Being a classroom teacher is so rewarding, but can also be so exhausting. And I remember when I was classroom teaching, I had this little voice in my head being like, I don't know if I can do this forever. And I felt pretty ashamed by that voice, just like what would I do if I wasn't a teacher? And why wasn't I able to stay a teacher forever.
But over time, I realized how unsustainable teaching can be. And also how there's no shame in wanting to leave the classroom. Particularly if you're going to go on and do something really amazing in education that expands your impact. Even if you're not, it's your life, and you get to decide what you're going to do.
But making the decision to leave teaching can be so hard, because of course, we got into teaching because we love it. And we love our students, and we love the impact that we're making. But there are so many other things not to love. And at some point, we all might wrestle with that question like should I leave, and only you will be able to figure out the right answer.
So I want to talk about how to know when it's time to leave teaching. It's rare that you'll be 100% ready to leave teaching and be like, I'm sure that I'm ready to leave. It's probably going to be a mix of all the things and any kind of change is hard. So just know going into it that it was probably going to be complicated.
But picking up on clues can help you realize that it's time for a change. So let's think about three signs that you're ready to take the leap. Clue number one is you can't stop thinking about leaving teaching.
If you find yourself constantly thinking, Should I leave teaching, if you find yourself fantasizing about an office job, or working in a cafe or just sitting quietly by yourself, I remember doing that one. If these fantasies become more persistent or more appealing, consider if they are really giving you a clue that you're ready for a change.
Allow yourself to go deeper into what it actually would be like to have a job that isn't teaching. And remember, leaving the teaching profession doesn't have to mean leaving education altogether. Consider whether you could do a job that allows you to stay in education, but just not in the classroom.
Like maybe you could write curriculum while sitting in a quiet room. I remember when I started doing that it was so awesome. I had small children and had been teaching small children for many years. And finally, I was able to have some peace and quiet while also diving deep into things that made me really excited.
Writing curriculum in a way that felt aligned to my values, and my teaching pedagogies. Or maybe you can work as an education consultant from your home office. Likely what you're craving from a non education related job would be even more appealing if it allows you to go deep into your passions and areas of expertise.
So even if you're like fantasizing about working in an office, what if that office was of an organization doing really cool things in education? Even better, right? Allow yourself to really dig into what you're fantasizing about, what you're desiring. All of these things that you're thinking about give you clues into your next step.
So the second clue is that things that used to excite you about teaching don't anymore. When I first became a teacher, I was so excited to have my own classroom, I poured my heart into teaching and love planning lessons that got students to approach learning in a new way.
And as time went on, I got more and more exhausted. And the joy I once found in lesson planning waned because I was so tired. It's hard to find joy in the things that we love when we're so exhausted. And I still love my students so deeply. But coming up with innovative teaching ideas took too much brainpower for me to muster.
I really started pulling out more worksheets and doing more kind of lazy approaches to teaching because I didn't have the capacity. And it was around this time when I was like, Alright, I'm not really creating the best possible learning experiences for my students. I really started asking myself should I leave teaching?
Upon reflection now I realized I was overworked and I was burnt out. And these clues that my former interests were no longer so interesting, eventually clued me into the fact that it was time to move on.
But the interesting thing is that what I moved on to curriculum design, actually evolved the very thing that used to excite me about teaching. Sometimes was feeling burnt out on an aspect of teaching doesn't mean you're done with it for good. It actually might be a clue that the area you used to love is something you could look into pursuing in a new way.
And in that case, leaving teaching for another career could actually help you rekindle your love for education. So I really think it's about digging deep. What am I not so interested anymore? What am I interested in? What am I just frustrated that I don't have the time or the energy to devote to?
And clue number three is that when you think about other options beyond teaching, you feel energized. When you realize that there are so many jobs for teachers who leave teaching, do you get excited? It is more than okay to feel excited about new opportunities.
Tune in to how you feel when you think about leaving teaching. Does the thought of starting a new chapter of your career seem both exciting and terrifying? Excitement and fear are often related. So don't let feeling scared deter you from investigating your excitement.
Going back to that idea that you're never going to feel 100% about a big new change. It's probably going to feel like a mix of excitement and scariness and that's okay. The goal is not to get rid of scariness entirely.
Allow yourself to truly dream about what you would like to do next, follow your energy and your curiosity as you investigate different possibilities. And notice both when you feel energized, but also when you feel scared.
And when you feel scared, are you suffering from impostor syndrome or self doubt? It happens to all of us. Do you need to get more confident with your multitude of teaching skills? Examine what comes up for you as you explore these new options.
And it's not easy to make a change, especially one as big as leaving the teaching profession. But it can be so worth it to tune into what you really want. And there's also an in between.
Maybe you don't want to leave teaching, but you do want to do some work on the side to really expand your impact and build new skills. And maybe through that work on the side, you actually decide you'd love it and you want to go full force into that. Or maybe you decide actually being in the classroom is the right decision for you.
There is no right or wrong answer here. But it is an invitation to consider what you really want and how you can go about getting it.
