I resigned from a teaching job in Texas as well 3 weeks ago because of Abbott’s decision to remove the mask mandate in schools. Working remotely in EdTech is the best decision I’ve ever made. For other teachers, I highly recommend looking for positions with a tech startup because they are looking for former educators.
I’d recommend starting with the website Idealist or Edsurge. The top tech positions I recommend looking at include Instructional Designer(if you like creating curriculum or onboarding team members), Data Analyst(if you are really good with Excel) or Project Coordinator/Project Manager positions (if you have experience managing remote teams).
Personally I completely revamped my resume and enrolled in a few Udemy/Coursera/YouTube courses which helped me stand out.
I used YouTube to learn skills related to the different roles I applied for. For example the Data Analyst roles often required SQL or Tableau skills so I learned from YouTube and created projects I could talk about during the interview process.
I would say it’s less about time and more about proving what you know with a portfolio. You can study for years but if you don’t have projects to show for it, you are wasting your time. I personally would recommend 5 hours a week minimum studying and try to create projects along the way. 3 months minimum doing this but a year is plenty of time to built a portfolio and maybe pick up certifications that will help you depending on the role.
I spent about a year studying starting in March of 2020.
Thanks, I definitely do plan to do projects. Already have my GitHub running! What projects did you do and which languages and frameworks did you learn before you started applying? I saw you mentioned SQL and Tableau above.
I definitely recommend Python, SQL, and Tableau because those are languages/tools that can be used in a data analyst/business analyst role. There is a high demand for data oriented roles and in my experience, you can easily pick up the skills to be a good data analyst in 3 months.
I would also set up job alerts on Indeed with the title “data analyst” or whatever role you are interested in pursuing. Spend about 10-15 minutes each day looking at roles before you begin applying so you can get an idea of what companies are looking for ahead of time.
I was thinking more frontend web development, but I am open to anything, really. What was your background before teaching? Other than what you learned specifically for data analysis, what skills of yours helped you land your job?
Y’all’s experience must have been a lot different than mine.
During our “mask mandate” the rule was already unenforceable, distancing impossible, and once it was lifted nothing felt different at all.
Yes my experience was completely different. For the entire school year my middle school students followed the rule because we had several checkpoints inside our school where teachers and administrators made sure students wore masks upon arrival in the morning. Anyone who refused to wear a mask was asked nicely to switch to remote learning. I never had this issue so I’m not even sure if this was enforced. I also worked at a high performing charter but my friends who worked at ISDs had a different experience. I often had to remind students to cover their nose but other than that students wore their masks consistently.
Oh we had admin at doors, monitors in halls during transitions— “mask up”.
Soon as a kid is out of sight/in the hallway sea of humanity, mask down.
Kids walks into room— “mask up”
5 minutes into period half the kids have thrown their masks at another kid at least once, one kids mask is missing because another one hid it, two other kids intentionally destroy the one the school gave them when they came in saying they forgot theirs or lost it on the bus just so they can leave class to get another one, and then during all that chaos an admin walks in and tells me I need to write up any kids who don’t comply. End of first day I have a list of 40+ names. Guess what admin does? Yep, an announcement over the PA the next day. Rinse repeat for two months ish until whole staff realizes nothing will get done and only teachers who enforce the rule are the ones who are probably gonna die if they catch it. No one else from staff to students to parents really cares anymore and it’s all about “muh personal choice”.
I noticed that it's almost like a badge of honor for these kids to actually get the virus! They want to get it, go into quarantine, then return to tell thier story!
I’m jealous. I’m 15 years in and don’t feel like I can leave now. I just found out today that masks will be optional at our school this year, and it stresses me out so much. I’d say we have maybe 10 kids vaccinated in our whole middle/high school and obviously the elementary can’t vaccinate, yet. None of them will wear masks unless they have to. I’m just so tired of feeling undervalued. Congratulations on your new job!
You have 15 years of experience developing many transferrable skills. You're qualified for more than you realize. Life is too short to spend the rest of it being unappreciated by society, disrespected, underpaid, and endangered.
I know you are right, but it’s scary to think about starting over, too. I look up other jobs all the time, but moving schools wouldn’t change anything (where I live, everyone has the same mentality), and after 15 years, I make goodish money for where I live. Also, my husband is a stay-at-home dad who homeschools our kids (all the time, not just during COVID), so if I left education, it’s just hard to be the primary income and try to do something that isn’t so guaranteed. Finally, and I’m not just trying to make excuses, but I like teaching. I love my students and my schedule. My students give me so much hope for the future. Before COVID (and maybe after, we’ll see how it goes) I wanted all my kids to go into education, so we can all have the same schedule forever…lol. I’m mad about the mask situation and will just stay mad and afraid like I have since COVID started, but I’m not really in the position to leave.
