As a kid, I did not play school. I didnt study teaching books for fun, and I never volunteered to babysit growing up. As a teacher, I was confined to my four walls every single day. After all, it was my dream teaching position. 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. Quitting teaching isn't as easy as refreshing your While the pandemic did throw off my numbers for a little while, Im still optimistic overall. I personally have not quit mid-year but I know people who have and my district has not actually gone after anyone's license yet, but they always threaten to. This gives me a sense of purpose and meaning in my work. Then, I began to use some of it to start a retirement account external to my job. Ive never had a problem talking individually (or even in a small group with other adults) thanks to my extroverted personality. The truth was I was miserable. I knew I could switch districts for a pay increase, but I didnt want to leave my school or take on a long commute. I also worked closely with other Professional Development trainers and many other educational companies. After coming home from a long day at school, I sat down and worked on my own business for a few more hours. It didnt take long for me to realize that many parents do not have a default growth mindset. I realize that I am lucky to have this option. With zero background knowledge in doing any of these particular endeavors, I discovered how scrappy I could be. And the only thing that makes the jump possible is having a why that is undeniably meaningful to you; it has to be deeply connected to an emotional and heartfelt reason. All was well and good! I think I can do this in 2022, looking at my numbers and growth over the last few years. I hoped this new job would help things click for me. Each year, I taught anywhere from 22-28 students. As a teacher, I was able to see the pay scale laid out in front of me with its modest annual increases. And the coolest part is the ripple effect. My children were going to know that they can do anything they put their minds to if they are willing to work for it. 243 likes, 27 comments - Leah Gervais (@leahgervais_) on Instagram: "What's the best thing that happened to you in 2020? As an Educational Consultant, I was able to identify positions above me that I was interested in and make a clear game plan to leverage myself into higher-paying roles. In fact, I continued my Premier Designs business journey until I went back to the classroom. 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. Put me in front of a room full of adults and I start sweating profusely. Teaching did become less stressful year over year as I gained experience, grew my collection of quality lessons, and learned classroom management. This means that if I submit dates and my manager agrees, I receive paid time off for vacations or personal reasons. I did the math. But I couldnt do it anymore. In my final year, I felt broken by the unrealistic expectations and lack of autonomy faced daily. Im proud of the work Ive done as a teacher, and Ill continue to help teachers with my business. I will always be grateful and glad for the time I spent teaching. Quitting was the best thing I ever did #digitalnomad #onlinebusiness #passiveincomeideas #entrepreneurmindset #youngentrepreneur Talk about scary!!! Plus, if I do sub once a week, I can use some of that income for additional retirement contributions. There are a multitude of reasons why I say this, but here are a few of the main reasons. Im not saying its all about money, but it does feel good to have more opportunities for financial stability. We hadnt planned this outwe simply felt the Lord impressing on our hearts that we needed to pull our kids from the public school system to homeschool them. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I was equal parts horrified and in awe!! Colleagues with aging parents spend hundreds of dollars of their own money to erect plexiglass shields around their desks. 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. I did the math to figure out my hourly earnings and was utterly dumbfounded. Last year I was completely convinced that I actually hated teaching and had made the wrong choice in profession. It was like a cloud lifted from over my head and a weight off of my shoulders. At that point, I didnt realize the true scope of the term. Strength to serve and help others on a grander scale. 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. I Just Quit Teaching, Here's Why Others Will Too - Medium Soonest anyone has resigned into the school year? From a - Reddit Capacity to lean into my strengths and strengthen my areas of weakness. 1 Corinthians 10:31 , 10 Things I Learned After Quitting Teaching Twice, 6. Rioters smashed nearly every window on the first floor. I invite you to help me rewrite the script. Quitting Teaching: How and Why I Did It - It's Lit Teaching 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. The vast majority of us wanted to teach virtually, at least until vaccinations were available or the district had made building improvements. Ive already made it clear that my plan for quitting teaching relied heavily on my Teachers Pay Teachers business. There were no negative experiences or toxic culture situations. 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. 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. After this meeting, I approached one of the board members to clarify that I would not be bumped up the schedule according to my experience in the district. The only other issue with quitting teaching is insurance. You just have to find the courage to take the leap. Now I use that same creativity to design websites (or online scrapbooks as I like to think of them) that are unique and customized to the person for which I am designing. We become a statistic. My experience as a teacher helped me understand what I believe to be the cause of student entitlement. But I want to mention a truly sobering thought. I told Blake that no matter what, I was quitting teaching this year. With my newfound free time, I started volunteering at a creative writing workshop for students based out of Los Angeles. It felt like an uphill battle, and there was no way for me to win. And that includes you! No more stress, no more guilt, no more doubts. Im quitting teaching. This is why I shut my school down and quit teaching all together. Now before I go any farther here, I want you to hear what I am about to say. So many teachers get into the field because they want to help others. I started to pursue work that was much more in line with my values and my priorities at this stage of my life. Why I Quit Teaching - Medium I could barely picture what life after teaching would look like. But I didnt. The school board member looked at me and literally laughed out loud. is able to lay out exactly why they should have gotten a better mark. And, with my school shut down, I had more time to work on my business. I absolutely loved teaching; in fact, (spoiler alert) I am working with kids this school year. Looking back, I dont understand why I thought switching careers was a failure. And most importantly, I will be around during all of the precious, irreplaceable moments at home. 