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I am so happy for you that you are allowing yourself to be open to other career choices that are a better fit to your personality and abilities.
While it is too bad that your University program did not evaluate your strengths and weaknesses earlier to encourage, or force, you into a different career, I suspect that if they did you would have vigorously fought them every step along the way. My University did/does counsel some people in the teaching track to switch majors. And, at times, will refuse to grant permission for the person to receive a teaching license.
You can't change history. The educational programing for children on the autism spectrum has made absolutely amazing progress in the last decades. All you can do now is get the best assistance that you can get for your autism, as an adult, and work from there.
Good luck to you.
Last edited by germaine2626; 04-05-2018 at 10:56 AM..
Proofreading, editing, working in a college writing lab, helping people write college essays, typing and editing thesis documents, writing/editing manuals for technical companies, working in an office/business setting transcribing and organizing the endless files and reports they produce, working in a law setting as a paralegal. All of these require strong English skills and command of the language and some keep you on the perimeter of education without actually being in a classroom. Not everyone is cut out for leading in the classroom setting, so don't beat yourself up about it. Also, go back to your college placement office for a refresher on options with the degree. Plenty of people (even those with aspirations to be teachers) get the English degree and never get hired as an educator.
Also, why do you think I can't teach? Don't you think they would have recognized a problem this serious during student teaching and not given me a teaching degree if I actually couldn't do the job?
They may have. Unfortunately, since it wasn't their problem, they let it go. You paid your tuition, you did the coursework, you met the requirements, and you got the degree.
Well, I've had a total of two unsuccessful teaching experiences at both schools that resulted in my supervisor placing another person in the classroom with me. This isn't something they normally do, I guess, so maybe that should be a signal to me that maybe I'm just not cut out for teaching. I didn't want to take "no" for an answer before, and I honestly thought it might be the environment in which I was working, but this school year I was hired by a decent school from out-of-state that paid me a lot more than I was making at the youth center, but I still had problems communicating with and teaching the kids.
I guess I'm ready to admit defeat. Teaching English just isn't something I can do well. I might be able to teach another subject well, but I have no real reason to believe that the problems I've had with teaching English wouldn't be present when teaching another subject as well.
It's really discouraging. I spent about seven years in college, obtained a master's degree, and can't do the job I was supposedly trained for. It's discouraging, but I guess it's reality.
Sorry, but people do still need to make a living. The truth is I have a terrible employment record outside of teaching. They seem to keep me at least a little while just because I meet the credential requirement. I really would like to find something I can actually do, though, instead of just looking good on paper. I majored in English with the intent of maybe eventually becoming a writer, but I knew it wasn't something I should try making a living with on its own.
Does anyone have any good suggestions? I'm tired of failing and would like to find something I can actually do. It was suggested to me that I try to become a freelance writer, but I'm not sure the people who suggested that to me are living in the real world. It really seems like the only thing I've been able to do well is go to school. My job performance is almost as bad as when I didn't have a degree.
I was diagnosed with ASD, and maybe that has something to do with it? I have trouble "speaking up for myself," and sometimes find communicating with people in general a very hard thing to do. I'm guessing this affects me in more ways than I'm willing to acknowledge, but it's not like I haven't brought it up to people who should be able to help me, counselors and such.
Well, anyway, these are my questions.
What else can a person do with an English degree besides teach? I don't have a lot of experience doing anything else, and I may have wasted my opportunities on depression and discouragement while I was in college, because I'm also pretty low on financial aid options.
I have considered becoming a freelance writer, but I wonder if I could make that into a full-time job.
Also, why do you think I can't teach? Don't you think they would have recognized a problem this serious during student teaching and not given me a teaching degree if I actually couldn't do the job? What do you think is keeping me from succeeding in this field, and how, if there is a way, do you think I could become successful in a teaching-related field?
You have difficulty teaching because your ASD is a communication disorder, and being able to communicate, explain things in a way kids understand, and read non verbal social cues are all affected. I think it’d be foolish for you to just guess again what you will do well since you have never been able to do this in the past, and get aptitude testing and career counseling first. Preferably by someone who knows ASD. That link I gave you a couple years ago for the Alabama Autism Society had many resources for adults.
Everybody and his brother write nowadays, odds that you could make a living from it are slim, especially as most people will have a body of work to show to prove writing ability. It’s not like they advertise job openings for freelance writers, they assign pieces to writers they know of. The pay would be low as it’s piecemeal, not salary. just apply to be a freelance writer, you need someone to open the door for you or word of mouth to get you to the right person.
have you taught adults yet? asd and attention span of children dont seem to mix
may not be what you want to do, but looked into teaching english overseas for a time? then coming back and teaching english to foreign speakers or something
I really wouldn’t recommend someone go overseas to live if they cannot understand social cues or non verbal language, and don’t speak the country’s language. She would have a very difficult time communicating with her students, and would probably offend people by not understanding the cultural nuances someone without ASD can pick up. OP has a hard time getting by socially even in English, here. I do think teaching adults would be a better route than kids.