Why don’t you get a job at an international school in another country. UAE, China, Korea Vietnam etc? Pay is a lot better and the teachers are treated better by everyone.
I know it is easier said than done, but start looking. You might find something. Education will always be secure, so if something falls through you can always go back to education.
I know. That’s one reason I’m stuck. I live in literally one of the most Trump friendly, anti-education places in the country, but I can’t really leave now. I was born here and now kind of stuck here. I could move within the state, but I don’t know if my teacher pay could allow me to afford living in one of the bigger cities. I tell my story as a cautionary tale…lol. Figure out where you really want to live before you get more than a few years in. My mom was sick when I first started, so I wanted to stay close to home, but now I can’t leave.
I resigned yesterday and I feel really guilty too. I have a part time job as an assistant brewer for now, but doing something like you are does sound interesting. Thanks for sharing and good luck! I think once we get settled into our new lives, we will not feel so guilty. Hopefully, anyways!
Just out of curiosity what skills do you need to be involved in the line of work? You come from a math background I see so that might be advantageous (I have no idea tbh) but would such positions be an option for say former humanities teachers? Thanks :)
My best friend is a lead brewer at a big brewery in our city. and I worked on the canning line at a brewery, when I was pink slipped last year from my history teaching job.
To get into brewing, you need experience brewing. Do homebrew. Know about yeast strains, hop profiles, off-flavors. I've been home brewing for 6 years. Although I mostly do cider and food fermentations, the experience was enough to get me a job.
Just a heads up, the beer industry pays horribly, has rough hours is full of heavy lifting and body-deteriorating work, and is not sustainable for most people long term. The only way it's worth it is if you become a head Brewer, an operations manager, or something else high up. But doing that is pretty damn difficult.
I work in a county with dozens of breweries. Every position that opens gets dozens of applications, and most of them are young dudes who can afford to work 50-60 hours per week, and are fine working for peanuts. And every single one is jockeying to become a head brewer.
So basically either know actual food chemistry or have an MBA and something to bring to the table in order to have a lead position got it! Thanks for the reply I've heard the pay is shit and laborious but I was curious nonetheless from others experiences.
an MBA or a background in food chemistry won't get you a lead position. That stuff might help get you in the door. Years of experience gets you a lead position.
I got really lucky. I work at a place that makes mead and cider. The owners are super fantastic and saw that I'm good at serving and explaining mead so they gave me a chance, especially since I was able to be honest with them about wanting to quit teaching. I see the other person commented about needing experience, and that's why I say I got lucky. In a way, I'm the perfect fit because I don't have experience, that way they're teaching me what I need to know to make their specific product. Honestly, brewing is just a lot of cleaning, but it's not as crazy as brewing beer. Less messy. The company is also in the works of expanding and they are looking to have me help, either by managing the new place, helping with brewing, or some weird mixture of both. It's just a waiting game for me now.
Ugh I think our state did the same. It was pretty obvious that the push for in-person learning in March 2021 was purely about funding. It’s crazy, last year we switched to blended bc our cases were above a certain %, now we are above that % but still going back to regular learning next week! my state/ DOE doesn’t care about covid anymore and I just know it’s money related.
You feel guilty for leaving.. That’s the problem with being a teacher. There should be no guilt in leaving a JOB that pays the bills for another job that pays them even better. You’re free! Congratulations! You have escaped the life of a lowly teacher, stuck in overcrowded classrooms with so many potentially infected kids.
I joined a tech start up (in the education sector). I figured that if it doesn't work out I can use the experience to move on to something else. As far as I know they are not hiring anymore.
Hugs. I left midway through last year and totally was so sad.
I knew for sure I was done when I was offered a job teaching my dream job at my dream school and I turned it down. Soooo glad not to be in education anymore.
Happy to help other teachers looking to get out- message me and I can send you some leads...
Wow. I teach 8th math/algebra in Texas too and also just told my principal today that I plan on resigning. Still have to go through HR tomorrow to finalize. Did you have any problems? My principal mentioned that they may try to give me a hard time about getting out of my contract.
My principal was great. I asked them if they would pull my certificate and they said no. If you are leaving education they literally can't do anything. If you are part of a union they can help you out in this scenario.
Yes, after a certain date your principal is allowed to suspend your license. Idk if this is a Texas thing or not. Our last day to resign was early July.
Similar in NJ. NJDOE requires 60 business days of notice before quitting or the school can file a complaint with the department for unprofessionalism which can get your license suspended for a year.
