Hello
I think I know what I want to do next, but just need someone to tell me whether it's a good/bad idea!
I am 57 (somehow), but don't really want to retire, ever. I'm not married, and while I do own my own home (and have a non-profit-making BTL) want to be financially OK, quite apart from my need to feel useful.
For 30 years I was a sub-editor, then editor, of magazines and websites. Then I had a baby at 43, and retrained as an adult literacy teacher with a PGCE when I was 48. Turned out adult ed meant working three times as many hours as I was being paid for, so became a TA teaching EAL instead.
I carried on writing and editing on the side.
I moved cities nearly five years ago and, not helped by Covid, have found it hard to find a foothold. I'm currently a TA, which I do love, but can feel my brain atrophying. There are few opportunities in the city, which is notorious for being hard to find education jobs in!
I also do tutoring for children struggling with literacy. And editing work. Naturally I feel I do none of my jobs well, but hopefully that's just my chronic low self-esteem talking...
But what next? The TA salary is so derisory, and one of my main editing clients has just ceased trading, I'm thinking of a new path.
One idea is to upskill myself with a level 5 qualification in teaching those with literacy difficulties or dyslexia. I could then become a specialist tutor, either privately or for a university/school, and possibly go on to become an assessor.
Both courses - to be a specialist teacher and an assessor - cost about £2K, which I do have in savings.
Does this sound a wise move?