If you WERE a teacher but you aren't anymore, what do you do now?

[RobinBanksisInnocent]

Out of interest wishful thinking and do you have comparable/better pay?

[SuperPug]

Sorry, this is answering your question from another angle.
I worked in "media" before becoming a teacher. I hated it, I was terribly paid and treated badly as a grad.
Out of pure nosiness, I looked at their current salaries on glass door. I hold a minor middle management position, nothing close to deputy headship or anything like that, and realise I earn more than some account directors at this particular company.
I'm in a school with a generous pay scale and have a much better quality of life than I did then. I would be wary of moving into another sector- perhaps another school?

[RobinBanksisInnocent]

Urm, thanks?!
Not only is my pay pissing me off but thought of being stuck only being able to go on holiday in school holidays (££££) even when my own kids are not at school, for the rest of my working life, is fairly horrifying.

[MaryMarigold]

I retrained and have just qualified as a solicitor. Even as a newly-qualified solicitor my salary is way more than I was earning as a teacher at the top of the main scale. The hours are a killer though.

[DullUserName]

Was in industry, then teaching, now in another industry doing education outreach. I LOVE it!!! I'm taking home only a tad less than when I was teaching and I'm term-time only with genuinely short hours each day. I average 30 hours a week :-) No marking, no reports, no parents... just doing fun activities in primary schools that promote our industry & STEM subjects or giving careers advice in secondary. Best Job Ever.

If you search back in this forum, you'll find my posts about how thoroughly miserable and ill I was in summer term. The contrast could not be greater.

[SuperPug]

Well, retrain then- not quite sure why my response elicited the saracastic reaction?I was trying to give the perspective of the grass not necessarily being greener on the other side and from my experience, not enjoying a job outside of teaching. I do genuinely enjoy it, the pay is enough for me and our holidays are long although I normally plan and work throughout every holiday.
Mary has given you another perspective but obviously this isn't something everyone could do.

[SuperPug]

Dull, your job sounds great. It doesn't seem as though these kind of jobs are widely advertised?

[SuperPug]

*sarcastic, apologies.

[wonderstuff]

I've gone from class teaching to an sen specialist, I've done a fair bit of study, but now teach very small classes, so much less marking and I'm less stressed.

[FATEdestiny]

I was a teacher. I left the classroom in 2007 after qualifying and working in a good school from 2000.

I spent some time as a SAHM. In fact my plan was to be a SAHM long term, so to rely on my husband's wage.

However I got a tad bored. As a means to keep my brain occupied and with no plan to earn any real money I started a business, started as a service but I also retail. I have a run a website and also an eBay shop.

The financial market has been very turbulent over the last 10 years. I have had years where I have earnt more than my teaching salary after tax. I have had years where I've earnt less, such is the nature of running a business.

However I manage my own time and deliberately keep my hours manageable. I have 4 children inc a toddler so I only "work" an hour or two a day. I could grow my business significantly if I wanted to, but I don't. I want to relax and enjoy being a mum and a homemaker (while also keeping my mind active and productive).

If teaching taught me anything it was the value of life in the work/life balance.

[ilovesooty]

I work in careers advice with substance misusers and offenders and I'm self employed as a counsellor.

I don't earn anything like as much as I did when I was teaching but I'm way happier.

[llangennith]

Legal secretary. I love it. No working at home and I'm appreciated. Better pay too.

[FATEdestiny]

Further to my other post, if I ever want to go back into employed work I fancy doing school office management. Perhaps Heads PA or school manager.

The salary would be less than teaching, but it's school based and if I was going to work that's where I feel I "belong". I'd probably keep my business going as well so the salary would be less of an issue for me personally.

If you hate teaching, don't assume you need the salary. You may well suprise yourself with how well you financially cope. My husband doesn't earn a fortune. We halved our household income when I stopped teaching. But we managed. We don't go on massive holidays. We spend more frugally and waste less. But we adjusted and managed our budget through the salary drop.

Plus we were a million times happier. Both me and DH. Everything is calmer, quieter, more contented. I have time to smell the roses and just enjoy "being". Being a mum. Being a wide. Being a woman. Being a friend. Being myself

[leccybill]

I left my permanent job, went on supply, picked up a part time year long supply contract (just been extended) and set up a business teaching my specialism in primary schools.
I still get all the nice bits of teaching (ie. planning creative lessons, and the kids themselves) without all of the crap (data, meetings, justifying your own job type bollocks).
Obvs a drop in pay but I'm a million % happier in terms of wellbeing and can't put a price on that.

[PurpleDaisies]

I had to leave teaching when I got glandular fever then CFS. I've started private tutoring to keep my hand in while I couldn't work full time. I love it-it's many of the best bits of teaching without the stress. The money obviously is less and it can be hard to fit pupils in without working late into the evening. For now it works really well for me.

[DullUserName]

Superpug They're advertised, just not many of them. Often the only role of its type in the company (I'm the only one in a firm of 2500. Know of a team of 2 in a firm of 4000). Think of any large local employers: manufacturing, utilities, research.

Other similar things: any place that hosts school visits like museums, historical buildings, botanic gardens, wildlife reserves & zoos... my local recycling plant has an education centre, and a nearby windfarm.

Universities have school liaison roles for the whole uni and often for larger Depts.

[HuckleberryGin]

I'm an adviser at a teaching union

[wasninah]

Dunno yet only just quit! I've seen a job advising on educational visits that looks right up my street though...

[groovygreenwichgirl]

I went from English teaching for 7 years to teaching small groups as an SEN specialist. I make more money now (with SEN pay) and never work at weekends or in holidays. Feel far less stressed as well. Maybe look into different types of teaching before leaving completely?

Also definitely second the thing about money. Before I got this job I took a year out of teaching after almost having a nervous breakdown at an awful school. I earned very little as a TA and tutoring in the evenings but it was worth it and with some budgeting we were fine financially. Only went back into teaching as got a bit bored.

[OrangeSquashTallGlass]

The thing with teaching is that you become so institutionalised, it becomes such a huge part of your identity. It's scary leaving teaching because you feel like you have to go and do another Big Thing of equal importance or you've failed. Or is that just me?

[leccybill]

YY to feeling institutionalised. Leaving the security of my perm post was like jumping off a cliff for me. So scary and unknown.

So glad I did it though. It's all worked out ok. More to life than teaching.

[OrangeSquashTallGlass]

'More to life than teaching.'
^I think that's the mantra to repeat!