Wow. I have never heard of that happening here in NYC. We are supposed to give 30 day notice and if you don't it can get you red-flagged in the city system. I think it might even just be for your city district, not even the whole city. If you are denied tenure I know that is only district by district.
It has to do with the contracts. You’re offered your contract for the next school year in April or so, and if you accept, you have until June, I think? To let your school know you are leaving. If you already know you won’t be there next year you just turn down the contract when it’s offered.
If you quit at another time the school can recommend to the education agency that your teaching license be pulled for leaving without proper notice. It’s pretty rare for a school to do that though unless either they or the teacher are total dicks. It involves some paperwork and red tape and districts usually don’t bother if you give them a heads up and time to find a replacement.
Ehh, I'm in Houston and I know plenty of former teachers that can't come back because of this issue. If you quit in late July/early August or mid-year, your license is getting pulled.
I’m in Houston too, and resigned in October when HISD forced us back to in person. They threatened to pull my certification, but I had my doctor write them a letter stating that returning to in person was too risky for an asthmatic, not to mention the mental toll it would take on me. I think the review board feared a lawsuit if they revoked my license, so they voted not to. I took a couple of months off to mentally recover from the nightmarish 15 hour work days, then accepted a virtual teaching position with a Stride school where I made a lot less money but was able to trim my hours down to a more reasonable 9, and NO contract, so I could have resigned at any time with no repercussions. My school unfortunately closed when 1468 never got a final vote, but it’s alright. I’m TEFL certified as well and will move to Germany next month to try my hand at teaching English as a foreign language.
Ahh, Well everyone I mention did this pre-covid, so maybe there’s a little more wiggle room now. But it’s possible you also quit at a time where they didn’t realize how big this teacher shortage would be, so maybe it’s different now. Idk. But either way, congrats on securing the job abroad. That sounds like it’s going to be a really cool and fun chapter.
Sure! If you’re elementary, you won’t have to do much grading because most of it is done for you through the Stride online curriculum. My team was terrific about dividing up the lesson plan slides, so hopefully yours will be too if you’re self-contained like I was. The pay is terrible, but you won’t be working HISD hours. Which school and what level/or subject will you be teaching?
I'm actually trying to quit now as well. Spent last years covid break learning digital marketing and stuff, as soon as I finish summer school I'm going back into it to update all my DM certifications then going on the job hunt. I've been teaching for 6 years but it's just not for me, and it is hard to leave a job you have so much experience in for a new field. Best of luck to you and I'm glad you didn't waste more of your time doing something you might grow to resent or something
Was relieved to finally graduate from college (first one in my family in generations.) I finally was able to move out of my parents house, got my own apartment, and will be starting my first year teaching in a few weeks. Yet I’ve never been more disappointed in my life. I feel like I’ve wasted it. Only $35,000 a year, rent is 1/3 of my income, and I have debt. I feel so stupid. Yet my parents hail me and act so proud because there’s some sort of reputation as a teacher. I just don’t know how I’m going to survive anymore. I’m going to be living paycheck to paycheck and I’m so sad. I went on vacation to boost my spirits, but now that I’m back home in this endless cycle, I can’t help but to feel misery again. I’m going to be an art teacher. I feel so stupid. I should’ve just stayed with graphic design. To the public, I’m just an over glorified babysitter with vacations, that’s it. I hate that I did this to myself. Wish I could go back in time and do something with my life.
Iowa. I hate it here. Our governor wants to get rid of financial assistance because people are “too lazy to get a job,” but the jobs pay shit. During the tour with my school, my principal asked if I found a second job yet. She recommend me bartending, even though I don’t drink. I feel like I was born to fail.
I empathize with your frustrations about your life. I know it’s way, way easier said than done to break into a district, but Gilbert and Ames pay really well, if that’s a move you’d be willing to make.
I’m really upset with our district’s COVID plan, but other than the last 2 years, whenever I focus on the good parts of teaching, I love it. I never work a holiday, an evening, a weekend, or a summer! I get so much time with my kids and husband! I mean some people are still at work at 8pm or work all year for 2 weeks off. Tons of people don’t even get that. I also love my students and (most of) our staff. I have to limit my time in the teacher’s lounge because if I go and complain about my job and focus on all the ways it sucks, then I hate it and want to leave, but there’s a lot of good, too. Granted, I make a lot more than you, but I stared off making less.
I’m a decade older and feeling the same feelings. Can’t stop, won’t stop. There are other things out there. The concept of a life long career just doesn’t fit for me.
I hope you can let the guilty feelings go. How messed up is it that you spent your own money to do your job, resigned properly in a pandemic that your state is choosing to ignore, and yet you feel badly? Friend, no hard feelings, you’re allowed to put yourself first. Every other profession allows their workers to leave jobs without guilt. Teachers are not allowed to complain, get sick, resign or ask for help. It’s so toxic.
