it is.”  Janet noted a remarkable difference from 

her previous job: 

Oh, definitely more satisfied.  I‟ve gone through a 

lot.  I‟ve had a major illness since I‟ve been 

teaching and I have had a lot of support from 

students and from co-workers through all of that.   

Rhonda, the lone college instructor, added that 

“when you‟re teaching you are doing something positive for 

other people and to me the most important thing is feeling 

like you‟re doing something useful.”   

 Calling.  In addition to other factors that make 

teaching appear to be an attractive second career, there is 

also among some of the participants a sense of calling, a 

religious or humanistic sense.  Bigham and Smith (2008) 

asserted that in today‟s high-pressure climate of 

accountability, a “spiritual milieu” seems to be a necessary 

component in order to enter and succeed in the teaching 

profession.  The term “calling” came up at several points in 

the initial interviews, prompting the researcher to ask the 

participants whether they considered teaching to be a 

calling in the follow-up interviews.  All of the participants 

referred to teaching as a calling, although not all believed 

that teaching was their personal calling.  Anna was 

emphatic in her belief that teaching is a calling.  She said, 

For me I definitely believe this was a calling from 

God, and I feel like I‟m following His will for me.  



Current Issues in Education Vol. 14 No. 2   

 

10 

This is something that I have given a lot of thought 

to.  I believe that we all have a purpose that we 

were created for.  That doesn‟t mean that it will be 

easy, though.   

Rhonda added that teaching shares a sense of 

calling with other service professions, such as medicine and 

law enforcement.  She adds, “I think it‟s one of the most 

influential jobs you can ever have, so to not look at it with 

some kind of ethical or humanistic or moral purpose…I 

think it‟s kind of missing the big picture.”  Former 

stockbroker Chuck pointed out that  

I think it is a calling, but then again it‟s also a job.  

You know that you are going to work and doing all 

of that, but if you love what you do and you do it 

right, there‟s no greater calling.  

This sense of calling provided a strong grounding 

for many of the participants, especially when the inevitable 

difficulties began to present themselves in the classroom.  

The feeling that one has been called by God coupled with 

the maturity gained through previous work experience was 

mentioned as a sustaining force through difficult situations.   

Preparation: Teacher Training 

 Quality of training.  An important component of 

teacher preparation is the quality of the training that a 

teacher receives, regardless of whether it is a formal 

graduate degree or a state alternative certification process.  

The perceived value of these experiences varied greatly 

among the participants of this study.  For example, when 

asked whether teacher training actually prepared these 

teachers for the realities of the classroom, the response was 

mixed.  Andrea, the former financial analyst, answered 

flatly, “I think that it prepared me as much as anything 

could have, because you have to find your own groove as a 

teacher.”  She went on to state that teaching is a process of 

discovery in finding what does and what does not work for 

each teacher.  Chad pondered this question for some time, 

finally responding that “the problem with being a teacher is, 

until you are a teacher, you really don‟t know what it‟s like 

to be a teacher.”  Sara, with her background in ministry, did 

not feel that the teacher education process was very helpful 

in terms of realism.  She advocated having more fieldwork 

and genuine classroom experiences.  Many of the 

participants echoed this sentiment.  Rick stated that, even 

though he had given countless business presentations, he 

was still “intimidated” by getting up in front of a classroom 

of high school students.  Susan, the high school counselor, 

reflected that after working in social services that she was, 

“a lot more realistic than the curriculum was.”  She pointed 

out that her training presented her with ideal situations and 

that in schools, “we don‟t have many ideal situations.”  

Chuck was critical in his assessment of his teacher 

education experience, stating: 

It put so much emphasis on theory.  Well, that‟s 

not what really goes on in the classroom.  I think 

there needs to be more emphasis on classroom 

management and dealing with the political 

structure of a school.  I‟d like to see it be more 

realistic. 

Student teaching.  Despite these frank evaluations 

of teacher training programs, all of the participants who 

completed a traditional student teaching experience spoke 

highly of this experience.  Anna spoke of the value of 

planning and conducting lessons over simply discussing or 

observing these tasks.  Marjorie discussed the challenges of 

student teaching for the older career changer with a family:  

“I was paying tuition, working for free, and paying child 

care so that was a little frustrating.”  She went on to state 

that her overall experience was good and that she believes 

that every experience in a classroom is ultimately valuable 

to the teacher-in-training. 

