If you’ve left teaching what do you do now?

[Volcanoexplorer]

Just that really. I’ve been teaching for 15 years. I’m currently part-time working as head of Geography in a secondary school. After Gavin’s latest ‘possibly’ on Andrew Marr this morning I’m seriously considering a career change. I enjoy the teaching part and I’m really good at it, but it is becoming clearer every day that the government think of teachers as robots and not actual people. This isn’t a thread about the current situation or an opportunity for more teaching bashing (so walk on by and post on one of the hundreds of other threads). I genuinely would really like to know what other people have done if they’ve left teaching. Thanks very much.

My sister left teaching and trained as a nurse, she’s now going to go back to teaching (for now) and definitely wouldn’t recommend a change in that direction.

Seriously considering either going to a 5 term year with shorter holidays (e.g summer) or longer school days. There’s no money is there so we’ll probably be asked to do this with no extra pay. How on earth would they afford to pay everyone their hourly rate?

What direction, Toelope? Back to teaching, or from teaching to nursing?

I work for a charity doing similar work to the non teaching part of my job before - e.g working with families. I’m paid a bit less, but also it’s a far more flexible job. If I had been UPS it would have been harder.

I was a primary teacher.

@Parentpower20 thanks that’s interesting. Maybe something to look into.

I left and retrained. I now earn considerably less but I have my life back.

@SatsumasOrClementines yes, this is definitely part of it. I don’t mind working hard, but I’m just so miserable at the moment. Would you mind saying what is it you retrained in?

I still feel giddy years later at the start of term when I am not having to go back to school! Sad really as I loved many aspects of my job (which are the parts I still do!).

Another thing to mention is that I get a lot less holidays in theory (6 weeks rather than 13). But in reality it feels like I get more because so many of the ‘holidays’ were spent working or feeling guilty if I wasn’t working.

Not a teacher myself, but I have a couple of friends who have left teaching. One works for a charity that provides services for vulnerable young people. The other works in university admin. Both earn less than they did as teachers, but they have a better work/life balance. They seem happy.

I'm in a similar position to you, I've been teaching 18 years but simply can't give any more than I already do.
There are lots of opportunities for care work in my local area and I think I would be well suited to that.

I've been teaching 19 years. Fed up of feeling like everyone hates us when I work so fucking hard. Need a way out

Fed up of feeling like everyone hates us when I work so fucking hard.

Not everyone @hedgehogger1. Some of us really do appreciate how hard you are all trying. My dd's teachers are amazing. I'm sure you are too.

SAHM. It turned out that DS1 has SENs and was miserable having to use wrap around care.

I am likely to return to supply in a few years when chikdcare is no longer an issue. I left while I still had a love of teaching... although I'm under no illusions about the admin that took over and ruined the job.

I have a friend who left teaching 18 months ago, she set herself up tutoring online from home. She’s done amazingly well. Good tutors here are like gold dust, waiting lists are typically 2-3 years!

I was thinking, I’ll just reduce my contract if they extend the school day. So become 0.7 or whatever works. If I can’t, I think that will be the end of my teaching career. I have no more hours to give, physically or emotionally.

I don’t know how they’ll afford to pay for these extra hours though, when you consider the tiny pay rise in the NHS.

Quite a few have gone into tutoring , I'm in London, and there is good money to be made. Quite common for GCSE / A Level to charge £60+ per hour, and good primary tutors can charge £40+.
One friend, who was a secondary language teacher, does a mix of small group adult language courses (mainly to retired people) and tutoring. She has done really well throughout lockdown.
Another friend, who was early years based, did toddler drop in groups. Affluent area, had a couple of cafes she would work in. Cafe would get customers, she would get around 20 parents paying her £10 for an hour, she would provide resources - different groups going - music / singing / art / drama. Her DC were in school, so would work around that. Lockdown has affected her.
Two others went into charity sector, one supporting vulnerable young adults, another providing training to schools.
I know some who have retrained and gone into IT / accountancy.

I worked as a supply teacher for many years following a career break to bring up my children. I was originally an art teacher, but localish art jobs rarely come up hence I stuck to supply as it suited family life.
Over the years supply work really diminished and I needed a regular income so I started applying for activity coordinator jobs in care homes.
I now have a permament position mainly working in Dementia Services. It is not something I would have ever considered or seen myself doing. The saving grace is that it enables me to do albeit limited creative work but the challenge of the job is obviously what can you do with individuals who have no capabilities whatsoever.
The hours can be flexible, but I do not think this type of role would suit someone with a young family. Although luckily I avoid evening and weekend work as my job is partime.
Most jobs out of teaching seem to require weekend work, especially the NHS.
I will never get used to the shorter holidays either.

I was a secondary English teacher for 7 years. I left and retrained to be a paediatric Speech and Language Therapist.

It wasn't easy, especially financially - it took 3 years to retrain (and no financial support anything like the teaching salary), and I very much had to start my career from scratch. I earned less than 20 grand a year for the first few years of my career - it's only since I was promoted to band 6 (equivalent to UPS) that I began to earn anything near what I earned as a teacher (I still earn less than I did in teaching and I left 8 years ago!)

I know a few other escapees - a couple of tutors, a learning support at a university, and someone who now works in public health.

I wouldn't go back to teaching if they doubled the salary, to be honest! The NHS comes with its own set of difficulties, but I work my hours and go home and that's it. I love that after so many years of 50-60 hour weeks.

Left 4 years ago, now a probation officer

I think teaching is such a bind isnt it. Its so hard to jump from into anything well paid.

I keep thinking of the threads on here where people think 50k is a low salary or their kids have high paid jobs within a few years and think how tricky it is to move into that world at 40. Yet many of us have very good degree(s) and are very academic etc.

Many friends have ended up in "women's jobs" or small part time jobs- council admin, TAs, adult ed etc. Its so hard to jump into a world you don't know and without experience etc.

The only options seem to be requalifying but again inpublic sector such as OT/s and L /social worker which for many people is what they want to escape.

Thanks everyone. As I expected, pretty varied.

I’m sorry so many of you are feeling the same as me. Burnt out, with no more to give. @Flipflops85 I don’t think they can afford to pay us more, which is why I think they’ll just change our contracts and expect us to work more hours for no more money.

Im genuinely considering working in a library. £10 an hour so nothing like teaching.

10 years ago I wanted to retrain as an ed psych . I feel I've really missed the boat for a career change now.

I hope I can help my children to choose better!