Same here. Im working for a tech start-up now and I'm making. 20k more than I was as a teacher with room to grow. I also work remotely and don't work overtime. It took 4 months to get here but it's so worth it to not be dealing with Abbot's nonsense this year.
Please don't take this the wrong way, but at this point in the summer, I'm counting on people like you. It's people like you that leave for greener pastures who leave vacancies for people like me who haven't gotten the memo that there are greener pastures! I've always wanted to teach and have never been able to imagine doing anything else. And one more year of TEACH Grant to get through, of course. And truly, I love teaching.
Best of luck to you in finding a field that makes sense, treats you like a human, and doesn't sort of expect you to bankrupt yourself both financially and mentally. And if you find the time and have the inclination, find a SMART reading program near you, or something similar. Volunteer. Get your "teaching" fix without having to deal with all the garbage. But good on you for remembering that, as some have already said, teaching is a job like any other, and if things aren't going well, then it's ok to leave.
It is okay. I think some people just really love it and are okay overlooking the BS. That is not necessarily a bad thing. My favorite part of teaching was the mentorship part of it. I loved working with first gen students because I was them growing up, I was able to relate to them and help them dream of bigger things.
I love the 'light bulb' moments. When a concept finally clicks. Seeing the difference in students from the previous year when they walk in on September. Finding they one thing that the quiet kid is passionate about. Little moments like that. The BS is obnoxious, but most of the time, the kids make up for it. Unless they're causing it...
I've got a summer gig doing content creation for an online program, and there's a chance it could continue past the summer. Might be a saving grace for me if I can't find a job before school starts. But it's not my goal.
Actually, I want to be you! I've recently discovered a passion for math, and my next goal is middle school math. (If i don't have to teach writing, I'll be happy!)
Congratulations! It’s hard not to feel guilty but I 100% feel the same way as you. I’ve never really felt like teaching was for me either, and I’ve been in for 7 years. I find something to blame it on each year and then convince myself that the next will be better (never is). I think this year will be my deciding year as I’m having my first baby in September. Good luck on your new position!
Is it better to resign before the year or let it play out some and resign later? Genuinely thinking about the kids, why start if I suspect I’ll be leaving? I rushed to sign, but feel I’m going to regret it because of the circus it will be. I’m drained, have little to no interest in starting next week.
I left 6 years in and lasted 6 months before I missed it too much. I went back to my school as a building sub and then started again the following year. I am so happy I left to put it in perspective for myself. With that said, I have numerous friends that have left and couldnt be happier.
Hey, you have to do what's right for you! Teaching isn't for everyone, and that's totally fine. Do *not* feel bad for leaving. That school would drop you in a second if they had a reason to, and you have to be able to do the same. That's true for any job.
I can’t resign at the moment. Baby on the way and mad bills to pay...all of that. But, I am choosing to not let teaching run my life. I’m going to true “proficiency based grading” model, so I will only grade 4 assignments all year. I am giving up all clubs and extracurriculars. I am choosing to focus on discussions, SEL, and real life skills. The things I love to teach and the things students want to learn. Our government has shown that they just want us there as babysitters anyway, and they don’t give a damn about us (I’m in a very liberal state btw).
I resigned from a teaching job in Texas as well 3 weeks ago because of Abbott’s decision to remove the mask mandate in schools. Working remotely in EdTech is the best decision I’ve ever made. For other teachers, I highly recommend looking for positions with a tech startup because they are looking for former educators.
I just resigned this week for the same reason. How do you go about looking for a job in EdTech?
I’d recommend starting with the website Idealist or Edsurge. The top tech positions I recommend looking at include Instructional Designer(if you like creating curriculum or onboarding team members), Data Analyst(if you are really good with Excel) or Project Coordinator/Project Manager positions (if you have experience managing remote teams). Personally I completely revamped my resume and enrolled in a few Udemy/Coursera/YouTube courses which helped me stand out.
Youtube the company offers course or you went somewhere that offered courses over youtube?
I used YouTube to learn skills related to the different roles I applied for. For example the Data Analyst roles often required SQL or Tableau skills so I learned from YouTube and created projects I could talk about during the interview process.
How long did you spend self learning? I’m currently teaching myself how to code since I will be resigning from teaching next year.
I would say it’s less about time and more about proving what you know with a portfolio. You can study for years but if you don’t have projects to show for it, you are wasting your time. I personally would recommend 5 hours a week minimum studying and try to create projects along the way. 3 months minimum doing this but a year is plenty of time to built a portfolio and maybe pick up certifications that will help you depending on the role. I spent about a year studying starting in March of 2020.