My son graduated from a good school with an English degree. He taught for 6 months in a public high school and threw in the towel. He then worked for the Parks Department for a half dozen years, then became a fireman. He retired from the fire department and is now a contractor. I got a degree in Political Science and thought I'd be a lawyer. After completing the first year of law school I decided the law wasn't a field for me. Eventually I found a satisfying career in computers.
Many people start on one path and wind up on another. Find work that you would feel comfortable doing and don't worry about how much or little it pays. Eventually, if you are in a field you enjoy, you will do well, and will make an adequate salary. Try taking a work aptitude and interests test and see what your choices are.
Proofreading, editing, working in a college writing lab, helping people write college essays, typing and editing thesis documents, writing/editing manuals for technical companies, working in an office/business setting transcribing and organizing the endless files and reports they produce, working in a law setting as a paralegal. All of these require strong English skills and command of the language and some keep you on the perimeter of education without actually being in a classroom. Not everyone is cut out for leading in the classroom setting, so don't beat yourself up about it. Also, go back to your college placement office for a refresher on options with the degree. Plenty of people (even those with aspirations to be teachers) get the English degree and never get hired as an educator.
Those are good options, as is the college career guidance center.
If you're really set on teaching maybe try working as an assistant for a few years and learn by watching. Have you been told you will not be getting a contract next year?
People eith ASD cannot learn by watching. Many parents want their Autistic kids in regular ed classrooms because they think they can pick up how to communicate by being around normal
Kids, but it doesn’t work that way. They learn social and communication skills via one to one repetitious teaching, usually by a speech therapist.
I used to work in public schools as an OT, and there will be a problem with union contracts in hiring someone with a Asters to be a classroom aide.
People eith ASD cannot learn by watching. Many parents want their Autistic kids in regular ed classrooms because they think they can pick up how to communicate by being around normal
Kids, but it doesn’t work that way. They learn social and communication skills via one to one repetitious teaching, usually by a speech therapist.
I used to work in public schools as an OT, and there will be a problem with union contracts in hiring someone with a Asters to be a classroom aide.
As a teacher to students with autism and a parent of a child on the autism spectrum I can 100% say that’s not true.
If you’re going in knowing your whole reason is to learn how to communicate and interact with others to eventually teach them you’ll learn those skills. The OP is at the higher end of the spectrum and is capable of learning social skills and communication through a peer model. Yes those on the more severe end of the spectrum require more structured situations, but even they must learn to generalize the skills in a social context to have actually mastered the skill.
There is no issue in hiring someone with a masters as an aide. We have a ton of them because they are working until they get picked up as a teacher.
As a teacher to students with autism and a parent of a child on the autism spectrum I can 100% say that’s not true.
If you’re going in knowing your whole reason is to learn how to communicate and interact with others to eventually teach them you’ll learn those skills. The OP is at the higher end of the spectrum and is capable of learning social skills and communication through a peer model. Yes those on the more severe end of the spectrum require more structured situations, but even they must learn to generalize the skills in a social context to have actually mastered the skill.
There is no issue in hiring someone with a masters as an aide. We have a ton of them because they are working until they get picked up as a teacher.
I disagree and have experience with Autism as well. I disagree peer modeling works. They need to be taught communication skills. If peer modeling worked, OP would have picked up social skills in 17 years of school with typical students. OP needs one to one guidance IMO, she has been floundering trying to do this herself for years. She did get models, as a student teacher.
In NJ in the district I worked in, Aides could not make more than a certain wage, but a Masters degree required starting on a higher step. It was the reason they couldn’t get me a COTA, because they have two year degrees and couldn’t be paid more than an aide (while in the real world, they got $25-30 an hour).
OP has tried and tried to teach, she is terrible at it. The schools have bent over backward trying to help her but to her it’s like they are speaking a foreign language. She does not groom or dress properly, despite seeing and noticing how much nicer the other teachers looked...it did not translate into learning how to present herself. OP has been hitting her head against a wall for years now and has nothing to show for it except student loans that are well over $100,000. It is long past time she chose a field that’s a better fit. OP is in or close to her mid-30’s now.
What on earth would she even say to get hired as a teachers aide anyway? Tell them she has failed as a teacher due to a total inability to relate to or communicate with either students or staff, but can she please be hired to interact with your students and staff? ? Teachers aides need to communicate with the classroom teacher and the kids.
OP needs autism specific career guidance. Just trying one thing after another has set her up to fail repeatedly.
Last edited by ocnjgirl; 04-07-2018 at 07:20 PM..
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It really seems like the only thing I've been able to do well is go to school. My job performance is almost as bad as when I didn't have a degree. 
