Are you considering a change of career into teaching, but not sure if it's for you?
Do you yearn to make a real impact on your community, but believe it's too late to shift gears?
We've busted four myths about teaching as a second-career that may be holding you back from your best years yet!
Myth - obtaining a teaching degree will be too hard
A 2018 report by Queensland College of Teachers1 revealed that a fear of university was a barrier preventing people from pursuing a career in teaching.
Rebecca Thoms was one of those people. Despite being a natural go-getter who enjoyed getting the best out of herself; a lack of academic confidence deterred her from chasing a childhood dream of becoming a teacher.
'Coming out of high school, I did want to be a teacher,' she said.
'However, I did not have the confidence to go to university and didn't think I'd be good enough to be a teacher.'
At age 30, after forging a successful career as a realtor, she had gained the self-belief to pursue a degree and teaching.
'When I rose to licensee in real estate I thought, if I can do that, I can do anything' she said.
Myth - all my previous experience will be wasted
Your work history will be your greatest asset. Many universities attribute relevant prior learning through previous work experience and qualifications as credits towards units in a degree.
Rebecca was able to gain credit for her property management qualification against a number of business subjects, which helped shorten her study load, expense and timeline to completion.
'As a mature aged student, being able to complete the majority of my course online (through University of Southern Queensland) worked best for me. I didn't have to physically attend many lectures and the workload was tough, but it was absolutely worth it' she said.
Juggling study, a new born baby and the family construction business, Rebecca believes that professional maturity, work ethic, self-belief and a good support structure were the weapons for achieving her goal.
'Having the support of my family was absolutely critical,' she said.
Myth - I'm not cut out for the classroom
As with all new professions, the workplace environment for beginning teachers could be overwhelming, but as Rebecca says the reassuring benefit is, there's a whole cohort to lean on.
'Coming into teaching was daunting, but my colleagues were amazing. Learning from them and taking their advice helped me develop my own style and pedagogy.'
Where classroom miles may be limited, many second-career teachers such as Rebecca report their relationship management and communication skills as the biggest asset they brought to teaching.
'No doubt, having business acumen and real-world context helps the students engage with the content, but more importantly for me, I see how my life experience and maturity informs the way I build relationships and navigate behavioural issues,' she said.
Myth - there's no career progression in teaching
Leaving the corporate landscape hasn't halted Rebecca's career progression, with the business and digital technology teacher finding innovative ways to continue to excel.
She's developed a workplace engagement program with students interested in aviation, developing a Junior Chamber within her local Chamber of Commerce and taking up leadership roles within the school, including her current role as Head of Department.
'As soon as I started teaching and saw the difference I can make in the student's lives I knew I wanted to work with more of them, so I went for the Coordinator position' she said.
'The opportunities exist, but they don't get handed to you on a platter, it's important to go after them and challenge yourself to continue to grow.'
To explore how we can support you to make a mid-career change, visit
Turn to Teaching, or to find out more about take the steps to a new career in teaching, visit Steps to become a teacher.
1 *Wyatt-Smith, C., Du Plessis, A., Hand, K., Wang, J., Alexander, C., & Colbert, P. (2017). Why choose teaching? A matter of choice: Evidence from the field. A report prepared for the Queensland College of Teachers. Brisbane, Queensland: Learning Sciences Institute Australia.