Hi Gilbert,

 Thanks for the prompt reply.

 I’ll continue to find a way back into the workforce, thanks for the support you are giving to people like me.

 The best thing about your website is that I feel assured that I am not alone and that someone has cared enough to listen and to provide some help.  The large part is still up to me to keep striving and staying positive and looking for opportunities.

I was a former secondary school teacher before but left the educational sector to be with my kids full time.

 Seeing that my kids are now bigger,  I have in the past 3 years gone back to teach in the schools as an Adjunct teacher.  The demands now are so much greater and the teenagers so different that I find it hard to have a rapport with them and be an effective teacher at the same time. 

 I’m also not sure if  I can cope with the workload.  At the same time, I was turned down by MOE when I applied to rejoin the teaching force full time.  I feel over-qualified yet lacking the skills for other jobs eg admin and anyway, fresh grads are always the preferred choice   All the experience that I had seemed out dated now. 

 Though my situation is not as bad as others who have posted on your website,  I just want to have a support group and maybe some help in sorting out my options –  the skills that I have to acquire to be marketable again. 

  I have very basic IT skills and am trying to pick up more skills in this area.

 I still wish to make use of my teaching experience but much of the teacher upgrading can only be done through MOE courses and only permanent staff are entitled to it. 

 I hope to be able to teach in a primary school as I am better with the younger kids but MOE will not consider a switch (I have checked with them).  So my plan is to persuade a primary school principal to allow me to teach as an adjunct and then put in a word of recommendation for me to MOE.   I really don’t know if this route will work…

 Giving tuition and working in a tuition centre is the other option… however, it can be a lonely job.  Having been a homemaker all these years, I want to work in an environment where I can connect with people other than students and parents.

 Hope the above info will help your career coach have a better picture of my status.

Would appreciate it if you could connect me with someone whom I can seek some advice?

 Thanks

  Regards,

 Carol (not her real name)

 @@@@@@@@

 Hi Carol,

  Thanks for your mail.

 Its true that teaching now is so different  from earlier years and there are indeed job pressures face by teachers to meet all sorts of demands.

 The students are also nowadays more articulate and outspoken unlike those of yesteryears.

 Many workers who left the work sector to be full time housewives face tremendous readjustment pressure when they decide to return to work.

 Skills have gone obsolete and there is a need to re-skill and also recharge one’s motivation to work again.

 More importantly, the returned executive lacks alot of self confidence about her own abilities which can be crippling in a fast paced stressful work environment like ours.

 Besides finding work in the public schools, I wonder if you have consider teaching in a private school?

 There a few thousands private schools catering to the large foreign-student market out there and there is the huge demand for MOE-trained teachers. Its a multi billion educational industry.

 For English-language teachers, you need to possess the TESOL (Teaching of English as a second language) certificate in order to qualify as a TESOL teacher.

 You can check out fees and duration from our many educational institutions to acquire the TESOL certificate. With the TESOL certificate, you can also teach part time in NTUC upgrading courses. I have heard that they pay well – about $60 an hour.

 I also can assist  by linking you up with our volunteer career coach to assess your re-employment opportunities.

 Do give me a few days to arrange this.

 We do not have any support group session meeting currently but will keep you notified once there is one being conducted.

 I also request for a copy of your latest resume so that the career coach can go through first before meeting you up for a session.

 Thanks and take care.
 

Gilbert Goh

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