People who have ditched teaching, what do you do now?

[Mrsw28]

I'm still on maternity leave but the thought of going back to teaching full time makes me feel a bit sick and I really don't think it's realistic with how much time I want to give my children.

So, what are ex-teachers doing now?

[JenniferYellowHat1980]

I'm going to do an access course in health science and then a degree in either radiotherapy or nursing (prefer the idea of specialism in radiography, but the breadth of nursing appeals).

[OurBlanche]

Just today I started networking for my own business. I have no idea if it will work or not but,most importantly, it is not teaching

[Lexia123]

I'm thinking about Law. Lots of things gotta be better than teaching.

[smellysocksandchickenpox]

NHS. comparable salary - but you get paid for the hours you REALLY work, and take no work home (you can't - it's all sensitive/confidential), so when off with kids you're really off and not stuck behind piles of marking or planning.

Per hour of ACTUAL work (counting all the work I took home in teaching, all the early starts in the office to do planning etc) I get twice the money for half the hours.

Same salary:
Full time NHS pay = 37.5 hours of work (and no more)
Vs Part time teaching post = up to 70hrs a week ACTUAL work when you count everything you really do - working through lunch, weekends, during annual leave etc

And better support, moral, etc

[smellysocksandchickenpox]

I do some network marketing too, mostly for fun/a change/extra savings

which I'ld NEVER have had time for when teaching - there was always work to be done on days "off"

[hackneyzoo]

I'm retraining as a psychologist after 14 years of teaching and I would never go back!

[RubyRR]

This may be of interest to you ukedchat.com/2014/02/17/ukedmag-careers-when-leaving-teaching/

[WestYorkshireGirl]

I work in heritage education

[TeaT1me]

Oh hackney really!? I'd intended to do that bug to put off by the 3 years full time, and not too close to home, training .... but it looked amazing.

How are you finding it? Are you ed psych or clinical? Is it a huge workload.... do you work through school holidays.... so many questions....

[Movingonmymind]

I retrained into management. In some ways it's less exhausting as less time 'performing' but really in today's 24/7 economy, expectations are superhigh in most such jobs, I work easily as hard in different ways- emails infiltrate everyday life into the evenings and weekends and I have just as much extra work to do as I had as a teacher apart from early years when it took so long to prep each class. Speaking as an ex-teacher, I honestly think they moan too much about their lot and can be unrealistic- it's not dissimilar out of the game-heavy workloads and poor management are commonplace and without the longer holidays and for even less £ often. Still glad I moved though, I had burned out and this is a very good reason to leave a career like teaching.

[Primaryteach87]

I worked in a charity after leaving teaching. Less money but better hourly pay. In theory less holidays in reality I felt wonderful and rested as wasn't so crazy burnt out from ridiculous workload and working during 'holidays'