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. Dont let them dictate what you do or dont do with your life. I was used to working long hours. Teaching has shown me the world through hundreds of different perspectives; its changed me fundamentally. Teaching was a job that I worked harder than anything in my life to get. I used growth mindset quotes regularly during lessons, and I hung growth mindset posters all over my classroom. I want to help you get some clarity in the options available to you. Remember, there are other options with great hours out there. However, after a few years of being removed from the profession and being deeply and happily engaged in a new one, I have realized that quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did. Its best to start by researching and understanding the average salary for the position in your area. Meanwhile, my district had assured us all that we would be starting the 2020-2021 school year virtually. After graduation, many of my peers struggled to land their first teaching contract, but I had done it. It took me two months. Ill admit that this is a fear of mine: that once Im out of the classroom, Ill lose touch and my new products wont be as good. "It's basically the . And I repeatnone of this would have happened if I hadnt quit teaching in the classroom because the safety of what I knew would have kept me inside of my little comfort zone box. Everyone thinks they are an expert and they know best how to direct teachers. I had less than nine months to make a plan to leave. There is ultimately no positive outcome that can result from your burning a bridge. I convinced myself it was just the first-year jitters. I decided to just work as hard as I could to make the numbers work out as soon as I could. . You know yourself and your situation better than anyone else. The worst thing was that I couldn't guarantee that I'd have work. I knew it had to be something I could do at home with a baby and I ended up selling Creative Memories scrapbook supplies. 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. It's been a bad day. While teaching can be an incredibly rewarding profession, all of these demands made it difficult to be present at home. The nonsensical testing and the collection of data is such a waste of time. There are many, many TpT sellers who sell full-time and have been out of the classroom for a long time. Regardless of how they became strengths, they are an important part of our unique skill set. On weekend, I awoke early to devote myself to my store. This essentially worked as extra prep time for me. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of jobs that are a good fit for former teachers. Im young and healthy. Any excitement I felt disappeared, replaced with overwhelming stress and burnout that affected my life both in and out of work. Even with my minor pay increases, our healthcare costs increased, pretty much wiping out any financial increases I saw. There are many students who are incredibly difficult, which makes teaching them stressful and overwhelming. Politics latest updates: NHS 'on the brink' says nursing union; 10% Now, family aside, teaching has many, many challenges that make it a struggle to sustain. The second time, on the other hand, was a total shock to both me and my husband! These 115 inspirational you are amazing quotes are perfect to remind the special people in your life just how amazing they are! I've always wanted to travel the world, but I've never had the means to do so. I was totally lost when looking for employment opportunities outside the classroom. While it made planning for the future easy, I felt like I was chasing a salary that I wouldnt reach until 10 or 15 years down the road no ifs, ands, or buts. In hindsight, it would have been much easier had I made more connections in the industries I was interested in. Hold yourself together for ten more feet. No job was worth giving up my physical or mental health. Do you know a teacher or a friend who is struggling with work/life balance? I Quit Teaching - 15 things that Happened Kayse Morris At this point, I had made peace with my job. It took a lot of work, but I soon had my students actually living and breathing growth mindset. 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. A February 2021 survey found that "36% of internet users aged 18 to 29 years and 22% of users aged 30 to 49 years used Reddit.". I would be able to buy myself a coffee occasionally on Fridays (I had stopped going out for lunch or coffee with my coworkers by this point because I couldnt afford it). I never would have had the time or energy to work on these projects if I was still in the classroom. If I never taught, I wouldnt be able to create resources for other teachers transitioning out of the classroom. That just leaves three months without insurance. I want to earn more. This allowed me to reach more students each day. (Only a few months later, of course, a global pandemic would begin.). My schoolwhich sat in the middle of the riotswas damaged. Honestly, I thought Id be in a 9-5 position and wasnt sure how to handle the new change. I wont simply walk away from teaching and never think twice; its impossible. This gave me the space to learn to grow in my home life and as a new parent where growth mattered most. I remember feeling like an absolute failure in my last year of teaching. It didnt take me long to realize that quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did.