When You Can’t See the Forest for the Trees: beyond the classroom

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When You Can’t See the Forest for the Trees

beyond the classroom

Carol Baird-Krul and Enise Olding

This is the latest in a series of articles about preparation for retirement by Carol and Enise. Previous articles may be viewed (as PDF files) at www.CanadianTeacherMagazine.com.

We’ve all heard the phrase “can’t see the forest for the trees” and it’s a pretty good way to describe the place in which many people find themselves after a busy working life.

People who retire don’t necessarily want to be completely divorced from the working world, nor are they necessarily motivated by financial reasons; rather they want to remain connected on their own terms with the community at large.

Many of us have ideas as to what we might like to do after retirement; sometimes these ideas are firmly rooted in what is familiar—in our case the educational milieu—while others are based on something totally different. However, regardless of whether it is a totally new area of interest or an old, familiar one, thinking beyond the normal boundaries is what is needed if you really want to nurture your ideas and use your talents.

All too often educators think that they do not have the ability to do anything other than teach. In fact this is erroneous, because in order to teach you must have the ability to organize, plan both for the short and long term, think on your feet, perform in front of groups large and small, be imaginative, interact with many different people, deal sensitively with confidential information and behave in a professional manner at all times. These abilities and talents can, if you wish them to, form a strong basis for any idea you might decide to pursue post-retirement. But, how do you do that?

First and foremost, you must take a clear and honest accounting of what skills you have developed over your working years. Once you’ve done that, try prioritizing them from the skills you feel are your best to those that might need some work. Second, and equally important, you should consider what it is you really enjoy about your work. Is it the students, the learning you yourself have to do to keep abreast of new developments, the challenges of working with people, the administrative aspects, the socializing the job provides and so on. Third, take time to carefully consider the direction you think you want your retirement to take. These three tasks, done by writing lists, making notes, journaling or whatever method works for you, will help you clarify your hopes and dreams. Once you’ve got a handle on your skills and the essence of what you enjoy about your job, match that information up with your ideas for the future and things will begin to come into focus.

Over the last few years the advancing cohort of “boomers” has been making its presence felt. One area that has been noticeably affected by this group is that of small business, and various demographic studies by such institutions as CIBC suggest this group will have a positive and long-term effect on economic growth in Canada. Interestingly, statistics given in a 2004 Globe and Mail article state that the number of businesses started by people over the age of 55 has jumped by almost 30% in recent years. Not everyone has what it takes to start a business—a specialized skill, trade, product or service and the ability to access clients are the basics for any prospective entrepreneur. The retired educator who is an entrepreneur can use creative, organizational and interpersonal skills honed over the years in promoting and marketing a business. Services they themselves might want now, or in the future, are often the place where these late blooming entrepreneurs start. These ventures, from vineyards and cooking schools to services such as providing knowledgeable travel companionship and tutoring, can be successful and quite varied in their scope.

Starting a business is not for everyone, and there are many other things former educators can pursue once they leave their primary careers behind. Depending on experience and interest, working for a volunteer group, including local chapters of various charities or, if going overseas is more appealing, as a volunteer for such organizations as World Teach and Canadian Executive Services Overseas might be an appealing option. If you’re not quite prepared to leave teaching completely, try registering with an international substitute service or finding a contract teaching either English or a curriculum subject at an international school, or in one of the many private and public schools that welcome Canadian educators. If setting up your own tutoring service is not for you, but you want to do some teaching, consider joining an existing company or work online with foreign ESL students. Educators are natural performers, so if this appeals, you might consider finding work in the film industry, doing voice-overs or reading books on tape. The possibilities are endless and any of these activities could provide you with the opportunity to put your myriad skills to work while enjoying new challenges.

Within the “forest” that you face as you contemplate retirement, are many interesting opportunities that will allow you to use the skills and talents that you have developed throughout your career. Look around you and see what the world has to offer, rediscover your true self apart from the person you were in the classroom, be creative in finding ways to fulfill your plans and carefully research areas of interest and places where you might use your talents and skills. Once you take the time to contemplate how this might play out in the future, the forest will be seen to offer unending tempting vistas to explore.

Carol and Enise work together doing, among other things, workshop presentations as DR Associates. They are currently working on a book that will reflect the contents of the pre-retirement planning workshops they developed and created.