I've just survived the first week of my Masters of Teaching program, and the avalanche of face-to-face lectures, zoom lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, readings, reading groups and assessments (not to mention the LANTITE exam), has been nothing short of an assault on the senses.
Nevertheless, the life of a full-time university student is still undeniably a great one. I must admit that I was expecting this course to be a lot more chill than what it is proving to be, but I am already learning so much and meeting a great group of (future) colleagues, so I can hardly complain!
Out of the many (many) readings and videos that I’ve consumed this week, one in particular stood out because it resonated so well with the reaction I often receive from people who learn that I’ve willingly chosen to transition away from being in the top 1% of earners in the country. “Really? Why?” is the common refrain. For some reason people expect I should convince them that I’ve made the right move, and underlying this questioning instinct is an acknowledgment that as a teacher, I will most certainly make substantially less than what I did as a financial modeller.
On that front, I think this video answers the question far better than I ever could. Clocking in at just 3 and a half minutes, it’s well worth a look!