This has become glaringly obvious since the pandemic of 2020. Teaching, ultimately, just leaves me drained. Here are the ten things I learned since leaving the classroom that you need to know. For whatever reason, many of us feel as though were bragging if we mention our strengths. Capacity to lean into my strengths and strengthen my areas of weakness. Remember, you are vital to your family and your friends, but you are just another employee at your job. Instead, they create entitled children who are also blind to growth opportunities. The companies I work for all value those skills and experiences I gained as a teacher. The parent-teacher interviews I had with these types of parents were some of the worst experiences I had in my professional career. Something just didnt feel right. It wouldnt have led me here, to you. As I mentioned at the beginning of this podcast, I was blessed with a great ability to connect with young children. Im young and healthy. Because of this, quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did. It was a risk, I figured, but I hoped that it was a calculated one. I did what anyone does when they have a crisis moment I turned to the internet. Whenever you make a difficult decision, you will be hit with the what if and the should we questions. However, I thought an occasional $10 here and there would be nice. If youd like the shorter version, click here, I talk about my unit overhaul in more depth over here, By September of the next school year, I had hit my first $1000 month, 4 Tips for Any High School Teacher with Social Anxiety, I started selling on Teachers Pay Teachers. After you step into your new career, you will be surprised at how many people you know want to follow in your footsteps. The second time, on the other hand, was a total shock to both me and my husband! During this time, Blake and I also got engaged, which might be helpful information later. Theyve known for decades that they wanted to do something else, but they just never pulled the trigger. Thats your time. The truth is my life after teaching has vastly improved. 'It's the best thing I've done': over-50s on quitting work for good Plus, if I sub for one or two days a week, the extra income can help fill in any financial gaps or help me add to my retirement. So the most important part of my plan for quitting teaching is to continue expanding my Teachers Pay Teachers business. My TPT income was growing at a much, much faster rate than that. One of the texts that was very transformative during my research was Carol Dwecks Mindset. While the pandemic did throw off my numbers for a little while, Im still optimistic overall. For me, this meant pinpointing strengths and weaknesses in order to achieve the growth I wanted. And this is just a short listing of what all is available. This one blew my mind. I made more in my first year as an educational consultant than I ever did in the classroom. Quitting was the best thing I ever did - YouTube I would only use Teachers Pay Teachers income for additional savings or retirement contributionnot for lifestyle inflation. Lets say you work 39 weeks out of the year, with an average of 60 hours per week. Honestly, I think my retirement will just take a hit for a year. One place didnt hire me because I was a teacherthe manager told me there was no way I had the time to teach and do a part-time job. In a new interview with The New York Hardcore Chronicles LIVE!, Phil Demmel, who left MACHINE HEAD more than four years ago, reflected on his decision to exit the band, saying: "I think that it . Its important to note that not all companies are like this. A version of this article was originally published on VICE France . And it is at that point that the very same job security that made us feel safe has become a prison. However, I quickly realized that it wasnt just the fixed mindsets of my classes I was fighting. Obviously, I didnt run. When I spoke at schools or conferences for work, teachers would come up afterward and ask me for career advice. The union reacted and the district pushed the start of school back a couple of weeks to sort things out. How the security of my job could have kept me trapped, acknowledging specific strengths you possess, Became an online English teacher with VIPKid, Started coaching teachers who want to leave the classroom and pursue other options, its easier to stay in a position you know. Now butchers, teachers and photographers, these former journalists say quitting the field was the best thing they ever did. I never would have had the time or energy to work on these projects if I was still in the classroom. 