 Prior experience.  When asked if their specific 

teacher training program did anything to emphasize or build 

upon their previous work experience, the answer was also 

varied.  The majority of the participants believed that their 

program, even if it was tailored to career changers, did little 

to capitalize upon those experiences.  Rick reflected that his 

program reinforced skills that he learned over three decades 

of management.   

As far as tailoring content for second-career 

teachers, Sara commented that she believed “my professors 

differentiated.  I think they did.”  Others questioned 

whether teacher education programs were even capable of 

adapting to meet the needs of second-career teacher 

candidates.  Chad commented on the difficulty of 

addressing those needs in his experience: 

I think it did a good job teaching me the content 

knowledge that I needed to know and teaching me 

some basic structure of lessons, but in terms of 

what it‟s like to be a teacher and what the lifestyle 

is going to be like and what the difficulties are, I 

don‟t think it did a very good job anticipating or 

explaining those facts.   

Chuck and Hilary found their programs woefully 

lacking when considering prior work experiences, with 

Hilary commenting, “I feel like we were really trained more 

like robots.” These comments led the researcher to ask how 

the participants believed that teacher education might be 

improved in order to emphasize the diverse backgrounds of 

potential second-career teachers.  Anna came straight to the 

point when she addressed this question saying, 

I think what could be helpful would require a lot 

more observations of teachers and hands-on 

experience, things that you could actually use.  So 

much of it is theoretical and when you are actually 

there it‟s as if you are thrown to the wolves.   

Chad shared Anna‟s assessment, saying that many 

career changers who decide to become teachers “don‟t 

really have a good idea of what they are getting themselves 

into.”  Almost all of the participants spoke of a need for 

teacher education programs to move away from the 

traditional focus upon methods and theory classes toward 

more practical field oriented course work.   



Changing Course: Reflections of Second-Career Teachers  

 

11 

School districts.  In addition to the question 

concerning how teacher education programs might be 

improved, each participant was asked what school districts 

might do in order to take advantage of their experiences.  

The responses ranged from allowing these teachers to create 

a workshop for other teachers in which they could share 

skills and insights learned from other professions to 

allowing students more access to their particular areas of 

expertise.   

Rick, the second-career teacher with over three 

decades of business experience, strongly advocated using 

people like himself to prepare students for the reality of the 

workplace.  Many of the participants stated that school 

districts have an untapped resource in its second-career 

teachers.  Andrea, the former financial analyst asked: 

What if schools established workshops for parents 

and maybe students outside of the school day 

using these teachers‟ prior work experiences?  For 

example, I was a finance major.  I could have 

easily, along with a counselor, led a class for the 

parents of seniors with discussions on college 

budgeting and spending.   

Most of the participants felt that school districts 

make very little effort to identify and utilize prior work 

experience among their teachers.  All of them felt that they 

and others like them have much to offer to both colleagues 

and students in the way of prior experiences.  In fact, 

among these 12 second-career teachers alone, there is well 

over 100 years of collective work experience outside of the 

field of education. 

Assimilation: School Culture 

 The second-career teachers in this study indicated 

a difference in the culture of schools versus their previous 

working environment.  The researcher was interested to 

know specifically what difficulties were encountered in the 

process of assimilating or adjusting to school culture.  The 

responses varied because, just as the culture of schools is 

different from those in business or government settings, the 

participants suggested that each of their schools have 

certain unique cultural aspects also.  For example, a rural 

high school is likely quite different from an urban 

elementary setting.  Nevertheless, the researcher was 

especially interested in the process of adapting to the role of 

teacher after entering from another field and the challenges 

that the school climate presented to these individuals. 

