Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

[OSUFan_88]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

Guys, do you honestly feel most people become cops because they love it?

100% absolutely yes.

[opd897]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

This is coming from someone who retired after 32 years as an officer. If you are entertaining another profession other than police DO NOT choose the police job. You most likely have no idea what you are getting yourself into and would not last long. I've seen it happen many times, someone just wanting a job to support the family. Police work is not that type of job, it's more like it's your life, not just a job. You don't just go home and leave it at the end of your shift like most jobs.

This job is something that one must want to do badly and have some idea of exactly what they are getting into. Even then many do not last long. Me, I wanted to do it since I was very young, got my degree and did some ride alongs and got hired. How I lasted to retirement is beyond me. I wanted to quit so many times but rode it out because I had no other skills then became too old to aquire some.

My advice would be to look closely at the teacher route.

[USF11]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

Which one would you guys choose? I Would like to hear what some of you guys think. Adolecent teacher or NYPD cop. I have 1 year and a half left to get my BA. I'm in the process of becoming a cop as well, I'm on the waiting list, and I need to make a decision. My heart wants to be a teacher, since I love working with teens, but there's a freeze in NYC for teaching thanks to bloomberg(Hate him). I don't like the idea of being a cop one bit, but I now have a son, and that changes things. My wife doesn't want me to be a cop, but I need something to pay the bills and make a decent salary. As a cop i'll be like a bird on a corner all day or night, crappy schedule, work weekends and it's dangerous. Teacher: Doing what I love, great schedule, off the entire summer and more time with my family. I need to decide soon. I'm scheduled to start the cop academy next month.

Salaries:
Cop: $44,000 starting max out at $76,000 in 5 years..
Adolecent teacher in Political science/Social studies: $45,000 Max out at $90,000 after 15 years or $100,000 after 20 years with a masters degree.

I'm not doing it for the money, but just wanted to drow that out there.

Cop & Teacher []
Anything Else [x]

[Scottdau]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

This is coming from someone who retired after 32 years as an officer. If you are entertaining another profession other than police DO NOT choose the police job. You most likely have no idea what you are getting yourself into and would not last long. I've seen it happen many times, someone just wanting a job to support the family. Police work is not that type of job, it's more like it's your life, not just a job. You don't just go home and leave it at the end of your shift like most jobs.

This job is something that one must want to do badly and have some idea of exactly what they are getting into. Even then many do not last long. Me, I wanted to do it since I was very young, got my degree and did some ride alongs and got hired. How I lasted to retirement is beyond me. I wanted to quit so many times but rode it out because I had no other skills then became too old to aquire some.

My advice would be to look closely at the teacher route.

Great post thanks for the insight. I have a lot of family memembers that are or retire cops and they all told me the same thing when I applied for the Sherrif department.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

Both jobs require certain types of people if you plan to do them a long time. Teaching does get infinitely easier after the first couple years if you stay at the same school. Nothing can really prepare you for that first year (assuming you don't teach honors or AP).

It's more about maintaining order (and keeping your sanity) than it is about teaching. I love teaching 3 90 min. biology classes a day. Hopefully this is the only year I have to teach High School 101.

[Scottdau]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

I teach 3 90 minute blocks. I make about $65,000 a year and only work 180 days a year. I do work the summer, but that is extra pay outside of my 180 day contract. I do love my job, but teaching does take a lot out you. You are tired both physically and mentally at the end of the day.

[Chrisksaint]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

Personally i'd say Cop, but that's because I was looking into being a teacher until I found out how much they made in FL.

[Scottdau]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

Personally i'd say Cop, but that's because I was looking into being a teacher until I found out how much they made in FL.

A lot of people that are teachers or have spouses that are teachers will disagree with me, but in my opinion we get paid well. And way I say well is, because we are not consider full-time. We work 6.5 hours day or at least that is what we get paid for. Teachers do take a lot of work home with them, so there is a lot of homework (so to speak) But if teachers wanted to get paid for taking work home, then the School would be able to make them do more work if they are paying them to work at home too. So the bottom line are teachers have a different schedule then your business people schedule, so this teacher will say I get paid a fair wage, but I do make a little more than most teachers, because we do work the summer and I work for a county not a school district.

[NDAlum]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

My girlfriend makes $30K teaching kids who have little hope in life. She easily puts in 10 hours/day.

You found a good situation, kudos to you

[Scottdau]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

My girlfriend makes $30K teaching kids who have little hope in life. She easily puts in 10 hours/day.

You found a good situation, kudos to you

I agree there. But I will say this. If they started paying teachers for the extra hours they work outside their job, they would not like that either. They tried to do that with my wife's school and the teachers were all gunho for getting paid for doing work at home. Until the union told them they could dictate what kind of work they do at home too. in the end the teachers voted it down. Because we can't take students work home with us, we have a lot of prep time. My job is a blast. I love working with these types of students, but it is a lot of policing too. Some days I am doing more of that than actually teaching. I wouldn't want to teach anywhere else. So you are a cop and she is a teacher. I have seen that a lot too with couples.

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

In SC, we don't make nearly that much. Especially not in the more rural school districts. And now (started 2 years ago), they have a freeze on pay increases. The state keeps taking money away from public education so very few positions are safe. Before, you'd get a modest increase each year due to experience. Now the only increase comes from extra degrees (masters, masters + 30hrs, doctorate)

In 2 more years I'll be eligible for having a big chunk of my student loans forgiven for teaching in a critical needs area and in a critical needs subject. Getting rid of that financial ball and chain will be nice.

[AUChase]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

I've always wanted to pursue one of my goals, which is becoming a history teacher. The only downside is, it's a lot of work and jobs are tough to come by. The way they continue to cut back in schools and layoff... ugh.

[Scottdau]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

Yeah I got my loans payed too for working where I work. We are pretty lucky being the county of education we don't have cuts like other schools do. We also have raises every year and with this new masters I got my pay goes up too in July. But teaching is not easy. At least here in California you have to go through a lot of test to get a credential here. CSet is no joke. I am sure other states have things you have to take too.

[Aggies7]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

I teach 3 90 minute blocks. I make about $65,000 a year and only work 180 days a year. I do work the summer, but that is extra pay outside of my 180 day contract. I do love my job, but teaching does take a lot out you. You are tired both physically and mentally at the end of the day.

Depending on salary Police ain't bad because you make a good amount in overtime for court if you work midnights. I think both Police and Teachers jobs take a lot out of them. Just my opinion though.

[NDAlum]

Re: Choice: Be a Cop or Teacher..

Depending on salary Police ain't bad because you make a good amount in overtime for court if you work midnights. I think both Police and Teachers jobs take a lot out of them. Just my opinion though.

I'm in the wrong state

Any good places to move for better salary?

Check this out:

3rd shifters: No incentive pay
Detectives: Nothing except callback and they took away take home cars

Raises? I'm way behind inflation
Take home car? Not a chance

I'm going to put in 5 years and move. After three and a half I will begin looking elsewhere.