Current Events > Guys, I'm leaving teaching.

(+) Yeah! (+)

18 years. Can't take it anymore.

What is a good job to transition to? I have a degree in English. Also I used to be an EMT.

Recommendations please?

PS: I can't do a lot of lifting and shit. Health, etc.

Cocytus posted...

PS: I can't do a lot of lifting and shit.

Definitely don't be an EMT again then <_<

what did you teach, and where?

like, in grade school, college, other?

Grant writing or anything like that.

g0ldie posted...

what did you teach, and where?

like, in grade school, college, other?

High School English. Houston.

What finally got you to drop the career? How long til tenure?

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I've been thinking about that. But then I keep thinking, "who the fuck reads anymore...?"

Can't believe I mix you up with CableZL

And yeah, grant writing is A LOT of fun

Look into copywriting, technical writing, grant writing, editing, publishing jobs. Could potentially look at archival or library jobs depending on their credentials required. University non-teaching staff if you want to potentially stay education-adjacent.

Or hell, any job that just wants a bachelor's degree and work experience.

Also, pay might vary, but private schools might be an option if you want smaller classes and a bit less bureaucracy. Some college prep private high schools seem more like colleges than high schools.

Level 1 helpdesk. Spend the day telling people to reboot or resetting their passwords. Pays ~$40k which is like $10k more than teaching pays.

BlazinBlue88 posted...

Pays ~$40k which is like $10k more than teaching pays.

lol what. Maybe in some very rural areas in very shitty states.

Its a shame. I've been in teaching for 11 years and I was feeling the burn out also. I switched schools and I've never felt more rejuvenated. What is pushing you out of the profession?

Indoril posted...

private schools might be an option

Not the way I quit

BlazinBlue88 posted...

Level 1 helpdesk. Spend the day telling people to reboot or resetting their passwords. Pays ~$40k which is like $10k more than teaching pays.

No shit? Hmmm. It would actually be a big pay cut for me but idgaf.

Become a streamer.

Cocytus posted...

Not the way I quit

story please, if you don't mind sharing

Autocraticus posted...

Its a shame. I've been in teaching for 11 years and I was feeling the burn out also. I switched schools and I've never felt more rejuvenated. What is pushing you out of the profession?

Just about every damn thing atm. I hate administration. They're fucking pussies with discipline, then get mad at you when you try and discipline a kid.
I hate the bitch department head like I haven't hated anyone in my life, it feels like.
I hate that I can't teach what I want to teach and the way I want to. there used to be freedom. Now all we do is bullshit for the state test. And that's another thing.
The state test and the administrators. My kids cannot read. I am not bullshitting. They cannot write either. I mean, I know they're there to learn that, but they are WAY fucking below functional reading levels. And they have to pass that test, and they are fucking doomed because they won't pass it, and administration doesn't want to hear this as a response when they fail the fucking tests.

I stopped going. I just stopped. They in turn sort of demoted me (gave me a "worse" set of kids, switch me out with another teacher). And I just was like fuck this and resigned.

g0ldie posted...

story please, if you don't mind sharing

From previous post...
"I stopped going. I just stopped. They in turn sort of demoted me (gave me a "worse" set of kids, switch me out with another teacher). And I just was like f*** this and resigned."

It's not all as dramatic as it sounds, but I did renege on the contract, so the state will probably sanction my credentials for a year. So most other schools are not an option if they want the credentials.

Cocytus posted...

I hate the b**** department head like I haven't hated anyone in my life, it feels like.

That sucks. My department heads are pretty cool, but they'ce had enough of the school's bs and we're getting a new one next year :/

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Thanks man. You too. Hang in there.

Cocytus posted...

Just about every damn thing atm. I hate administration. They're fucking pussies with discipline, then get mad at you when you try and discipline a kid.
I hate the bitch department head like I haven't hated anyone in my life, it feels like.
I hate that I can't teach what I want to teach and the way I want to. there used to be freedom. Now all we do is bullshit for the state test. And that's another thing.
The state test and the administrators. My kids cannot read. I am not bullshitting. They cannot write either. I mean, I know they're there to learn that, but they are WAY fucking below functional reading levels. And they have to pass that test, and they are fucking doomed because they won't pass it, and administration doesn't want to hear this as a response when they fail the fucking tests.

I stopped going. I just stopped. They in turn sort of demoted me (gave me a "worse" set of kids, switch me out with another teacher). And I just was like fuck this and resigned.

This is education now. Its terrible. I'm going to assume this was a Title I school. Especially being in Texas, I'm sure there is an overwhelming population of ESL students. I've been there. It beat me down, especially when they had an entire year off from school in 2021. When we returned I was doing more babysitting than teaching and it was the worst.

Probably a bad move to just not report, but a private school could definitely be an end goal here if you truly do love teaching.

Autocraticus posted...

This is education now. Its terrible. I'm going to assume this was a Title I school. Especially being in Texas, I'm sure there is an overwhelming population of ESL students. I've been there. It beat me down, especially when they had an entire year off from school in 2021. When we returned I was doing more babysitting than teaching and it was the worst.