30. I was all-in. The bell rang. Before I share why quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did as well as the ten things Ive learned after quitting teaching twice, I want to share my heart. So, if and when you reach the point when it's time to move on, I want you to feel good about the years of your life you dedicated to teaching. With zero background knowledge in doing any of these particular endeavors, I discovered how scrappy I could be. Sometimes I think God has a sense of humor because those things that I always said I wouldnt do are the exact things God seems to have waiting in the wings for me. With my newfound free time, I started volunteering at a creative writing workshop for students based out of Los Angeles. Put me in front of a room full of adults and I start sweating profusely. My store grew quicker than I could believe. I never dreamed about being a teacher. I dont know if its because I act their age or because I have no shame when it comes to acting silly, but I seem to have a knack for connecting with them. We tend to roll our eyes every time its embedded in a conversation because weve heard it so many times. Do you find yourself catching up on work or trying to get ahead during your summers and holidays off? 4. If they can do it, I must believe that I can too. The key is knowing when to pack your bags. because we continue to tweak things. I was totally lost when looking for employment opportunities outside the classroom. Stress, more so than low pay, is the main reason public school teachers quit. But for me, it just wasnt (and Ill explain why below!). Even as a new parent, I knew that I was going to parent my children to understand how to use a growth mindset to be the best that they can be. Who would have thought?! After all, I had heard rumors about the corporate world and the grueling, unforgiving place it was. The year away helped me reprioritize a lot of things in my life, and when I came back to teaching, it was to . You dont have to do this on your own.With the help of an HR expert with over 10 years of experience and a team of former teachers, Ive created a guide to support you in the early stages of your transition out of the classroom. When I am in front of adults, I feel like Im being judged by everyone and it causes me to be a total train wreck. If you're worried about making that jump or are wondering what life could look like for you outside of the classroom, keep reading. Its been the primary motivator for my Teachers Pay Teachers business, in fact. The truth is we claim perfectionism when many times were just terrified of failure. How Quitting My Stable Job In Education Was The Healthiest Decision I If you speak with the parent of an entitled child, you will quickly realize a few things: These are very fixed mindset type reactions. I know there are many of you out there, especially after this long school year, who are considering quitting teaching. But through the struggle, I discovered something truly amazing. Quitting Teaching: The Financial Tipping Point (2016) As I said, I was hired during the first year of a district-wide pay . It was an extra $200 a month, which maybe isnt much to many, but it helped me at the time. Quitting teaching will also give me time to pursue other interests: marathon training, painting, writing, a new degree. After working as an Educational Consultant, I began meeting people at districts throughout the area. After graduation, many of my peers struggled to land their first teaching contract, but I had done it. Before I share why quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did as well as the ten things I've learned after quitting teaching twice, I want to share my heart. Living a life of gratitude isnt always easy. Luckily for me, I was "non-renewed" at my old school and ended up finding another job in a completely new district. Why Teachers Quit - Educators Share The Reasons Why They Leave Surprisingly, I was being offered other jobs on a consistent basis. If you want the whole story, keep reading. I shared in my stories th." I have my community through my email and Instagram that I can poll for ideas, also. I realized I had no idea where to even start with figuring out my next move. That's according to newly released . I was to take attendance, help students with questions, unlock tests for them, but otherwise, the computer walked students through the course. I also worked really hard on making a unit that I thought would engage my students. At that point, I didnt have the energy to do anything on most weeknights. When I look back, I am able to see how much I have grown since I started teaching. However, the first and most important reason I quit my teaching job was because I was a new parent. One thing you will ALWAYS hear me say is not to burn any bridges. The worry and anxiety about my students and the school politics were soaking up the rest of my emotional energy. One of the biggest reasons teachers dont leave the classroom is the fact that its easier to stay in a position you know (even if it is killing you) than it is to take a leap of faith and dive into something unknown. Id be lying if I said I didnt have reservations or fears about quitting my job. Which sets them up for a very stressful application season. I did love my coworkers and my students; I love my school still. To my surprise, I even had a principal reach out to see if my company was hiring! It was the BEST thing I ever did. In addition to that, I get unlimited flexible paid time off. As a result, they place blame elsewhere. After leaving the classroom, I quickly learned an entire new world of upward mobility. Each year, I taught anywhere from 22-28 students. I quickly learned that just because you are no longer in the classroom, it doesnt mean you cant still positively impact education. When I looked at job postings, I didnt have ANY idea what to expect for a starting wage. At this point, I was working a full-time and a part-time job, plus a summer job, and it still wasnt filling in the gaps. But also, quitting teaching is a financial decision. Life After Teaching, Part One: Four Reasons Why I'm Better Off After years of working in a thankless job, my self-esteem was at an all-time low. Looking at my phone again, I couldnt believe it. You might want to use your previous principal or admin as a reference at some point. You're rushing to your car as fast as your wobbly knees can take you. