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.

Civil Service is quite common. I also know teachers who have moved into LA advisory teacher roles, private tutoring & charity work.

I think people need to consider the sectors they want to move into and the effect the pandemic will have on funding for posts. eg someone mentioned about being a librarian. I've been a librarian for over 20 years, and I've seen the number of jobs advertised dwindle to almost nothing. Everyone is aware of the plight of public libraries.
University libraries (where I've also worked) have not recruited that regularly for a long time now, and they are downgrading roles to try and save money. Who knows what will happen post-pandemic?

I'm currently working in a secondary school so I know exactly what you're all saying about the stresses of teaching because I see first hand what it involves. However, I do think it's the education system as a whole that's the issue - the accountability, never being good enough, constant changes of policy etc and that is slowly seeping into other roles, as is the issues around behaviour etc. My job isn't very safe I don't think but to be honest if I were made redundant I wouldn't be too upset. The job has changed a LOT in the last 10 years and is no longer very enjoyable for lots of reasons. Possibly just the school but it's probably moot as there are no school librarian jobs coming up now at all and haven't been for ages, unless you're able to travel hundreds of miles away and set up home somewhere else. School librarians are getting made redundant or retiring and the post isn't replaced.

So I'm another one in my mid 40s and looking to retrain but it's really fecking hard at this age to fund it when you have kids looking at going to university and nearly every bloody job seems to have gone graduate only rather than starting low and working your way up, with training further along. My degree was in information and library management so very niche. At least those of you who are secondary teachers will have your subject specialism to help you.

I meant to add, one of the humanities teachers at my school went to work for a children's charity. Another one left to return to uni and do architecture (they did supply to fund their way through it and took a lodger I think). Another one just left and is using their maths to do something to do with data for a business, working from home.

Interesting thread!
Online tutoring seems a viable option to consider, or EFL teaching online? Post Covid I think there will be far more acceptance of online tuition.

Back at uni retraining in speech and language therapy - bloody love it.

I used to work in a University as a Library Assistant (now called Information Assistant).

Quite a few of the other staff were trained teachers who didn't want to work as teachers, or had degrees.

@Volcanoexplorer digital media. Basically not even slightly related to teaching. It feels like I’m living a whole other life.

Apart from the money there are definitely elements I miss. Teaching is a job unlike any other, it’s wonderful. But sadly there are too many external pressures that change the whole meaning of it.

I left just over a year ago and set up as a childminder. I still work term time only and only part time at the moment but if I had taken on all the enquiries I have had I could be on very similar money to teaching if not more.

Following the answers with interest as a teacher of nearly 25 years. Sick to the back teeth of this government and if they bring in longer days and shorter holidays, things in schools will be dreadful for the poor kids-I would want no part of it.

@CoffeeWithCheese

Back at uni retraining in speech and language therapy - bloody love it.

I would love to do this-is it a whole new 3-year undergrad degree? Is it the full whack of student loads as well?

Can I ask those that are doing online tutoring now or know people who are... are you doing it through an agency or organisation or do work entirely for yourself?

I would highly recommend going into Human Resources, specifically specialising in learning and development. Check out the CIPD and maybe start with a Level 3 qualification. You can start doing it part time while teaching and then start applying to jobs. The salaries often start low but very quickly progress and your prior teaching/life experience is considered a real asset! Less holidays of course but HR roles have much better work/life balance!

A friend at work was a teacher. She's now an HGV driver :)

30 years teaching, massive breakdown now work for national history based charity. Earn a lot less money but love it. Peace of mind, no stress and good mental health cannot be underestimated.

@Appuskidu there's either the masters route or the 3 year undergrad one - yes eligible for student loans and the training grant as it's a healthcare profession course.

I left after 14 years in primary last year and I'm currently training to be a children's social worker. Yes it's stressful but nowhere near as stressful as my last 3 teaching jobs! It will have taken me 2 years and I'll go in on only a few thousand a year less than I left teaching. It seems much more flexible and I have got a full bursary to retrain so although I'm not earning (there are routes like teach first where you can but not in my area) I'm not paying to retrain either.

I worked in schools for 20 years. Then moved into a niche vulnerable children education for a charity.

I now work for a charity in an entirely different sort of role. It's a doddle. Less holiday, but don't notice the impact as I only work part time so always have a few days off even if don't take annual leave for the school holidays.

Amazing work home life balance. Plus they throw in additional leave for our wellbeing equivalent to an extra 9 days annual leave on top meaning that I have the equivalent of 2/3 of the teaching holidays with none of the holiday planning and classroom preparation I would have had!

I’ve gone from middle leadership to cover supervisor.... great daily rate from my school and have had a few years/terms where I’ve taken on teaching posts to cover long term absence etc. All within one school.... all the benefits of teaching but without the stress. My first two years were hell but now I’m settled in the school I love it. I’ve been offered teaching posts in other schools but have turned them down as I’m on to quite a good thing. I have an incredibly supportive head and I’ve worked in lots of Aole’s so good relationships with all department.

Love that some people are recommending speech and language - we've got 3 ex teachers in my SALT team.
My brother gave up teaching and works for a tutor agency now - work comes and goes but he enjoys it a lot more!

Civil service. I am soooooo much happier.

Taught primary for 8 years in outer London. Been in the civil service for nearly 3 years now. Work life balance so much better and colleagues are much much nicer!

@CoffeeWithCheese

Back at uni retraining in speech and language therapy - bloody love it.

Me too!

I’m late 50’s and going for ill health retirement. I can’t wait to get out.

I first started teaching in the mid 90’s. It was fun then, and was actually about teaching.

Now it’s about such shit. Accountability, constant drive to improve. Most teachers are hard workers and do the job because they want to teach. But the actual teaching has dwindled to about 10%. The rest of the job is 90% unescessary and pointless stress.

Imo if you like the kids, and like your subject, then your a good teacher. The rest is irrelevant. Teaching comes from the heart, not from trying to force a pointless corporate framework into public services.

left teaching after 22 years. Went into pastoral work and do some tutoring online. I have a much better life balance, my mental health is loads better and I now love my job - something I had been unable to say for many years due to the stress and pressure. Less well paid of course - all worth it.

I went PT when I had DD five years ago but have slowly crept up to nearly full time again. I’ve asked to go back down to 0.4 next year with a view to having some time to sort out a career change.

I love the kids but I cannot continue to let my job be the abusive relationship in my life.

I would also point out that when I joined my department 4 years ago almost everyone had over ten years teaching experience.

As of next year we will have two NQTs and four RQTs (which is almost half the department) so many experienced teachers have left in the last two years. Anecdotally friends are reporting similar patterns at their schools.