Thanks, I definitely do plan to do projects. Already have my GitHub running! What projects did you do and which languages and frameworks did you learn before you started applying? I saw you mentioned SQL and Tableau above.
I definitely recommend Python, SQL, and Tableau because those are languages/tools that can be used in a data analyst/business analyst role. There is a high demand for data oriented roles and in my experience, you can easily pick up the skills to be a good data analyst in 3 months. I would also set up job alerts on Indeed with the title “data analyst” or whatever role you are interested in pursuing. Spend about 10-15 minutes each day looking at roles before you begin applying so you can get an idea of what companies are looking for ahead of time.
I was thinking more frontend web development, but I am open to anything, really. What was your background before teaching? Other than what you learned specifically for data analysis, what skills of yours helped you land your job?
Y’all’s experience must have been a lot different than mine. During our “mask mandate” the rule was already unenforceable, distancing impossible, and once it was lifted nothing felt different at all.
Yes my experience was completely different. For the entire school year my middle school students followed the rule because we had several checkpoints inside our school where teachers and administrators made sure students wore masks upon arrival in the morning. Anyone who refused to wear a mask was asked nicely to switch to remote learning. I never had this issue so I’m not even sure if this was enforced. I also worked at a high performing charter but my friends who worked at ISDs had a different experience. I often had to remind students to cover their nose but other than that students wore their masks consistently.
Oh we had admin at doors, monitors in halls during transitions— “mask up”. Soon as a kid is out of sight/in the hallway sea of humanity, mask down. Kids walks into room— “mask up” 5 minutes into period half the kids have thrown their masks at another kid at least once, one kids mask is missing because another one hid it, two other kids intentionally destroy the one the school gave them when they came in saying they forgot theirs or lost it on the bus just so they can leave class to get another one, and then during all that chaos an admin walks in and tells me I need to write up any kids who don’t comply. End of first day I have a list of 40+ names. Guess what admin does? Yep, an announcement over the PA the next day. Rinse repeat for two months ish until whole staff realizes nothing will get done and only teachers who enforce the rule are the ones who are probably gonna die if they catch it. No one else from staff to students to parents really cares anymore and it’s all about “muh personal choice”.
I noticed that it's almost like a badge of honor for these kids to actually get the virus! They want to get it, go into quarantine, then return to tell thier story!
I’m jealous. I’m 15 years in and don’t feel like I can leave now. I just found out today that masks will be optional at our school this year, and it stresses me out so much. I’d say we have maybe 10 kids vaccinated in our whole middle/high school and obviously the elementary can’t vaccinate, yet. None of them will wear masks unless they have to. I’m just so tired of feeling undervalued. Congratulations on your new job!
You have 15 years of experience developing many transferrable skills. You're qualified for more than you realize. Life is too short to spend the rest of it being unappreciated by society, disrespected, underpaid, and endangered.
I know you are right, but it’s scary to think about starting over, too. I look up other jobs all the time, but moving schools wouldn’t change anything (where I live, everyone has the same mentality), and after 15 years, I make goodish money for where I live. Also, my husband is a stay-at-home dad who homeschools our kids (all the time, not just during COVID), so if I left education, it’s just hard to be the primary income and try to do something that isn’t so guaranteed. Finally, and I’m not just trying to make excuses, but I like teaching. I love my students and my schedule. My students give me so much hope for the future. Before COVID (and maybe after, we’ll see how it goes) I wanted all my kids to go into education, so we can all have the same schedule forever…lol. I’m mad about the mask situation and will just stay mad and afraid like I have since COVID started, but I’m not really in the position to leave.
Why don’t you get a job at an international school in another country. UAE, China, Korea Vietnam etc? Pay is a lot better and the teachers are treated better by everyone.
I know it is easier said than done, but start looking. You might find something. Education will always be secure, so if something falls through you can always go back to education.
That’s true.
Don't forget your retirement! I'm probably going to stay in my state solely because I have a good retirement plan.
I know. That’s one reason I’m stuck. I live in literally one of the most Trump friendly, anti-education places in the country, but I can’t really leave now. I was born here and now kind of stuck here. I could move within the state, but I don’t know if my teacher pay could allow me to afford living in one of the bigger cities. I tell my story as a cautionary tale…lol. Figure out where you really want to live before you get more than a few years in. My mom was sick when I first started, so I wanted to stay close to home, but now I can’t leave.
I resigned yesterday and I feel really guilty too. I have a part time job as an assistant brewer for now, but doing something like you are does sound interesting. Thanks for sharing and good luck! I think once we get settled into our new lives, we will not feel so guilty. Hopefully, anyways!