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I was equal parts horrified and in awe!! I knew that I couldnt stay in the classroom for 5 more years, let alone 10 or 20. My partner noticed the changes over the five years. Let me create a professional, custom website for you that converts casual observers into devoted clients who pay top dollar for your products & services. These 115 inspirational you are amazing quotes are perfect to remind the special people in your life just how amazing they are! How much more I could help and serve others, 10. Plus, if I do sub once a week, I can use some of that income for additional retirement contributions. My schoolwhich sat in the middle of the riotswas damaged. It seems that every student who fails or performs poorly (or doesnt score perfect!) I hate repeating myself and having to hold my bladder. And the coolest part is the ripple effect. My last two years in the classroom, we went from being self-contained teachers to subject specific teachers. The school board member looked at me and literally laughed out loud. Virtual teaching felt the safest and most common-sense option when there were so many unknowns. Leah Gervais on Instagram: "What's the best thing that happened to you But Im ready to take a leap and take a chance on myself. My last school year ends in June of 2021. If your salary is $55,000, that comes out to $23 per hour. Teaching is a demanding job. Quitting Teaching Was The Best Thing I Ever Did. Quitting was the best thing I ever did #digitalnomad #onlinebusiness #passiveincomeideas #entrepreneurmindset #youngentrepreneur The first job I had after leaving teaching gave me an annual salary of 25,000. (My district also was not paying for our tuition, aside from a small credit.). It's an unusual circumstance, no doubt, but the transition for teachers was particularly tough. If I want to go back to teaching, I can. I could have lived with this1500 a year would still have been a huge help to mebut they were not giving us credit for time served under the pay freeze. Within a few years, I received an offer for an Instructional Designer position. But for some reason, when the environment requires me to stand while others are seated, I turn 50 shades of red and my underarms produce enough sweat to dehydrate my entire body in about 3.5 minutes. And even though we ended up moving to a different city by the time I was ready to return to the classroom, I was able to use my previous principal and superintendent as references because I hadnt burned any bridges. When it comes to what I love, my family comes first and foremost. Im also open to subbing in the fall. I enjoyed working with the students, but it wasnt quite enough. Our students are coming to school with more and more problems, and the bar for achievement is continually being raised. Most people who want to teach grow up wanting to be teachers. My time teaching with diverse students had kindled within me an understanding of the importance of diverse and engaging literature. Thats what inspired me to create the Teacher Career Coach resources in the first place. After coming home from a long day at school, I sat down and worked on my own business for a few more hours. The concept of growth mindset is fascinating, but its become such a common phrase in the education world that it has actually lost some of its impact. She didnt understand that I needed the part-time job because I taught. My experience as a teacher helped me understand what I believe to be the cause of student entitlement. I went to the board meetings as they discussed their work on the new salary schedule. Our curriculum was short on both. At that point, I didnt realize the true scope of the term. The good news is there is life after teaching. I think it will be awhile before I run out of much-needed resources to create. The first time I left the classroom, it was tough financially. I felt guilty for the thoughts I had about leaving the classroom. As I started seeing small wins and things actually working as I tried them, it lit a desire in me to do it again the next day. I have the ability to walk away whenever I want. I invite you to be selfish and make the best decision for you. Tap the button below to learn more. And if the desire for teacher hours holds you back, remind yourself of the reality. And, with my school shut down, I had more time to work on my business. I monitored a computer classessentially a study hallfor a semester. The key is that you have to be willing to take a leap of faith and see what kinds of opportunities await just outside your comfort zone. Fast forward a few years and I discovered a love for scrapbooking. I developed an exit strategy, growing my network and applying to jobs that fit my skills and experiences. Last year I was completely convinced that I actually hated teaching and had made the wrong choice in profession. The realization that I had made a horrible mistake hit me like lightning. This led me down the path to finding my ikigai (the Japanese word