| BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : OCTOBER 11, 1999 ISSUE | ||||||||
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| BUSINESSWEEK INVESTOR
Giving It the Old College Try Teaching other adults can be rewarding--in a variety of ways If you have expertise in a given subject , but you're not necessarily looking for a career change, you might want to consider teaching part-time at the college level. Unlike primary and secondary education, you don't need any special certification or teacher training, just knowledge and the desire to impart it. Many professionals find this a good way to make contacts and meet potential clients. It's also a prestigious credential to add to your resume. John Hunt, a veterinarian in Bucksport, Me., found that teaching part time in a college animal-health technician program was a relief from job pressures. "In the office, it's very emotional," he says. "You have to deal with the owner as well as the critter, [plus] billing and management. Teaching is more pure and refreshing. And after 17 years as a vet, I've picked up a lot of tricks of the trade." For retirees, teaching can be a fulfilling part of their post-career lives. Take Lenny Ginsburg. After working 25 years in New York City's garment district, he began taking computer courses near his home at Kean College in Union, N.J. Helping other students led to a part-time teaching job. "It was really terrific fun, and I've been doing it every since," he says. He likes the small class size of a local college and the personal contact he has with students. SAVED. While teaching college means you won't be working with children, it still can give you an opportunity to make a difference. Says Ginsburg of his students: "They ask me advice as a stable older adult, and one or two who I feel I saved [have] come back [to] thank me." Teaching on the side can be a form of education in itself. New York City Fire Captain James Ellson works for the special command unit that handles such disasters as bombings and hurricanes. This led to his teaching Planning & Strategy for Emergency Response at John Jay College for Criminal Justice. "I learn more about everything that I teach by talking about it and discussing it with the students," he says. Most of Ellson's students are professionals, ranging from policemen to museum security guards to stock-exchange investigators, so they end up teaching him about subjects he otherwise wouldn't get a chance to explore. "Students give me a lot of information about their area of investigation and what their organizations are all about," says the 60-year-old captain. For example, a museum security guard told him about storing and maintaining paintings, and the economics of museums. Says Ellson: "I learn a lot about my city and about people." By Pamela Black _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP |
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RELATED ITEMS Go to the Head of the Class TABLE: Schooling for Career Switchers TABLE: Teachers' Tools ONLINE ORIGINAL: Giving It the Old College Try INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online | |||