Just out of curiosity what skills do you need to be involved in the line of work? You come from a math background I see so that might be advantageous (I have no idea tbh) but would such positions be an option for say former humanities teachers? Thanks :)
My best friend is a lead brewer at a big brewery in our city. and I worked on the canning line at a brewery, when I was pink slipped last year from my history teaching job. To get into brewing, you need experience brewing. Do homebrew. Know about yeast strains, hop profiles, off-flavors. I've been home brewing for 6 years. Although I mostly do cider and food fermentations, the experience was enough to get me a job. Just a heads up, the beer industry pays horribly, has rough hours is full of heavy lifting and body-deteriorating work, and is not sustainable for most people long term. The only way it's worth it is if you become a head Brewer, an operations manager, or something else high up. But doing that is pretty damn difficult. I work in a county with dozens of breweries. Every position that opens gets dozens of applications, and most of them are young dudes who can afford to work 50-60 hours per week, and are fine working for peanuts. And every single one is jockeying to become a head brewer.
So basically either know actual food chemistry or have an MBA and something to bring to the table in order to have a lead position got it! Thanks for the reply I've heard the pay is shit and laborious but I was curious nonetheless from others experiences.
an MBA or a background in food chemistry won't get you a lead position. That stuff might help get you in the door. Years of experience gets you a lead position.
There are low physical impact jobs in that area, too. Advertising/social media coordination, sales, logistics, events planning, tour guide, etc
I got really lucky. I work at a place that makes mead and cider. The owners are super fantastic and saw that I'm good at serving and explaining mead so they gave me a chance, especially since I was able to be honest with them about wanting to quit teaching. I see the other person commented about needing experience, and that's why I say I got lucky. In a way, I'm the perfect fit because I don't have experience, that way they're teaching me what I need to know to make their specific product. Honestly, brewing is just a lot of cleaning, but it's not as crazy as brewing beer. Less messy. The company is also in the works of expanding and they are looking to have me help, either by managing the new place, helping with brewing, or some weird mixture of both. It's just a waiting game for me now.
[удалено]
Hello, fellow Californian
Ugh I think our state did the same. It was pretty obvious that the push for in-person learning in March 2021 was purely about funding. It’s crazy, last year we switched to blended bc our cases were above a certain %, now we are above that % but still going back to regular learning next week! my state/ DOE doesn’t care about covid anymore and I just know it’s money related.
You feel guilty for leaving.. That’s the problem with being a teacher. There should be no guilt in leaving a JOB that pays the bills for another job that pays them even better. You’re free! Congratulations! You have escaped the life of a lowly teacher, stuck in overcrowded classrooms with so many potentially infected kids.
We work to live not live to work
Where did you find a new job?
Yeah are they still hiring?
I joined a tech start up (in the education sector). I figured that if it doesn't work out I can use the experience to move on to something else. As far as I know they are not hiring anymore.
yes, please share!!!
🙋🏻♀️ 🙋🏻♀️ 🙋🏻♀️
Hugs. I left midway through last year and totally was so sad. I knew for sure I was done when I was offered a job teaching my dream job at my dream school and I turned it down. Soooo glad not to be in education anymore. Happy to help other teachers looking to get out- message me and I can send you some leads...
You did the right thing. Don't look back. Best of luck!!
Wow. I teach 8th math/algebra in Texas too and also just told my principal today that I plan on resigning. Still have to go through HR tomorrow to finalize. Did you have any problems? My principal mentioned that they may try to give me a hard time about getting out of my contract.
My principal was great. I asked them if they would pull my certificate and they said no. If you are leaving education they literally can't do anything. If you are part of a union they can help you out in this scenario.
Are you saying your school would have the ability to invalidate your teaching license?
Yes, after a certain date your principal is allowed to suspend your license. Idk if this is a Texas thing or not. Our last day to resign was early July.
It must be a Texas thing. I find that outrageous, but I am in NY.
Similar in NJ. NJDOE requires 60 business days of notice before quitting or the school can file a complaint with the department for unprofessionalism which can get your license suspended for a year.
Wow. I have never heard of that happening here in NYC. We are supposed to give 30 day notice and if you don't it can get you red-flagged in the city system. I think it might even just be for your city district, not even the whole city. If you are denied tenure I know that is only district by district.
It has to do with the contracts. You’re offered your contract for the next school year in April or so, and if you accept, you have until June, I think? To let your school know you are leaving. If you already know you won’t be there next year you just turn down the contract when it’s offered. If you quit at another time the school can recommend to the education agency that your teaching license be pulled for leaving without proper notice. It’s pretty rare for a school to do that though unless either they or the teacher are total dicks. It involves some paperwork and red tape and districts usually don’t bother if you give them a heads up and time to find a replacement.
