Anyone left and regretted it?

[Lookingsparkly]

I have young DC in primary. I’m a primary teacher. I’ve been thinking about leaving for a while. I love teaching but the workload is unreasonable. I’m considering leaving for a ‘normal’ full year round job. Has anyone regretted giving up school holidays though?

[MercuryRising]

I am debating coming out of the classroom for a couple of years for exactly the same reasons. My youngest is about to turn 1 and I am thinking of leaving at the end of the summer and then returning when he is in Year 1. Although I do worry how realistic this is. What sort of job would you do OP?

[helloisitmeyourelookingfor]

I did this in reverse (trained late)

Seriously, the ability to spend holidays with your small people is invaluable

One year I couldn't book any school holidays off as everyone was scrabbling for the same few weeks

Workload is high but the payoff is great

[diet4eva]

I left full time teaching this year for a normal full time job and I absolutely love it! I start at 9 and I finish at 5 and I get a half hour for lunch which is my half hour and not a getting ready for class half hour! There is less stress and I'm less tired so I have more energy to do stuff with my kids and my mood is better too. Downside is missing the holidays - But we managed the summer with 1 week with grandparents a couple of weeks with me an then DH then a weeks family holiday together. I have never one regretted leaving

[MardyLardy]

I had similar hols but not exact, mug reduced workload. Not worth it at all - those hols make much worth while

[Rathkelter]

@diet4eva what do you do now, out of interest? I have had enough of the stress, scrutiny and low-level disruptive behaviour that I'd like a change. Been doing it for over 15yrs. I need a fair salary to help pay mortgage and kids' activities, but am not the sole breadwinner so that helps a bit in terms of finding something else.
How do you go about finding a job in another sector these days?

[Rathkelter]

OP I left and came back when my kids were at pre-school, and got a childminder 3 days. It was ok for a bit but the horrible stress is creeping in again that I hate. Yes, the holidays are great, but term time is a killer, and there is more term time than there are holidays! Maybe it depends on what your priorities are in terms of: job satisfaction, childcare, how you feel about the school you're in etc.

[fedup21]

I left full time teaching this year for a normal full time job and I absolutely love it!

Fantastic-good for you! Can I ask what you do now?

The holidays are the only thing keeping me here at the moment but I would gladly give them up for the right job.

[rosesinmygarden]

I left 18 months ago and now work self employed as a private tutor and educational writer. I also do the occasional morning of supply.

I don't miss the holidays but I do miss the certainty of a pay check! I had to leave for my own mental health and I am fortunate to have a dh who brings in more than I did teaching.

I turn over more than I did when i was teaching and because I work from home I have few outgoings but I do have quiet times where I start to worry. Just having lunch with our new puppy so it's not all bad.

I've found the biggest challenge has been learning to manage my time and switch off. I've got much better at this and now have 'office hours' and plan a half a day each week where i wont work. I think if I ever decide to return to teaching, I'd probably be less stressed if I could keep that up.

[Passportpacked]

I left earlier this year after 14 years teaching. It's only now looking back that I actually realise the impact it had on my mental health. I now finally have a clear head and can enjoy holidays, days out etc without that horrible feeling of dread in the back of my mind or constant worries about results and whether I was doing a good enough job. Money is a bit tighter but luckily I had some savings and I have found I have been spending a lot less than when I was working, cooking from scratch, buying and selling on ebay etc. I will need to go back to work so have been applying for jobs but at the moment I am enjoying having more time with my little boy and I am not too worried about losing the holidays. We have granparents close by and will juggle the childcare. I think having a happy mummy all year round will make up for possibly not having the holidays off. It was a massive decision to leave but 100% the right one.

[Rathkelter]

Good for you @passportpacked. Where do you think you'll look for jobs?

[cdtaylornats]

If you expect to work 9 to 5 and have a lunchtime entirely free from work you are unlikely to make that much money.

[likeafishneedsabike]

I left when DS1 was a babe and only returned when both DC were in upper primary. Although they were lean years financially (only hourly paid work for about 8 years) I don’t regret it. Without any wider family support we just couldn’t handle the stress. Being a returner is a whole world of challenge but, like most things, it comes down to being in the right school. I’m happy and glad that I didn’t spend the baby/toddler/infant years in a fog of stress and time poverty. There’s plenty who manage incredibly well, but everyone’s circumstance is slightly different and we weren’t up to/for it.

[gognok]

Yes I left to return to a previous career. I knew after 2 days I had made the wrong decision. I lasted 13 weeks then had a year of supply teaching before going back into a proper contract. Been back 3 years now with no regrets at all

[Girasole02]

Left 3 years ago, after 18 years, and do supply. Turn up, teach, go home. Regrets? None whatsoever apart from not doing it sooner

[LittleAndOften]

I left when I had DS1. I wasn't enjoying teaching (well, all the crap beyond the classroom which is the biggest part of the job these days) and I'd given it 15 years. I miss having colleagues and conversation, I had trouble finding my new identity as it had always been tied to my job, but I don't regret leaving.

I'm now working part time as a freelance copywriter and trying to build the business (I also do English tuition and exam marking). If I can make it work long term, it will fit in perfectly with parenting (ds2 due in 4 weeks) as it's flexible and I get a good hourly rate.

There are non-teaching education sector jobs for good pay that I see advertised from time to time, but they all would have involved a childcare headache for me so I'm sticking to this for now.

[tulippa]

I left school teaching six months ago and can't see myself going back to it. Not having summer hols felt a bit weird but was doable - I took week two and week six off if that makes sense and it was ok. I would have worked at least two of those weeks anyway.

Having my evenings and weekends properly off more than makes up for it. Also things like being able to attend a hospital appointment with DS with minimal hassle to get the time off is great. And I get to finish at 11.30am on Fridays.

New wage is slightly more than I was on at school. So no regrets.

[GrimalkinsCrone]

I miss the money. That’s it, really. I don’t mind the swap, at least now I like and enjoy the life I have after 30 years in the classroom. I sleep at night and have evenings and weekends free. That’s worth penny-pinching