I am a successfully transitioned teacher and my new job is great! Supportive coworkers and great work life balance! I even sometimes get the chance to teach still as I work in an office for a company that does before and after care and I’ll be teaching here and there. I even get to work from home sometimes which is great. However sometimes I do miss being a teacher which feels insane because when I was teaching I was underweight, stressed and sick all the time, going home crying because of behavior etc. But I of course also had some amazing moments and times with my kids and sometimes I still feel bad about not having a teacher identity anymore. Anyone else?

I had a terrible experience with education but I am still out of work so in desperation I am applying to work applying to all jobs teaching and no teaching. I have an interview scheduled for Monday for education, I am in the 3rd step for online teaching position, and still applying for healthcare jobs since my masters is in healthcare. What happens if I get teaching job offer before the others but one of the other jobs comes along? Has anyone here rescinded an offer they had accepted prior?

I am a music teacher, and next year will be year 20 for me. I am transitioning, not out of the classroom, but to a different age range and school district.

This school district has some really good folks, and I don’t want to retell the story, but check my post history if you are curious.

TL:DR- I was stalked this year, causing intense anxiety during concerts. Stalker moved, but I still decided to leave the district due to many other systemic issue, though I am immensely fond of my principals. Finally was diagnosed with ADHD during this mess and suddenly my life made sense, leading me to change to a more manageable position rather than leave teaching all together.

I have had a very stressful and curious issue this week. Due to the stalker issue, concerts became overwhelming as I was terrified of being hurt while my back was to the audience. I got some mental health treatment and managed to survive the year, until I had several issues this last week.

During the last concert this week, while I was managing a very intricate schedule and set-up, I was grabbed from behind. I nearly elbowed the grabber in the face due to the surprise and terror. It turned out to be a family member that wanted to compliment me on my son’s performance.

Why she felt the need to grab me, while I’m directing students, instead of approaching me from the front likely has an explanation, but honestly I’m not very interested, as it was not ok to do. I managed to pull it together and thank her for the compliment, but I was very rattled and very upset.

A day later, at the other school I teach at, a volunteer with a developmental delay was asking me a question. She is sad I’m leaving and I go out of my way to be kind of her. However, that day I was late getting to the high school, and I told her three times I couldn’t chat as I was late. As I moved away, she grabbed my arm and held me so I couldn’t leave.

I can’t tell if this is indicative of me being better with boundaries due to ADHD treatment and people reacting because I’ve changed, if it’s more indicative of the systemic issues and chaos of the district and community, or if it was just a shitty week. I will say a lot of other shitty behavior went on this week, too.

A boundary I’ve bern very firm with the past few weeks because I finally can be is that I won’t listen to more than one person at once. I put up my finger and make interrupters wait, and then I give them my full attention.

I mention this because it has resulted in me being grabbed by a lot of students, too. Neurodiverse and traumatized kids cluster in music, as it is a break from the daily grind they really struggle to manage. It’s not ok that the kids do that, either, but I’m more understanding and can manage it better. I also usually see it coming.

I don’t think I should have to explain to adults that it’s not ok to be grabbed in my workplace. I’m just struggling to interpret this trend, as it is new and I’m neurodivergent.

I got a job there and was wondering if anyone had any insight/advice.

I was all set to transfer schools, going from teaching middle school to high school. Both principals had signed off on the paper work. All of the sudden, I was notified that my transfer was being blocked by the Principal’s boss, who doesn’t want to create a vacancy. I feel so manipulated. If ever you are struggling to explain to someone why teachers say they feel like they don’t get treated with respect, feel free to cite this story. According to my Union rep, my situation is not as uncommon as people might think.

I finally decided to quit teaching after 6 years of experience of being a high school math teacher. Currently, I am finishing my thesis for my masters on Measurement and Evaluation. Any advice on jobs that I can apply for and what keywords should I search when job hunting?

If you have a similar path as mine, please share your experiences. TIA!

I just want to vent. It seems my rejections come in on Fridays.

I just angry cried. I need a break from the classroom. I want more worklife balance. I want to be respected as a professional.

Our county values following purchased curriculum over teacher expertise. So I played the game, looked as if I was doing what they asked... through all of the extreme behaviors all of my students passed their end of year reading assessment. I know what I'm doing, it's a method to what I do. She looked shocked and surprised.

I'm waiting on my 1 yes... Trying to shift careers is so draining and emotionally exhausting. Maybe I need to start working through recruiters or asking for referrals.

She has a Bachelor's in English Literature with minor in secondary education and a master's of science for curriculum & instruction.

She’s currently a curriculum coordinator for her district and has 14 years experience but is totally burnt out and ready for a change of scenery. Any advice or leads on what else she can do with her education?

Perhaps TMI but I just competed my first week in a non-teaching WFH position and have been pleasantly surprised to not find the armpits of the shirts drenched in sweat at any point during the workday. Apparently my anxiety around teaching manifested physically more than I had realized as I sure don’t have an underarm sweat issue working from home.