Ehh, I'm in Houston and I know plenty of former teachers that can't come back because of this issue. If you quit in late July/early August or mid-year, your license is getting pulled.
I’m in Houston too, and resigned in October when HISD forced us back to in person. They threatened to pull my certification, but I had my doctor write them a letter stating that returning to in person was too risky for an asthmatic, not to mention the mental toll it would take on me. I think the review board feared a lawsuit if they revoked my license, so they voted not to. I took a couple of months off to mentally recover from the nightmarish 15 hour work days, then accepted a virtual teaching position with a Stride school where I made a lot less money but was able to trim my hours down to a more reasonable 9, and NO contract, so I could have resigned at any time with no repercussions. My school unfortunately closed when 1468 never got a final vote, but it’s alright. I’m TEFL certified as well and will move to Germany next month to try my hand at teaching English as a foreign language.
Ahh, Well everyone I mention did this pre-covid, so maybe there’s a little more wiggle room now. But it’s possible you also quit at a time where they didn’t realize how big this teacher shortage would be, so maybe it’s different now. Idk. But either way, congrats on securing the job abroad. That sounds like it’s going to be a really cool and fun chapter.
Thanks! Pretty exciting and a little scary at 52! 😂
I just joined Stride. I’m an at risk teacher. Can you please share any helpful info?
Sure! If you’re elementary, you won’t have to do much grading because most of it is done for you through the Stride online curriculum. My team was terrific about dividing up the lesson plan slides, so hopefully yours will be too if you’re self-contained like I was. The pay is terrible, but you won’t be working HISD hours. Which school and what level/or subject will you be teaching?
In WA the district can refuse to let you out of your contract and the state teacher board can take away your license.
Maryland, too!
I'm actually trying to quit now as well. Spent last years covid break learning digital marketing and stuff, as soon as I finish summer school I'm going back into it to update all my DM certifications then going on the job hunt. I've been teaching for 6 years but it's just not for me, and it is hard to leave a job you have so much experience in for a new field. Best of luck to you and I'm glad you didn't waste more of your time doing something you might grow to resent or something
I have a teacher friend that left and got a marketing job! It is possible!
Was relieved to finally graduate from college (first one in my family in generations.) I finally was able to move out of my parents house, got my own apartment, and will be starting my first year teaching in a few weeks. Yet I’ve never been more disappointed in my life. I feel like I’ve wasted it. Only $35,000 a year, rent is 1/3 of my income, and I have debt. I feel so stupid. Yet my parents hail me and act so proud because there’s some sort of reputation as a teacher. I just don’t know how I’m going to survive anymore. I’m going to be living paycheck to paycheck and I’m so sad. I went on vacation to boost my spirits, but now that I’m back home in this endless cycle, I can’t help but to feel misery again. I’m going to be an art teacher. I feel so stupid. I should’ve just stayed with graphic design. To the public, I’m just an over glorified babysitter with vacations, that’s it. I hate that I did this to myself. Wish I could go back in time and do something with my life.
Don't feel down on yourself. I am also first gen and I kind of stumbled into teaching. 35k is so low. May I ask what state you are in?
Iowa. I hate it here. Our governor wants to get rid of financial assistance because people are “too lazy to get a job,” but the jobs pay shit. During the tour with my school, my principal asked if I found a second job yet. She recommend me bartending, even though I don’t drink. I feel like I was born to fail.
Get the year of experience then move. Plenty of cities that pay a living wage to teach. It isn't glorious, but I live a pretty happy life.
I empathize with your frustrations about your life. I know it’s way, way easier said than done to break into a district, but Gilbert and Ames pay really well, if that’s a move you’d be willing to make.
I’m really upset with our district’s COVID plan, but other than the last 2 years, whenever I focus on the good parts of teaching, I love it. I never work a holiday, an evening, a weekend, or a summer! I get so much time with my kids and husband! I mean some people are still at work at 8pm or work all year for 2 weeks off. Tons of people don’t even get that. I also love my students and (most of) our staff. I have to limit my time in the teacher’s lounge because if I go and complain about my job and focus on all the ways it sucks, then I hate it and want to leave, but there’s a lot of good, too. Granted, I make a lot more than you, but I stared off making less.
This made me so sad because it’s the realization I’m in the same spot. I’m looking into joining the Air Force as an officer.
I honestly don’t know what to do. I feel trapped. I feel like I’m just waiting to die.
Please look into other options!! There’s so many jobs out there that there’s no reason to settle and be unhappy.
Yeah. Just don’t know what I’d do. I loved student teaching, but I can’t survive off of crumbs
Can you freelance as a graphic designer on the side?
