But for me, personally, it is not a forever career, and Im ready for the next phase of my life. If I fall a little short, I have a personal and business emergency fund to cover costs. There are many, many TpT sellers who sell full-time and have been out of the classroom for a long time. Whenever you make a difficult decision, you will be hit with the what if and the should we questions. 1. Subbing will help make sure all of my personal costs are covered, keep me in touch with the teaching community, and allow me to see and catch up with my coworkers. I shared my heart with my principal and superintendent, thanked them for the opportunity I had to work at my school, and told them how much I would miss all of the students and the faculty. Teachers are expected to be accessible 24/7 by admin and parents, and they are told what to do, how to teach, where to be, when to be there, and more by everyone coming and going. I ran down the hall to tell a coworker that my product had sold, wondered if I would come across as full of myself or greedy, thought better of it, and then ran back to my own classroom to celebrate privately. This podcast episode is not intended to knock teaching or anyone who chooses to continue teaching. But they now found themselves locked into contracts with a $3,000 exit fee. I learned how to relate to my students better. The good news is there is life after teaching. Have I always been strong at the technical side of creating websites? There are various ways to support education, kids, and teachers in your life after teaching. Last year I was completely convinced that I actually hated teaching and had made the wrong choice in profession. As I already mentioned, Ive always felt very comfortable working with kids and helping them be confident and capable learners. I decided to just work as hard as I could to make the numbers work out as soon as I could. I believe that there is more opportunity in my business (and maybe through pursuing a new career altogether) than there is in continuing this career path. I did love my coworkers and my students; I love my school still. Unless I wanted to move back in with my parents, it was clear that I couldnt cut costs any moreI needed more income. Stress, more so than low pay, is the main reason public school teachers quit. But trust me. It was hard and scary to take the leap of faith, but Im so glad I did. The union reacted and the district pushed the start of school back a couple of weeks to sort things out. Who would have thought?! By 30, I was finished. At this point, between the extra teaching demands of the panic, the anxiety of not knowing what teaching was even going to look like, and feeling so completely disregarded by my district, I wept on my balcony. 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. And if the desire for teacher hours holds you back, remind yourself of the reality. "It's basically the . But for me, it just wasnt (and Ill explain why below!). But theres a point in which you just cant cut any further. Worse, my district hired me during the first year of a district-wide pay freeze, after Act 10 (leaving unions in Wisconsin with little power), and with no chance of ever receiving tenure or a bump in benefits. Happy Teacher Mama is a website dedicated to helping teachers love teaching or leave the classroom with graceand a plan! And, with my school shut down, I had more time to work on my business. I used growth mindset quotes regularly during lessons, and I hung growth mindset posters all over my classroom. Ive made this comment on the podcast multiple times in reference to what most of us thought when we went into the field of education. Your life, mental health, and physical health are more valuable than sticking it out through any career. Social media is teeming with comments about teachers and how we are failing our students. I no longer feel limited by teacher contracts or measly pay ladders. Then, after a couple of years of gen ed classes, I felt too deep into college to switch majors. Hey, maybe it did make you happy for some time. 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. Quitting Teaching Was The Best Thing I Ever Did. Fast forward a few years and I discovered a love for scrapbooking. The truth is we claim perfectionism when many times were just terrified of failure. And this is just a short listing of what all is available. Quitting a good, well-paid job for the unknown isn't for the faint of heart. 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. To my surprise, the educational companies Ive worked for mimic a teachers schedule. Life keeps me busy but I LOVE helping other teachers! Many high-risk teachers only agreed to return because we were virtual. Virtual teaching felt the safest and most common-sense option when there were so many unknowns. Its actually something Ive been working toward for a long time. Teaching was not the right career for me. They are also one of the main reasons why quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did. Teachers for some reason stick around in a school or profession So that night, I made my first ever post on Linkedin and launched my. Yet, Ive recently had a startling revelation; my discomfort is directly correlated to my focus. Because of this, quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did. I was proud of myself and happy to not let down my parents. I couldnt afford to keep teaching, but I also couldnt afford not to teach. Rational or not, the idea of relying