Probably a bad move to just not report, but a private school could definitely be an end goal here if you truly do love teaching.

Bingo. That's right.
Yeah, I fucked up for walking out, but I just couldn't take it. My stress levels were through the fucking roof.

Cocytus posted...

sorry man, that really sucks.

it's sad to hear about people who pursue career paths as some kinda calling (I assume), but then having people in charge discourage them, and have them leave due to bureaucracy and/or poor management.

about time brother. I've been teaching (in higher ed) for about 10 years and i'm trying to get out.

g0ldie posted...

sorry man, that really sucks.

it's sad to hear about people who pursue career paths as some kinda calling (I assume), but then having people in charge discourage them, and have them leave due to bureaucracy and/or poor management.

Thanks man. Time for a new journey I guess.

Fam_Fam posted...

about time brother. I've been teaching (in higher ed) for about 10 years and i'm trying to get out.

Yeah. Hope you make it out too man.

Write a screenplay about your wacky escapades while teaching

Indoril posted...

lol what. Maybe in some very rural areas in very shitty states.

Which one? The $40k helpdesk job or $30k teaching job?

BlazinBlue88 posted...

Which one? The $40k helpdesk job or $30k teaching job?

The latter

I was offered a Junior Technical Writer job in Fairfax, VA right outside of DC (I'm also a teacher).

I declined because the pay was only 60K and the cost of living there is astronomical. And I make right around $50K if you include my summer job and bonuses. And the cost of living here in NC is super low.

And I only teach English 4, so it's only 1 class to prep for. Never see my admins, never work after hours, always get high scores on observations.

I did find this website, but I haven't checked it out yet...

https://truthforteachers.com/truth-for-teachers-podcast/how-to-transition-out-of-teaching/

Spiritlittle posted...

always get high scores on observations.

Cool, thanks for the tip.
This here though is another thing that just pushed me right out. I hate observations with an ungodly passion. Leave me the fuck alone is my mentality. You hired me because I'm a teacher, so I know what the fuck to do. I don't need petty criticism so we check off trivial boxes.

Cocytus posted...

Cool, thanks for the tip.
This here though is another thing that just pushed me right out. I hate observations with an ungodly passion. Leave me the fuck alone is my mentality. You hired me because I'm a teacher, so I know what the fuck to do. I don't need petty criticism so we check off trivial boxes.

Agreed there, tbh.

Isn't it like 20 years to get fully vested? You couldn't wait it out a couple more years to get full benefits?

Taharqa_ posted...

Isn't it like 20 years to get fully vested? You couldn't wait it out a couple more years to get full benefits?

Not exactly. Two years wouldn't make a diff for me.

CPA firms always need document processors, to proof-read and format deliverables. Don't have a great idea what the pay is though.

Cocytus posted...

Not exactly. Two years wouldn't make a diff for me.

I feel you, nothing beats peace of mind if your heart really isn't in it. I'm in that dilemma in my career myself

A guy I work with just finished his teaching degree and decided to just transfer into our training group.

Teach at a college? Teach English internationally?

Taharqa_ posted...

I feel you, nothing beats peace of mind if your heart really isn't in it. I'm in that dilemma in my career myself

Hope you make it out man. It's hell hating 8+ hours of your life and counting away the days until you have just a little time for your own.

I'm in the UK and considering leaving teaching. University jobs seem to be a way to not take a pay cut so I'm looking into that at the moment. Fortunately I live in a city with two universities.

EMT instructor?

Do you have any experience in nursing? I always see postings for nursing instructors.

Educational technology/publishing/sales/support.

Are you on LinkedIn? If not you should join. TONS of people are leaving teaching and are sharing their stories and their journeys. If you are a member or choose to join, look up Jeff Patterson. He posts openings in EdTech about once a week or so.

Cool tips and shares. Thanks.

Check out this new NPR article I happened to find last night.

More than half of teachers are looking for the exits, a poll says

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1076943883/teachers-quitting-burnout

amazon worker if you want the same pay

Cocytus posted...

Cool tips and shares. Thanks.

Check out this new NPR article I happened to find last night.

More than half of teachers are looking for the exits, a poll says

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1076943883/teachers-quitting-burnout

Not surprised, especially with the pandemic. My mom is a retired teacher, one that was grandfathered in with a lifetime certification and the state of Texas said they can go back to their old salaries making what they were earning at retirement. She's thinking about going back but there's so much more that teachers have to deal with these days, in addition to COVID

Look into corporate training / education. Really large companies and organizations (government, not for profit etc) have in house training. At my old company they would pair up a trained educator with subject matter experts. The teacher would interview the SMEs on a subject and come up with power point slides explaining it. They would teach a fake class to a different set of SMEs who would take apart the material, it would be revised, taught to a 3rd group of SMEs and either given approval or final edits. I was regularly in one of those SME groups.

They would make $60-120 a year, managers would make like 100-180k.