Now on to my first weekend, hoping for no Sunday scaries 🤞

I made the decision to not return for another year in January and have been applying for jobs on and off since then. It was a lot of radio silence but I had an interview on Tuesday and just received the offer today! I'd be working as a shopkeepers apprentice (i.e. assistant manager) in an ice cream parlor. It's a bit of a paycut from what I make now but better than I was making my first year teaching, plus it has good benefits!

I decided I can’t be a teacher. My mental and physical health can’t handle in. My parents are extremely upset with me and I don’t blame them. They paid for about 90% of my education and they’re pissed that they wasted several thousands of dollars just for me to quit. I feel awful but I’ll always be depressed and in a horrible health condition if I’m teaching (especially in this day and age). Has anyone else dealt with this, how do I reconcile with my family?

**thank you everyone for all the wonderful comments. The support is everything I needed right now <3

My last day with kids is Tuesday, last day is a week from today, but I’m feeling really guilty about leaving. I’ve only been doing this for 2 years but have become burnt out, depressed, and anxious to the point of throwing up on my way to work. No one understands what early childhood education is like, admin least of all because they all came from teaching middle. It’s like banging my head against a wall—reading off a script to teach 6 year olds at the developmental stage of 3 year olds. People say my job (teaching kinder) must be so fun, that the kids must really love me, but I got hit 4 times by 4 different kids today. I’m being guilted from every angle at my work, how my students’ scores were actually good, how they love me, how I need to give it more time, how I don’t even have a job lined up, how the neighborhood needs people who stay. I can’t do this anymore but feel so guilty for leaving. Anyone in the same boat? How are you coping?

Well, the end is nigh. I’ve sent in my resignation letter, I’ve informed my colleagues, and I’ve told the kids. I cried, I lost sleep, and I’m terrified to be unemployed during a recession. But it is what it is. One more month of trips, pointless PD, and babysitting, then it’s over.

I lasted two years. I don’t consider myself weak, but teaching chewed me up and spat me out pretty quick. It just felt no matter how hard I tried it would never be enough. Combine that with the fact I never found my “teacher friends”, and I burned out. Now I’m headed onto greener pastures, hopefully. I might look back fondly on this job one day, but that day is not today. Good riddance.

Hi, so I’m not sure if my background fits here, but I got an education degree about 10 years ago, but never really used it. After getting my degree I only subbed once and basically just did unrelated jobs.

I remember during my third year of university when we got to the actual teaching courses finding it boring and unfulfilling. I think I pursued teaching because my grandma was a teacher and I looked up to her.

During my student teaching practicums I basically decided that teaching isn’t for me. I get stressed out easily and am also kind of a quiet guy. The idea of being “on” for 8 hours of the day was not something I looked forward to.

I figured maybe I’d pursue teaching when I was a little older and had more experience with the world, but I’ve found that I haven’t changed that much in my basic disposition since my early 20s. I still am introverted, still don’t like performing in front of people for long periods of time, and teaching still doesn’t seem to be something that I’m passionate about.

Despite all this I still have a part of myself that wishes I could give teaching another try to prove it wasn’t a waste of time or something? I think this might just be the sunk cost fallacy, I regret wasting my time and money on something that I never really pursued. The last few years I’ve thought about making a bunch of money teaching up north, but then the reality of the job hits and I decide not to.

I think I have to get over the sunk cost fallacy, what do you think?

I transitioned from teaching middle school to non-profit a month ago. My old coworker texted me letting me know that one of my former students brought a gun and a bunch of knives to school today in his backpack. Luckily he was caught before anything happened. No idea if there is going to be any kind of punishment, but knowing the administrators at this school, I'm not holding my breath.

I'm so, so, so thankful I'm out of there.

High school memories:

1. My principal calling me into a 1-on-1 to tell me she thought I had too many A’s in my advanced class. She called me down again the next quarter because she thought there were not enough A’s.

2. My (at the time) new department head was super stressed in her first year, so when it was time to teach the first quarter my teammates and I wanted to defer to the materials she already had so that she didn’t have to work as hard on new stuff. At interims she pulled us into a meeting with the Vice Principal and my department head actually scream-cried at us for “making her do all the work.”

3. Another Vice Principal called me into a 1-on-1 because I looked tired at an after school meeting and said that it made him feel down during his presentation.

4. Another department head got mad at me for putting the same learning objective two days in a row on the weekly shared team lesson. He made me go apologize to every other team member in person for not being more conscientious about the importance of learning objectives. He even insisted on coming along to watch me.

5. A counselor told me I needed to change a student’s grade from failing to a D because the track team really needed him. I did it, and then that student did not even try out.

6. An assistant principal assigned me to be a lunchtime tutor to a student I didn’t teach, three days a week. Thankfully, the student stopped showing up after the second day and I never said anything about it.

7. Parents at back to school night shining laser pointers on my back every time I turned around. (Other parents told me about this later, via email.)