solely on Teachers Pay Teachers for income for the rest of my life scares me. I knew it had to be something I could do at home with a baby and I ended up selling Creative Memories scrapbook supplies. In my final year, I felt broken by the unrealistic expectations and lack of autonomy faced daily. Every year, I thought about quitting. I was to take attendance, help students with questions, unlock tests for them, but otherwise, the computer walked students through the course. After my second son was born, I started making scrapbooks for people and found some financial success. A friend of a friend during this time had opened up a comic shop in town. I plan on looking into the Affordable Care Act marketplace when the time comes to see if I can get coverage for those three months, even if it might be more expensive than I would like. Our new technology still had not arrived due to pandemic delays, and there was no time for training on how to use any of it. If your salary is $55,000, that comes out to $23 per hour. I had wasted my college years, passively working on a degree I felt totally neutral about. My goal from the beginning was for them to understand that my decision was in no way related to a problem or issue I was having in my current position. 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. I too quit teaching as I just couldn't do it anymore. I grew both personally and professionally during that transition and Im better for it. (If only they knew.) I was pleasantly surprised by the number of jobs that are a good fit for former teachers. That leaves just two months for me to figure out. I started over several times. I now realize it wasn't the teaching I hated. So I enrolled in a web programmerassociates degree program. It may be scary to consider change, but leaving the classroom was the best thing that I could have done. I wanted to put it all out on the table, in case it helps anyone else. Teaching has shown me the world through hundreds of different perspectives; its changed me fundamentally. I could build additional income or start a passion project Id been putting off. At this point, I had made peace with my job. There are a multitude of reasons why I say this, but here are a few of the main reasons. No other career will challenge you to grow in the ways that this one does; no other career will teach you the empathy that this one can. Things change. I dont want to give up all of my working years to a job I kind of like, even if it helps others. If schools are not in session, there really isnt a lot of work to be done on your end, so you have a vacation as well. Ability to do what is best for my family without compromise. I spent the summer close to home and socially distancing myself. Regardless of being underqualified for this position, they nearly handed it to me because my network could vouch for work ethic and value-add. Half of us used Zoom while the other half used Google Meet because we had no direction from the district. I remember feeling like an absolute failure in my last year of teaching. Even though I worked a second job in the summer, that was clearly not enough. This is another hangup Ive been grappling with. 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. They dont prepare you for what to do if you dont. But I didnt. Oh, and no sub plans required. And not a typical this-wasn't-the-best day but an honest truly B-A-D day that has you ready to burst into tears. I had made money without taking on another job or abandoning my dog alone for more hours. There were no negative experiences or toxic culture situations. Meanwhile, my district had assured us all that we would be starting the 2020-2021 school year virtually. Honestly, I think my retirement will just take a hit for a year. This got me thinking. After you step into your new career, you will be surprised at how many people you know want to follow in your footsteps. And Im not overwhelmed anymore. When I began my blogging journey, I literally had no idea what I was doing. 4. The second time, on the other hand, was a total shock to both me and my husband! Im also working on an associates degree. Kayse Morris, How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome As Ceo Teacher. Quitting Teaching Was The Best Thing I Ever Did. Remember, there are other options with great hours out there. . When youre on salary and expected to work long hours, it doesnt add up. After hundreds of applications (and many rejections), I finally got that yes I was waiting for, landing a job as an educational consultant. Not that I had any idea about what I would even switch to. I also worked really hard on making a unit that I thought would engage my students. This was not the first time that I had felt unappreciated by my district. It didnt take long for me to realize that many parents do not have a default growth mindset. Surprisingly, I was being offered other jobs on a consistent basis. Let me create a professional, custom website for you that converts casual observers into devoted clients who pay top dollar for your products & services. I would never be in the position I am in today without my teaching experience. While I love transforming the way students understand their brains, it is a lot of work, and it was taking its toll on me. If you speak with the parent of an entitled child, you will quickly realize a few things: These are very fixed mindset type reactions. Teaching wasnt my dream. I served on the Positive Education committee at a school that was adopting a wellbeing program that was aiming to prioritize growth mindset. Looking at my phone again, I couldnt believe it. Im quitting teaching. As a new parent, I really wanted to be at home and focusing on my family. Maybe these are skills we learned at an early age or simply found that came naturally to us. This podcast episode is not intended to knock teaching or anyone who chooses to continue teaching. Teachers do their best to challenge students to apply themselves, but end up taking the blame when students dont perform. Then, I began to use some of it to start a retirement account external to my job. I was excited to be able to pay my own bills. Plus, if I do sub once a week, I can use some of that income for additional retirement contributions. 