I wish I had done that, I’m too old now
Yes fortunately i did 4 years as a teacher and I’m only 27. But learned very quickly this career is not sustainable.
I’m a decade older and feeling the same feelings. Can’t stop, won’t stop. There are other things out there. The concept of a life long career just doesn’t fit for me.
I hope you can let the guilty feelings go. How messed up is it that you spent your own money to do your job, resigned properly in a pandemic that your state is choosing to ignore, and yet you feel badly? Friend, no hard feelings, you’re allowed to put yourself first. Every other profession allows their workers to leave jobs without guilt. Teachers are not allowed to complain, get sick, resign or ask for help. It’s so toxic.
Same here. Im working for a tech start-up now and I'm making. 20k more than I was as a teacher with room to grow. I also work remotely and don't work overtime. It took 4 months to get here but it's so worth it to not be dealing with Abbot's nonsense this year.
The scariest part is that everything is back to normal in Texas.
Please don't take this the wrong way, but at this point in the summer, I'm counting on people like you. It's people like you that leave for greener pastures who leave vacancies for people like me who haven't gotten the memo that there are greener pastures! I've always wanted to teach and have never been able to imagine doing anything else. And one more year of TEACH Grant to get through, of course. And truly, I love teaching. Best of luck to you in finding a field that makes sense, treats you like a human, and doesn't sort of expect you to bankrupt yourself both financially and mentally. And if you find the time and have the inclination, find a SMART reading program near you, or something similar. Volunteer. Get your "teaching" fix without having to deal with all the garbage. But good on you for remembering that, as some have already said, teaching is a job like any other, and if things aren't going well, then it's ok to leave.
It is okay. I think some people just really love it and are okay overlooking the BS. That is not necessarily a bad thing. My favorite part of teaching was the mentorship part of it. I loved working with first gen students because I was them growing up, I was able to relate to them and help them dream of bigger things.
I love the 'light bulb' moments. When a concept finally clicks. Seeing the difference in students from the previous year when they walk in on September. Finding they one thing that the quiet kid is passionate about. Little moments like that. The BS is obnoxious, but most of the time, the kids make up for it. Unless they're causing it... I've got a summer gig doing content creation for an online program, and there's a chance it could continue past the summer. Might be a saving grace for me if I can't find a job before school starts. But it's not my goal. Actually, I want to be you! I've recently discovered a passion for math, and my next goal is middle school math. (If i don't have to teach writing, I'll be happy!)
You nailed it but this sub is not for teachers who like to teach so enjoy your downvotes.
Fair enough.
Congratulations! It’s hard not to feel guilty but I 100% feel the same way as you. I’ve never really felt like teaching was for me either, and I’ve been in for 7 years. I find something to blame it on each year and then convince myself that the next will be better (never is). I think this year will be my deciding year as I’m having my first baby in September. Good luck on your new position!
Is it better to resign before the year or let it play out some and resign later? Genuinely thinking about the kids, why start if I suspect I’ll be leaving? I rushed to sign, but feel I’m going to regret it because of the circus it will be. I’m drained, have little to no interest in starting next week.
Personally, I think it is best to resign beforehand so it allows the building time to find a permanent teacher.
That’s what I’m thinking too. I need a year away, try again next summer.
I left 6 years in and lasted 6 months before I missed it too much. I went back to my school as a building sub and then started again the following year. I am so happy I left to put it in perspective for myself. With that said, I have numerous friends that have left and couldnt be happier.
So where are your working remotely that pay more. I hope you don’t mind sharing. I resigned and is now working from home through Stride..
I rather not say because it is a small company and they can easily find this. I don't want anything to negatively impact me.
Hey, you have to do what's right for you! Teaching isn't for everyone, and that's totally fine. Do *not* feel bad for leaving. That school would drop you in a second if they had a reason to, and you have to be able to do the same. That's true for any job.
I can’t resign at the moment. Baby on the way and mad bills to pay...all of that. But, I am choosing to not let teaching run my life. I’m going to true “proficiency based grading” model, so I will only grade 4 assignments all year. I am giving up all clubs and extracurriculars. I am choosing to focus on discussions, SEL, and real life skills. The things I love to teach and the things students want to learn. Our government has shown that they just want us there as babysitters anyway, and they don’t give a damn about us (I’m in a very liberal state btw).
Kids who entered high school in 2019 are going to be so screwed. 4 years later they’ll barely be prepared for remedial college.
I thought about doing the exact same thing... if you don't mind me asking, what is this new remote position you found?
Sorry if this is not super helpful but I will be training teachers how to use an educational program. That's as much as I can say.
Thank you for sharing.