 Early experiences.  Andrea felt that the most 

difficult phase was the first “few months of working where 

you are not only learning the school culture but how your 

individuality fits inside the culture.”  Hilary observed that 

“there is no follow through and that‟s hard, and just for me 

personally, dealing with the teachers is a lot harder than 

dealing with the students.”  She pointed out the politics and 

favoritism that exist among administrators in some work 

settings and how students often feel the same way about 

teachers.  After 10 years in industry, Janet was surprised by 

the unpredictable nature of teaching.  She said, “when you 

come from a quiet, organized environment to where 

anything can happen at any time, you‟ve got to be able to 

move quick.”  She also discussed the importance of the new 

teacher staying away from the teachers‟ lounge and the 

negativity that exists among many teachers, pointing out the 

need to, “stay away from that, don‟t get into the gossip.  

Don‟t get into that kind of thing which will only get you in 

trouble.”  Chad immediately recognized the bureaucratic 

nature of working in public schools.  He said: 

I think schools are very insular.  I think that people 

do things often because they‟ve always been done, 

and there‟s always kind of a never ending little 

game of red tape that has to be played, and I think 

that‟s really hard to make an adjustment to when 

you first come into the profession.   

Adjusting.  All 12 of the participants in this study 

seemed to be well assimilated into the schools in which 

they teach.  In classroom observations conducted by the 

researcher, each of these teachers appeared to be relaxed 

and comfortable in their interactions with students, other 

teachers, and administrators.  The common sentiment 

among the teachers in this group who had worked at 

multiple schools was that school culture varies greatly from 

school to school.  Andrea made this point clearly, stating: 

I have now worked for three different schools, and 

each school has been very different.  I have 

learned from being displeased with the corporate 

culture in which I worked that it was very 

important for me to find the school culture that 

meshed with my values and ideas in education.   

Rhonda vocalized the frustration that many new 

teachers face, regardless of whether they are new college 

graduates or career changers.  Her frustration with being 

“thrown into the classroom” without a transition period was 

a common complaint among the participants.  A lack of 

adequate mentoring programs added to this sense of 

frustration.   

Perception: Teacher Self-Efficacy 

 Knowing students.  Participants were asked to 

reflect upon how skills acquired during the previous career 

were beneficial to them in their current teaching assignment 

using specific examples where appropriate.  Often, these 

responses were introspective and gave additional insight 

into the phenomenon of second-career teachers.  For 

example, Chad lamented that “we rarely get to know our 

kids really as people.  This makes it difficult sometimes to 

relate to them.”  Hilary reflected on a similar theme as 

Chad.  Her concern for her students, as well as her 

frustrations, emerges clearly in the following statement: 

For every class I teach, I estimate having 3-5 

students at risk for behaviors such as dropping out, 

committing crimes, relying on welfare, etc.  With 

these kids, it always feels like I am in a boxing 

ring leaving me feeling exhausted and beaten up.  

And with my weak little jabs, I have to keep 

plugging that self worth back into them.   



Current Issues in Education Vol. 14 No. 2   

 

12 

A desire to know and connect with students was 

obvious among all twelve participants in the study.  Each 

teacher felt that establishing strong, positive, and 

appropriate relationships with students was a necessary 

ingredient toward achieving success as a teacher. 

Interest in students.  A selfless interest in the 

well being of their students was a common theme in most 

of the journal entries of the 12 participants in this study.  

Anna demonstrated a motherly love for her students.  She 

wrote: 

I believe my skills as a mother of three children 

have given me a different view, one through the 

child‟s eyes and heart.  My mothering has helped 

me teach each student individually to guide them 

as a unique person with different abilities.   

Acquired skills.  Chuck reflected on how his 

previous career helped him to develop the people skills that 

he now uses in teaching and coaching.  In fact, many of 

these teachers returned to the skills that they obtained in 

their previous career and how those skills are transposed 

upon their teaching practice.  Rick emphasized the value of 

his real world experiences in preparing his students for life.  

He wrote: 

I believe that my experiences in all the different 

jobs that I have had outside of being a 

schoolteacher may help some of these kids.  Some 

of them open their eyes because I have done some 

things.  Most teachers do not have those 

experiences.   

Role models.  Many of the participants reflected 

on their role as a positive adult role model for their 

students.  In addition to providing this example, a recurrent 

theme in the comments of these teachers was the value of 

their prior experiences.  Thomas spoke of using his 

repertoire of police skills on an almost daily basis.   

It should be noted that the overwhelming majority 

of these teachers were focused upon their students rather 

than upon their environment, careers, or personal interests.  

