[Coco] Re: Out of work.

[farna at att.net]

I do find that upsetting! Most technical colleges I've talked to have said that teachers with a two year degree and experience in the field the degree is in can teach subjects in that field. With teachers hard to come by you'd think schools would be more interested in people willing and able to teach! In some states you can teach as long as you're working toward a BS and making progress. It's a shame that experience isn't more recognized! AS degrees in a specialized field should be worth more than a general studies BS, but it isn't. You need the BS in anything to teach. I've a degree in construction management and a degree in technical instructing through the USAF -- both accreditied degrees. You'd think the technical instructing degree and four years experience as a technical instructor would be worth a bit more than it is. I'll be looking for something when I retire from the military in just under a year. I've looked into giving private engine rebuilding classes. I can't gi
 ve any
thing but a certificate which won't mean anything, but I'm looking at reasonably priced training for hobbyists, not job training. $250 for a class in which you and a friend rebuild an engine. Machine work and parts would be paid for by student also. I'm hoping I have some takers. If you have a space that you can use (maybe an agreement with a local community center?) you might consider advertising private lessons. The local community college might not like it though, especially if you undercut them to get business! But you don't have to have any credentials to teach something privately -- it's just that your certificate may not mean anything. But someone seeking help/instruction for their own pleasure/knowledge won't care. 

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Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
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For all AMC enthusiasts
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-------------original message------------------------
First I want to tell you that I know your situation all too well. Except in
my situation, the company decided to reduce the number of gray-heads. I
think I was in that situation the day we had dinner at Wendy's in Norton. I
know that I am not being too uplifting when I say this, but I still do not
have a full time job since my departure form FirstEnergy Oct 2003. Almost
three years ago. Damn... time flies. Since then I have been adjunct teaching
MS-Office classes at Brown Mackie College until they realized that I do not
posess a bachelors degree. I am now a computer lab assistant. My employement
runs month to month. My programming associates degree from Akron U.
and 40 years in the computing field were not good enough for teaching 8-/. So if 
you do
not have family attachements in this area, I'd say don't let the door knob
touch your posterior on your way outta here because all that you mentioned
about age discrimination and the sorry economic situation in this area is so 
true.
I have family here so I am stuck. I am
currently finishing up my studies towards a bachelors degree at Malone
College in the hopes something a little more perminate will occur at Brown
Mackie. If not, I will be more salable to other technical colleges. Unforch,
Ohio and probably most of the other states in this nation have bought into
the crap that one can not possibly be a good teacher without a master
degree. I am getting sick and tired of being a day late and a dollar short
8-/. Anyway good hunting to you too.