I was feeling sad so I made a last day of school playlist for myself and I highly recommend it

Greatest hits include: Scream and Shout (you know, what we hear all day) Wrecking Ball (for the destruction of classrooms) Bye bye bye The Sweet Escape Sweet But Psycho Lovely Day Schools Out (obviously)

And many others If you need a laugh this is a great way to do it just scroll throught Spotify and look for titles that make you laugh

Hi, I noticed that teaching triggers my anxiety a LOT. Specifically, it's dealing with students with attitude or severe behaviour. Sorry for over-sharing but they remind me a lot of people who have not treated me well in life. I've been on the search for another career and I was wondering what you may be doing if you also have anxiety. (P.S. I am in the process of getting therapy and a proper diagnosis)

Hi all,

Looking in to transitioning to ID and wondering if anyone is in or has completed an ID graduate certificate online. I am not great at working without external motivation so I think a program is best for me, but would like something I can knock out for $6k or less. Looking at UC Denver's program and a few others- would like something that has a visual/graphic design class included. Anyone find anything that they liked in this range?

Thanks and happy summer!!

Hey guys, I’m an elementary art teacher. And was wondering if anyone transitioned to something outside of school? What kind of job did you find? and was it in the art field? Did you go back and take any courses? Was the pay better?

Thank you!

Pretty much the title. They lost the grant for my position and would likely have non-renewed me. I just beat ‘em to the punch.

And I'm not exactly sure how I feel. I'll be going in tomorrow to take down everything in my room and turn in my keys, but somehow it doesn't feel real. I went into this year with the mindset that it would be my fourth and last year, and here I am in June on day 180.

The year went by fast. There were absolutely points that dragged, but I'm impressed with myself with how well I handled it even though nearly every day I'd be listing off everything I hated and would be happy to leave behind on my morning drive. There were of course students I built strong relationships with, and I was a little sad to say goodbye to many of them. But most this year I can't say I really formed as strong of relationships with. For some reason the kids this year felt way more detached and unwilling to cooperate than any other year I've taught. Knowing that makes it easier to leave.

I'm excited to move on to my next job and to leave this horrible state (and profession) behind. Part of me feels like I could teach longer. But for the first time in years, I have actually been able to prioritize my personal life, and this makes me feel proud of myself for knowing when to leave.

How is everyone else feeling if you've already hit your last day (or nearing it)?

After 10 months, going along with new changes so I don’t get in trouble, keeping my head down even when I was treated horribly, taking gaslighting comments from administration, getting talked about during dismissal in front of other students, getting blamed for everything in the book like not saying good morning once, I can say with confidence that they did me a favor.

UPDATE: started to applying to other teaching jobs but also aiming for something not in the classroom.

Thank you all for the support and well wishes. I blamed myself for a lot of the things that happened but i started reading this thread and realized it wasn’t only me experiencing the worst from my school. Thank you again!

I am applying for a student support position which is not out of school but I can develop more skills. I’ve read that no one reads them and that you should absolutely do one. I know it can’t hurt but everything that led me here makes me nervous-like if I put the wrong word in a cover letter (I’ve been corrected as sped for saying weakness instead of deficiency…). Thoughts?

I teach K - 6 music. It's the final month of the year. My mental health had been on the rocks for a number of reasons. I was placed on paid leave for a few days for undisclosed reasons. During this time, I realized that I don't miss the job and have been grateful for the reprieve. This was a sign to me that it is time to submit the resignation letter. A lot of people I am close with are telling me "it's just the district you're in; maybe if you find another district things will be better." Maybe I'll try that. I have a lot of mixed feelings - relief that I am done with this job at the end of June, and a deep feeling of anxiety about the uncertainty ahead. I have a great summer gig lined up for which I am excited and then after that who knows? I also deliver food so until a permanent gig comes around I've got that going for me as a source of income until I get a job with benefits. A lot of people have told me I do good work with the students, and I think I may try to be a private music instructor full time. No worries about classroom management and I can focus on those individuals who want to take their music skills to the next level as they are the really passionate ones. Alas. One chapter ends; another begins.

I’ve been teaching for the last 3 years and have a degree in music education. (currently in a masters program, but pausing to reflect on what I want to do next)

What jobs can I seriously apply for? I have been applying left and right with no response…even to retail jobs. Bonus points if you can name the company and position.

Please help!

I’ve taught for 29 years and qualified for the pension this year. I decided to retire from teaching and find a new job in a non-teaching field - have no idea what yet. My question comes from the traditional school library at 4:30 retirement reception for me and 2 other employees. During the reception people got up and spoke with sweet stories about each of us. Two sweet friends got up to speak about me. I thought this was a voluntary move when the principal says “would anyone like to say a few words?” I found out later that they were previously asked to stand up a say a few sweet words in the reception - prearranged. Is this common? My feelies took a hit when I heard this, thinking they thought no one would say anything if they had not been specifically asked a couple of people to do it. So I thought I’d ask this sub if this was common practice or am I confirming my lack of social impact?