A clear need to make an impact upon the lives of the 

students that they are teaching, as well as the desire to 

impart the lessons learned during their previous careers is 

evident in these journals. 

Vision: Glimpsing the Future 

Outlook.  Second-career teachers enter the 

profession at a later age than their traditional track peers, 

often one or two decades later.  As a result, their outlook for 

the future takes on a different perspective.  For example, 

these teachers will reach retirement at a much older age, 

meaning that they are still in the classroom at an age well 

beyond their colleagues.  By contrast, having changed 

careers before, some of these teachers are not opposed to 

the notion that they may do so again at some point in the 

future.  The researcher was interested in the general 

impressions of these teachers concerning the current state 

and future of education as a profession as well as having 

them discusses personal professional goals.  Finally, all of 

the participants were willing to offer advice for teachers 

entering the profession from other fields. 

The state of education.  The participants in this 

study were asked to comment on what they perceive to be 

the current state of education in the state of Georgia, as well 

as in the nation in general.  Most teachers were quick to 

report concerns over national and state educational policies 

and increasing demands being placed upon teachers in areas 

beyond the scope of the classroom.  Andrea commented on 

the sluggish manner in which the profession has sought to 

address the needs of the 21
st
 century learner, saying: 

This generation is very different and needs more to 

be able to become productive, valuable citizens of 

this century.  I think the future for teachers holds 

some tumultuous times especially if they are 

unwilling to learn, change, and be flexible.   

Anna voiced the concerns of most of the 

participants by addressing the current national obsession 

with accountability.  “I see that even getting more abundant 

in the future with more red tape, more regulation,” she said.  

Hilary had a similar forecast predicting, “less time for the 

kids and less money because all the money will be for the 

paperwork and putting the data on the computer instead of 

working with the kids.”  Marjorie, disturbed by the 

question, finally responded, 

I look at the budget cuts and we all know that the 

money is wasted, not just in education but 

throughout the state, and then no wonder we‟re 

where we are.  It‟s easy to see but I try not to dwell 

on that because if I did I‟d be ready to quit.   

Legislation.  The No Child Left Behind Act of 

2001 was a subject that invoked a great deal of vitriol from 

these second-career teachers.  Although some spoke of a 

need for standards and accountability, all of the teachers 

who mentioned NCLB did so in a negative context, 

questioning its effectiveness and mentioning a need to 

allow teachers to focus upon the classroom.   

Rick stated that “there are kids that are going to be 

left behind no matter what, and I look at education as so 

many politicians who‟ve never taught, meddling in 

something that they don‟t fully understand and don‟t 

comprehend.” The notion that the entire process has 

become seriously flawed was mentioned by Chad.  He 

reflected that “it‟s a constant sort of bureaucratic game of 

paperwork and these types of things and that really bogs 

down the actual education process.”   

 The future of education.  Other participants 

voiced different concerns over the current and future state 

of education.  Thomas believes that the degeneration of the 

American family is chief among his concern and that he is 

hopeful that society will move back to a point where 

parents discipline their children and teachers can focus 

upon teaching.  Other participants spoke of student 

misbehavior and a lack of parental support.  These factors, 

along with the increasing pressures of accountability during 



Changing Course: Reflections of Second-Career Teachers  

 

13 

a major economic downturn may discourage future college 

graduates, according to some of the participants.   

Susan, reflecting on the current economy, made 

the point that “most colleges have made the education 

program one of the easier ones to complete, and I think in 

the future we‟re going to have lots of people with degrees 

that don‟t have jobs.”  Rick also theorized that economic 

pressures may cause some to reconsider teaching despite 

the lure of what is often perceived as a steady profession.   

 Encouragement and advice.  Despite these 

gloomy assessments of the future of education, most of the 

participants were willing to encourage others, including 

their own children, to become teachers, with a couple of 

notable exceptions.  However, most were emphatic that any 

potential teacher, especially any considering a career 

change, should be certain that he or she really wants to be a 

teacher.  Andrea pointed out that “you just have to 

constantly tell yourself that you‟re in it for the kids and, if 

you keep them as your primary focus, then I think 

everything else falls into place.”  Chad was pragmatic as he 

offered two points of advice to those considering changing 

professions to become a teacher.  He said: 

I would suggest they do two things:  The first is 

that they need to really spend some time with a 

group of teachers and look at the lifestyle and the 

wage because I think the trap with education is 

that they pay you decently at the beginning but 

then it never really increases.  The other thing that 

I would recommend is that they spend as much 

time in a classroom working with kids as possible.   

