First Online Teaching Job

Yesterday was the first official day that I started work for Ashford University as an online teaching assistant. It is a fairly simple job, where I grade papers for the course, but do not actually teach it. It is a good first step into the world of online teaching. The professor with whom I am working seems great. She teaches for several online universities. She gave me some good advice to apply, apply, apply in order to get more online jobs for myself.

Ironically this job was the first online job for which I applied, and then I got it right away. I have applied for about 10 other jobs since then and haven't even been offered an interview. I will keep applying. I found one tonight for an online English instructor that I will apply for tomorrow.

This is the plan for the future for now: to get a couple of online teaching jobs and keep my housecleaning business and keep watching my nephew and my handicapped sister. I would love it if my blog eventually earned me a little income as well. I do sometimes wonder if I am trying to do too much, but I think if I tried to return to the classroom full time, it would have more drawbacks for our life. I think it would upheave our entire schedule. I know I would have summers off, but then there is also the coverage needed when I would have inservice days or conferences. I also really like being here before and after school for the kids. My old teaching teammate is going back to work after being home with her kids for 10 years, and she said she will only be making $500 a month more than when she stopped teaching 10 years ago. I just don't know if it would be worth it financially and schedule-wise to go back to full time teaching. I do think I can juggle the housecleaning, the kids, the caregiving, and the online teaching. I mean, I was able to do all of the above minus the online teaching and get my master's degree. I have always seen the online teaching as the same amount of work as getting my master's only this way around, I can get paid for the work done! : )

I haven't had to do too much yet for the class. The first written assignments are not due until next week. Then the true test will begin as to how much time it will really take. Their papers are due Monday night at midnight, and I have until Thursdays at midnight to have all of them graded. I will keep you all posted!