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. 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. I think it will be awhile before I run out of much-needed resources to create. I will create a system for my social media plan by the end of the month, 2013: Working 40 hours a week as a classroom teacher, I started my TPT Store (to hopefully make enough to pay our Netflix bill) and ended up making $419.02, 2014: While still in the classroom, I made $6545.55 through TPT. The key is knowing when to pack your bags. By September of the next school year, I had hit my first $1000 month. Up to 50% of new teachers are leaving the profession within the first five years. Dont let them dictate what you do or dont do with your life. Subscribe to the Teach 4 the Heart Podcast. I hoped this new job would help things click for me. Start building that network! If I somehow exhaust all of my emergency savings, by then I should be done with the degree and can start a new career. At the last minute, the district switched stances on us. I had several phone calls with colleagues. Hold yourself together for ten more feet. I knew it had to . At this point in my teaching career (year 6), my take-home pay was about $2000 a month. Here are the ten things I learned since leaving the classroom that you need to know. Worst of all, my efforts to introduce the power of the growth mindset to the school and its students was being tarnished by the complex relationship between parents, students, and the school administration. Im ready to do something brave. Your job shouldn't make you miserable. Before that summary is the long-winded tale of how I went from graduating college to quitting my career. As a teacher, I was able to see the pay scale laid out in front of me with its modest annual increases. It would get better. The best thing was that if they were awful I could choose not to go back. If youd like the shorter version, click here. 30. Without further education, I couldnt really switch roles in education or pursue the career path further. I talk about my unit overhaul in more depth over here, but as I created all new materials from scratch, I decided I might as well make them Teachers Pay Teachers worthy. After all, if I needed these resources, someone else might too. Our curriculum was short on both. Instead, they create entitled children who are also blind to growth opportunities. W. With an MBA from . When it comes to what I love, my family comes first and foremost. Id be lying if I said I didnt have reservations or fears about quitting my job. My personal relationships were suffering. And here I was againlocked into a contract with an employer who didnt care about me or my colleagues. I knew that I couldnt stay in the classroom for 5 more years, let alone 10 or 20. is able to lay out exactly why they should have gotten a better mark. My LinkedIn grew with authentic connections that I could reach out to if needed. Working from Home as a Teacher: Best Remote Jobs for Teachers. Plus, 9 things we need if the U.S. ever wants to see another globally-competitive generation. Here is the truthto our families and friends we are irreplaceable, but as employees, we are all expendable. It seems that every student who fails or performs poorly (or doesnt score perfect!) You just have to find the courage to take the leap. Since then, Ive also had jobs in instructional design, freelancing, and even launched my own business (this very site) to help others navigate their teacher career transitions. Any excitement I felt disappeared, replaced with overwhelming stress and burnout that affected my life both in and out of work. I hate repeating myself and having to hold my bladder. I get to work less, enjoy my family more, and live life on my terms. 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. During the second week of school, the district cancelled classes due to a sub shortage. You know yourself and your situation better than anyone else. I made more in my first year as an educational consultant than I ever did in the classroom. I absolutely loved teaching; in fact, spoiler alertI am working with kids this school year. 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. 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. I was on fire after my first Teachers Pay Teachers sale, and I had a unit to finish. My last school year ends in June of 2021. What if districts banned TpT resources or the website disappeared? As I mentioned at the beginning of this podcast, I was blessed with a great ability to connect with young children. While teaching can be an incredibly rewarding profession, all of these demands made it difficult to be present at home.
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