Chuck warned that those considering this change 

should be certain that teaching is what they strongly desire 

to do because of the long term damage that a poor teacher 

might have upon the children in his or her classroom.  

Hilary made a similar observation, stating that it is “bad for 

your students to know that you‟re dissatisfied with your 

job.” Sara continued to state the need for those considering 

teaching to be certain that it is what they want to do, 

observing that 

I don‟t know why some people go into teaching to 

be perfectly honest.  I don‟t know what they‟re 

looking for.  I don‟t know what they‟re expecting 

it to be, because if you don‟t have a genuine 

compassion for kids, then you don‟t need to be 

here.   

 The answers were mixed when the participants 

were asked if they would encourage their own children to 

become teachers.  Chuck quickly responded, “I would 

because of the good things.  I still think that the good things 

out weigh the bad things.”  College instructor Rhonda also 

gave teaching a positive endorsement saying, “absolutely, I 

mean even though there are all these pitfalls, that‟s any 

profession really, I think it‟s a wonderful job.”  Rick agreed 

and made the point that one of his children had already 

decided to become a teacher.  Anna returned to the idea of 

individuals receiving a spiritual calling into teaching.  

When addressing the issue of encouraging her own 

children, she answered: 

Definitely, if they felt called.  It is not something 

to be entered into lightly.  It is a much harder job 

than most people think.  It takes a certain type of 

person.  It‟s not for everybody, but if it was 

something that they felt they were being led to do, 

then I would support their decision.   

Andrea echoed Anna‟s statement, saying that “If 

my children were called to teach, yes I would love for them 

to be in education.” 

Among the other group of teachers, those who 

were reluctant to respond that they would encourage their 

children to become teachers, there was a degree of caution.  

For example, Chad seemed to have conflicting emotions as 

he wrestled with issues of status and earning potential 

versus a strong desire to be a teacher.  He reluctantly stated 

that he would, 

Probably discourage them.  There are too many 

other professions that they could do more for their 

family with.  I‟m not saying that I would 

absolutely forbid them from doing it but I would 

discourage them highly and if they were convinced 

that they were really called to do it, I wouldn‟t 

stand in their way.   

Hilary also pointed out that, although she would 

not encourage her children to be teachers, she would not try 

to stop them from doing it either.   

These comments revealed an apparent duplicity 

among most of the participants in this study.  Although 

many wanted to recommend the teaching profession, they 

felt that they could not do so without a clear warning to 

potential teachers to be certain that they truly desire to be 

teachers. 

Discussion 

Motivating Events 

 The participants in this study mentioned several 

factors that served as an impetus for changing careers.  

Among these were the desire to have a career that makes a 

difference in the lives of other people, the need to do more 

meaningful and fulfilling work, the need to leave a legacy 

for future generations, the desire to have a more flexible 

and family friendly schedule, the love of a particular subject 

matter, and the desire to share life experiences with younger 

people.  Many of the participants mentioned being 

encouraged to change careers, particularly in order to 

become teachers, by family, friends, former teachers, and 

coaches.  Many also mentioned feeling a “calling,” in the 

spiritual sense, to enter teaching.  These motivations match 

closely the recent study by Smith and Pantana (2009) which 

found that: 

23% of respondents offered the top reason as their 

love for children and desire to make a difference in 

their lives.  The second most commonly provided 

answer related to their ability to teach and their 

enjoyment of it.  Interestingly, the third most 



Current Issues in Education Vol. 14 No. 2   

 

14 

common response, given by 12% of the 

participants, identified dissatisfaction with their 

previous career as their main reason for switching 

to teaching (p. 7). 

Regardless of reason, the participants in this study 

all had come to a career crossroads and, in some cases, a 

purpose of life crisis that ultimately led them to the 

classroom.  In the process of changing their careers, many 

of the experiences that they had were later found to be 

common across the sample.   