for passion, purpose, and a reason for being). I absolutely loved teaching; in fact, spoiler alertI am working with kids this . It would have been one thing if the district told me to come in and teach so that my coworkers in their 60s could stay home and teach virtually. But if Im focused on helping other people, it doesnt matter if I mess up or say something incorrectly because the ultimate goal isnt in my perfectionits in serving others. It seemed like the only move I could try to make was in administration, but even that usually required additional degrees. . While I wouldnt consider myself Covid paranoid, I was cautious. If I fall a little short, I have a personal and business emergency fund to cover costs. I hoped this new job would help things click for me. For the first few years of teaching, I told myself that my struggles were due to my own inadequacies. Year after year I found myself with a new batch of students, all of whom had never seen the growth mindset side of education before. One thing I learned in my life after teaching is that many salaries can be negotiated upon hiring. I knew that in a heartbeat, I could be replaced by a sub or an even cheaper first-year teacher, and the loss would not bother the district. I ended up working a couple of hours a week doing his eBay orders of collectibles. And while this can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it, the world of education has enlarged itself over and over again producing so many unique job opportunities for teachers. Those of us with this tendency find ourselves always making something better and never finishing things whether its TpT resources, blog posts, or courses, etc. Many quit. Heres what really struck me about life after teaching: I could do so much with the 260 hours I regained. I quit working at the comic shop to have more time for Teachers Pay Teachers. It was the best thing I ever did and now I have the life I should have had. Ill take the guesswork out of designing a fast & mobile-friendly website, so you can spend your time creating amazing content for your clients. I had made money without taking on another job or abandoning my dog alone for more hours. Firstly, teaching just isnt a perfect match for me. By September of the next school year, I had hit my first $1000 month. I used the extra time at home to add a digital course to my business. I convinced myself it was just the first-year jitters. If Blake and I have kids, working for myself will give me income and the freedom to be a mom. The pandemic threw everyone for a loop. Im lucky. Creating TPT-ready resources was more of a personal challenge to keep away boredom during those computer classes. It may be scary to consider change, but leaving the classroom was the best thing that I could have done. It's been a bad day. (If only they knew.) Not everyone has a spouse or a spouse whose job will provide such benefits. But they expected every staff member to be physically present. Is there anything better than a good list of motivational live your best life quotes to fire you up and get ready to show up for the day? Leaving the classroom has forced me out of the safety of my comfort zone time and time again, and now Ive started embracing this space because Ive seen firsthand just how much awesomeness is waiting for me and for you. I started to realize that the pressures of the day just werent worth draining energy that I could be using toward my family. Seth Godin once said, "Winners quit all the time, they just quit the right things at the right time.". However, I made my decision to allow me to grow in the right place. This essentially worked as extra prep time for me. Ill have much more control and freedom over how I spend my time. I did the math. Now you might be thinking, Wait a secondif thats what God designed you to do, shouldnt you be doing that? Well, that is a very astute point. Quitting Teaching Was The Best Thing I Ever Did. Here's Why. Now that Im on the other side of my decision, I know that quitting teaching in the traditional classroom was the best thing for me. When I began my blogging journey, I literally had no idea what I was doing. Mum had been a brilliant teacher at Camden School for Girls (where I also went in the 1970s), and even though the idea of teaching had always seemed horrible to me (too much work, too little money . Please. There are many students who are incredibly difficult, which makes teaching them stressful and overwhelming. After suffering through the first few stressful years of being a new teacher, I accepted a position in another district. Ive used a Profit First system to manage my business finances and to decide how much to defer to taxes, how much to pay myself monthly, and how much to reinvest in my business. Why Quitting Journalism Was the Best Thing I Ever Did - Vice However, as I thought about quitting teaching and relying solely on TpT, I did start to panic a little bit. So many teachers get into the field because they want to help others. But when everything is said and done, our families will stand long after our jobs have faded away. While I had no idea what my next step would be, I knew I had to figure it out. I wanted to ensure their teachers and staff had access to amazing resources. Its led to nothing but personal and professional growth. But as with anything, we have to be careful not to