People who ask about life changes usually get the crap beaten out of them in the comments on Reddit ("have you searched the subreddit?" Yes!), but I'm going to try it anyway! Any advice would be appreciated!
I have been a lifelong teacher of English as a Foreign Language. Except for two stints in graduate school, my entire adult life has been teaching English overseas. I have mostly taught in either universities (academic reading and writing in all-English-speaking univeristies) or military training programs (US companies that train 'customers' in how to use their toys; I taught them English to read the manuals and recognize what the flashing "pull up" light means), but I also taught in some high schools and primary schools as well as in corporations (e.g., a year as a communications specialist at Microsoft in Shanghai). I have an M.A. in English (Applied Linguistics) and a CELTA, so I could always find work in the US at a community college or in a university ESL program.
Having said that, I returned home to a care for a parent who had a medical emergency. While readjusting to life in this happiest of times, I discovered that a university (part of the same university system that I did my second M.A. in) is offering a post-baccalaureate path for ESL licensure in K-12 education. It's all night classes done online until they set you up for student teaching, eventually dedicating a whole semester to that, after which you get your license in ESL K-12.
The thing is, I'm 53. I'll be 54 when I get my license. Is it too late to try to do this? I got a substitute teacher's license and the local school district has hired me for the fall, so I will have income while still helping at home. I also have plenty of savings (Saudi Arabia pays extremely well), so I can easily pay for the program out of pocket.
I've done the math about retirement: I know I'd begin at entry level, and I'm not worried about savings, social security, whatever pension I'd get here in my remaining years--these are all fine. I'd be happy with what I get via a teacher's path. My question is, will school districts want a 54-year old recovering EFL teacher setting up as a full-time ESL teacher? I know this state has an ESL teacher shortage (i.e., they had to issue several thousand emergency teacher licenses), so I would think that there is a demand, but I just don't know. I literally don't know anyone working in K-12 right now. (The handful of cousins who worked in schools abandoned it decades ago for their mom's real estate empire and are now sitting on hoards of wealth like dragons... or are they fearfully looking at markets? I don't know, I never ask them about money!)
Anyway, sorry for the long ramble.
TL;DR: I taught overseas for 23 years in EFL (university, corporate, military) and have a pathway to get an ESL K-12 licensure in a year here. Worth doing at 53 or try to find something else?