Common Experiences 

Although the participants in this study came from 

a variety of backgrounds, they did share some common 

experiences in the decision to become teachers, the teacher 

preparation process, and in the transition to the classroom.  

Many of the participants mentioned considering and then 

rejecting teaching as a college major as an undergraduate.  

Others spoke of having no initial interest in teaching 

whatsoever.  Almost all had come to a point of 

dissatisfaction with the previous career.  Some mentioned a 

sense of reaching a plateau with no real hope of advancing 

within the organization.  Others mentioned realizing that 

they had chosen the wrong career upon graduating from 

college or the feeling that they were being led toward a 

career in teaching by way of a spiritual revelation, or 

calling. 

Most of the participants spoke of the hardships 

encountered upon making the decision to leave an already 

established, and for some a well paying, career to go back 

to school in order to become a teacher.  This sentiment was 

especially true among those who had family responsibilities 

at the time.  Financial hardship, strained personal 

relationships, and a sense of uncertainty were common 

themes during these discussions.  Some spoke of 

frustrations with the teacher training process including what 

were often deemed as excessive requirements by the state 

for those seeking alternative certification.  Certainly, there 

are ways to streamline the process in order to encourage 

those who are seeking to change careers.  Nevertheless, it is 

clear that any major upheaval in one‟s life will have a ripple 

effect upon finances and relationships.  These teachers 

understood that changing careers would be difficult, but 

were willing to endure many hardships in order to achieve a 

better way of life and a career more aligned with their 

personal goals and values.  These desires are consistent 

with what Maslow (1943) identified as a need for self-

actualization, as well as what Levinson (1978) referenced 

as a desire by many mid-life career changers to find a 

profession more in-line with one‟s system of beliefs and 

values.   

Teacher Education 

 There were three methods by which these career 

changers obtained a state teacher‟s license: traditional 

degree programs, graduate programs for those with 

undergraduate degrees outside of the field of education, and 

state sponsored alternative certification routes.  

Overwhelmingly, the participants in this study believed that 

these programs did not adequately prepare them for the 

realities of the classroom, nor were they able to help them 

utilize their previous work experiences.  Nevertheless, they 

all felt that student teaching was the most valuable 

preparation experience of their respective programs.  The 

majority of the participants spoke of a need for more field 

experiences in teacher training programs, especially for 

second-career teacher candidates, for many of whom it has 

been decades since they were grade school students 

themselves. 

 Teacher education programs need to be revamped 

in order to meet the needs of career changers and those 

entering the profession at a later age.  Already, there has 

been some relief for potential career changers with the 

advent of a number of high quality online teacher 

preparation programs, which seems to support the findings 

of Smith and Pantana (2009) in their recent study of 

second-career teachers.  They reported that, in a sample of 

311 teachers, “nearly half (48%) stated that they would not 

have switched careers if such an online option were not 

available” (p. 8).  In an age of readily available technology, 

these blended online/residential programs may offer a 

viable alternative to potential career changers who wish to 

remain employed or simply cannot afford to return to 

school full time in a traditional program. 

Benefits of a Previous Career 

 Not surprisingly, all of the participants in this 

study highlighted the value of having prior career 

experiences before becoming teachers.  Some of these 

teachers made the point that, although the previous career 

may have had no crossover value in terms of skills, it 

nevertheless provided an opportunity to mature and 

experience a world outside of education that few teachers 

who enter the profession immediately after college ever see.  

On the other hand, approximately half of the participants 

could point to specific skills that are of particular use to 

them now as teachers.  All of these teachers stated that they 

have something unique to offer to students, that being a 

glimpse of the “real world.”  Interestingly, most felt that 

school districts do very little, if anything, to capitalize on 

the wealth of previous work experiences that exists among 

members of the teaching community.  Suggestions by these 

teachers included staff development sessions where these 

teachers may be utilized as outside “experts” and as 

advisors or mentors to work-bound high school students.   

