NEW HAVEN -- After 19 years as an attorney, Richard Barr of Clinton Township woke up one morning and realized he wanted to do something else.

"It didn't seem fun anymore," he said. "Then I thought about what else might keep my interests. I had already been involved in the lawyer-teacher partnership through the Macomb Intermediate Schools District, and I had done some substitute teaching, so I thought teaching would be an interesting change of career."

In his mid 40s, Barr returned to the books, studying for an accelerated teaching degree.

Michael Gielniak, director of the Macomb Intermediate School District's New Teacher Academy, reports an influx during the past five years of professionals who have decided to change careers and become teachers. Three years ago, the number of local second-career teachers could be counted on two hands. Today, there are about 100.

The development of accelerated teaching programs, Gielniak said, has helped many people pursue a second career as a teacher.

"In the past, it just wasn't feasible to go to a campus and take classes during the day," he said. "We have such a desperate need for teachers that we are doing all sorts of things to get people certified."

For those who already have a bachelor's or master's degree, a few extra classes are all that are needed to launch a new career. Since they have already taken the basic courses in English, science and humanities, they usually need only education and teaching courses to qualify for certification.

Barr now teaches students at the New Haven Alternative High School, while retaining an evening practice as a lawyer in which he helps plan estates and handles other types of cases.

"Litigation and teaching are very similar because you have to develop a game plan, establish a way of communicating your position with the goal of convincing the judge or jury with the righteousness of your position," he said. "And teaching is basically putting together a lesson plan to achieve a goal and communicating the information to a student so they understand it."

Second-career teachers often "bring a maturity and life experience as well as a passion that is extremely valuable," Gielniak said. "These second-career teachers are definitely among the stronger candidates we have in the New Teacher Academy."

Student Christina Nadeau, 17, said Barr "puts everyday living into our assignments."

"He teaches us a lot of real-life stuff, and he ties it in to our curriculum so we can understand it better," she said.

Although it's difficult for some students to understand why Barr took a pay cut to become a teacher, they understand happiness doesn't only come from the size of a paycheck.

"They can't conceive giving up lawyers' money, but at the same time they understand how important it is to do what you want to do -- otherwise, why else give that up?" Barr said.

New Haven senior Eddie Wojtkieqicz said Barr "has had two careers and with both he has done really well for himself."

"Now that I know that," Eddie added, "I won't feel obligated to stay in one career. I know I can do more than just one."

Christina is now considering becoming a teacher, too. "It seems like I have learned a lot more from Mr. Barr than I have from many of my other teachers," she said.

Joe Delegato, a special education instructor at the Macomb Intermediate School District's Lutz School in Clinton Township, worked at Stroh's Brewery for 19 years, following in the footsteps of two generations of family members. Then he decided to become a teacher.

When Stroh's was sold in 1999, Delegato took the opportunity to return to school to teach vocational education to mentally impaired students.

His experience as a former event manager and brand manager for Stroh's helps as he trains students for jobs.

"In a general way, I look at the students as a product, and I have to make this person or product attractive for a potential customer," Delegato said.

In his classroom, he posts job openings for the school's custodial maintenance program. He tries to simulate the real world, including written and oral applications. Although the jobs do not pay, students must interview and take tests to make sure they are right for the position.

"I want to teach them the elements of maintaining and keeping a job," he added. "The more we can simulate the real work world, the better off a student is."

Sterling Heights resident Lisa Volpe worked for seven years as a manufacturing engineer before calling it quits.

"I wanted something more fulfilling, and a large corporate setting wasn't for me," she said. "I didn't feel like I made enough of a difference."

Volpe began working toward a teaching certificate in 2001, and is now looking for work as a high school science teacher.

"I can offer a lot of real-life examples of what I saw in the industry, and I can offer a lot of insight of what the field is like so that (the students interested in the career) will not be misguided," she said. "And having real-life examples will help them develop long-term memory, because they can relate to it. It's not just a fact someone discovered 100 years ago."

As a student teacher and now as a substitute, Volpe tries to incorporate her industrial knowledge with classroom instruction.

"I like to relate my classroom to a business," she said. "My students are my employees, and when I see they are not prepared, I say 'If I was your employer, how would I evaluate you and how would your peers evaluate you?' I tell them they have to work as a team and what they do reflects on their peers too."

Janet Sugameli is a Metro Detroit free-lance writer.