overlook new information assuming we already know everything there is to know. Now that Im getting married, and Blake and I are talking about the future, I also feel like I need to think of him and our future family. I realized just how crippled I was by perfectionism and I dont believe I wouldve ever discovered this without quitting teaching. Our insurance costs went up every year, as did the general cost of living, but heading into my fifth year of teaching, I was still earning the salary of a first-year teacher. My only option was to leave or accept poor pay forever. Fast forward to 2018: where I left the classroom, went all in, launched my first course, and made $445,000 (most of which was made in the week of my course launch). Here is the truthto our families and friends we are irreplaceable, but as employees, we are all expendable. I could often learn the skills required while I was on the job. I can tell you that I would be in this exact position if I hadnt left the classroom when I did. At my local technical college, its much cheaper than a masters in education would be, plus, thanks to the pandemic, I can do the whole program online and asynchronously. I want to travel more, and it would be nice to be able to book tickets during non-peak seasons and to not have to write lesson plans for while Im gone. I broke it up into questions that I think other teachers might have. Leaving burnout behind: the pain and pleasure of starting a new career I was fighting an entire system of entitled, fixed mindset students and their parents! My role in education isnt disappearing; its just going to look a little different. More things are added to teachers' plates every year and rarely is anything removed. My colleagues and I panicked. I also started working on the Teacher Career Coach course and website to support teachers looking to transition out of the classroom. At this point in my teaching career (year 6), my take-home pay was about $2000 a month. After all, it was my dream teaching position. It was frightening losing full time pay, but it has given me fulltime peace of mind. It would go away. Talk about burning the candle at both ends! However, because I was confident in why I was quitting teaching, that why kept me grounded even when I questioned my decision. If we haven't met, I'd love to get to know you! When were not in a pandemic, my classroom is so small it can only hold twenty students; theres no space for distancing. If youre worried about making that jump or are wondering what life could look like for you outside of the classroom, keep reading. In this post, I try to explain completely why Im quitting teaching, how I arrived at the decision to finally do so, and how Im managing it financially. Meet JenniferShop ResourcesDisclaimerPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use, Private CoachingWebsite DesignStart a TpT ShopTeach ESLSide Hustling, Math + LiteracyBooks for KidsLife SkillsEnvironmentTeacher Life, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Remember, every experience shapes who we are and who we become. For whatever reason, theres a stigma around teachers who choose to leave the profession. I get to work from home, spend way more time with my family, while applying strengths that I wasnt using while teaching. Schools were wholly unprepared to close due to a global health pandemic. Life After Teaching: 10 Things I Learned After Leaving the Classroom It wasnt until I started selling Premier Designs jewelry that I learned what true financial success from home looked like. While its true I was able to impact up to 85 students my last year, now as a coach, TpT author, course creator, website designer, blogger, and podcaster, Im able to reach thousands of people. There are a lot of unknowns ahead of me. I now realize it wasn't the teaching I hated. The nonsensical testing and the collection of data is such a waste of time. But a group of parents used a combination of large donations, email campaigns, and bombarding school board meetings to get the district to reopen. Will I Make More Than My Teacher Salary In A New Position? These were parents who were at home telling their children how smart they are and expecting them to get into the most prestigious schools. Between partners and administration, I felt like I was never doing enough. I know I made the right decision by leaving. I found the time with them much more rewarding then anything in the classroom. I did the math to figure out my hourly earnings and was utterly dumbfounded. They took our amazing health insurance away this year and gave us one of the nations worst ranking healthcare providers in its place. Talk about scary!!! Teaching is lit. My mortgage was my only debt and I tracked my expenses. With only a week or two before school starting, we were told we would be returning in a hybrid modelteaching in-person and virtual students simultaneously. Regardless of how they became strengths, they are an important part of our unique skill set. How do you know when it's time to quit teaching? This gives me a sense of purpose and meaning in my work. Quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did because it allowed me to be true to my family values. You know yourself and your situation better than anyone else. Maybe you are currently struggling with the thought of quitting teaching because you.