 Finally, reactions were mixed when the 

participants were asked if they might change careers again 

at some point in the future.  Many teachers simply 

responded that they enjoy teaching and intend to continue 

until retirement, while others emphasized the desire to do 

something different at some point in the future.  Because 

the phenomenon of second-career 

teachers is relatively new, there is little research that 

directly indicates whether these teachers will remain in the 

profession.  For those who become successful teachers, 



Changing Course: Reflections of Second-Career Teachers  

 

15 

there is every reason for school districts to make the effort 

to retain these teachers.  Their firsthand experiences in 

fields such as business, industry, law enforcement, and the 

military are valuable resources that simply cannot be 

replicated in the classroom. 

Satisfaction with the New Career 

 The decision to leave one career for another can be 

life changing in many respects.  For example, it will likely 

involve an extended period of financial hardship, along 

with the inevitable strain upon personal relationships and 

the ability to pursue hobbies or other interests.  In many 

cases, teaching also results in a reduction in earnings.  In 

order for these difficulties to be worthwhile, it is necessary 

for potential second-career teachers to believe that they will 

find some degree of satisfaction in their new profession.  

This study sought to discover the extent to which second-

career teachers have found satisfaction in their new jobs.   

 The overwhelming majority of the participants in 

this study reported being satisfied with their new choice of 

profession.  Many discussed the advantage of having time 

to spend with family and friends, as well as to pursue 

interests outside of work, as a clear advantage over their 

previous careers even though this meant giving up higher 

paying positions.  This particular instance seems to 

illustrate Alderfer‟s (1972) regression theory in which the 

individual, unable to find satisfaction in the upper levels of 

Maslow‟s hierarchy, reestablishes himself at a lower, more 

basic level.  In addition, many participants also spoke of 

being fulfilled by working with children, which was the 

primary motivator for most of the participants to change 

careers in the first place. 

 Conversely, there were some distinct areas of 

dissatisfaction.  Namely, the bureaucratic nature of schools, 

the overwhelming demands placed on teachers to do much 

more than just teach, and the apathy of many students and 

parents.  A small minority of the participants in this study 

indicated that these concerns may eventually lead to yet 

another career change at some point in the near future.  

These findings are consistent with Herzberg‟s (2008) 

observations concerning a need to satisfy basic 

dissatisfying, or hygiene factors in the workplace.  For the 

most part, these teachers envision themselves remaining in 

the teaching profession until retirement.  Most confessed 

that the youthful idealism that many new teachers have 

along with a tendency among many new teachers to burn 

out and leave the profession early does not apply to second-

career teachers.  They have already passed through this 

phase while working in a previous profession.  Most of 

these teachers agreed that teaching is a good and honorable 

profession and stated that they would encourage those 

considering changing careers to enter the field, including 

their own children.                               

Conclusion 

 The participants in this study entered the teaching 

profession from a variety of previous careers.  They had 

different motivations for becoming teachers, but shared a 

desire to have a meaningful impact on the lives of young 

people.  All of the participants in this study faced hardships 

as they began the process of preparing to become teachers, 

including strains on finances and upon family 

responsibilities.   

 The routes taken by this group of second-career 

teachers to equip themselves with the necessary academic 

degrees and state certifications varied somewhat.  Some 

chose graduate programs while others took advantage of 

Georgia‟s alternative certification process.  Regardless of 

how they were prepared, these teachers eventually found 

themselves in front of classrooms while adjusting to the 

culture of schools.  Many found these new work settings to 

be very different from their previous work environments.  

Despite the challenges that face those seeking to enter the 

profession from a previous career, the overwhelming 

majority of the participants in this study would encourage 

others become teachers. 

 

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http://nheon.org/pt3/NewTeacherCD/virtual2ndcareer.htm
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Current Issues in Education Vol. 14 No.2 

18 

Article Citation 

Lee, D. (2011). Changing course: Reflections of second-career teachers Current Issues in Education, 14(2). Retrieved [date], 

from http://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/683 

 

 

 

Author Notes 

Darrell Lee, Ed.D. 

Rockmart High School 

990 Cartersville Highway 

Rockmart, GA 30153 

dlee@polk.k12.ga.us 

 

Darrell Lee teaches AP U.S. History at Rockmart High School in Rockmart, GA.  His research interests include second-

career teachers and alternative delivery methods for AP instruction. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mailto:ccox@truman.edu


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