Some professionals are discovering that they're never too old to begin rewarding careers as teachers. Louis Shaup recently discussed his mid-career change with the Riverside County (CA) Press-Enterprise. In his previous professional life, Shaup was a successful executive who owned a warehousing business and was working on a master's degree in business. The big change came one day in his graduate class while speaking to a teacher, when he was told that he should be teaching as well. "I said, 'You've got to be out of your mind.' But the bottom line is, I switched to a master's in school counseling," Shaup told the newspaper. The California educator has worked in the business for 19 years now, and is reportedly the new principal of a high school in the town of Banning as well as his school district's principal of alternative education. "I thrive with the at-risk kids," Shaup was quoted as saying, adding that the best advice for would-be educators is to communicate with students and "show that you care about them." For workers at any stage of their career, teaching is an attractive option that can provide stability and which is also increasingly in demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that demand for teachers is expected to grow at an average rate in the coming years. However, demand will also be influenced by the subject matter a teacher specializes in, with math and science being considered most sought-after. Faster-growing areas of the country will also feature stronger demand for teachers as enrollments increase more quickly, while urban and rural areas continue to need more teachers.  |