Job advice/leaving teaching...

[What3words]

I have the chance to leave my teaching type role and apply for a more managing type role. Its not as well paid as a full time teacher and does include line management but it's in a similar sector.

Does anyone want to help me weigh up the pros and cons?

A bit more money each month (as work all the school holidays etc)

An actual day off/not expected to routinely work evenings and weekends.

Work from home! I've never done this before! I assume this is a plus (lesson petrol/time to work but that varied from 20mins to 40mins depending on location)

Able to have more of a routine.

Easier to move into other roles ie at the council that require line management/admin skills.

BUT I'd miss some of my classes, and miss the holidays (obviously) although I could work from home and keep an eye on my teens, just can't take them out.

Any thoughts?!

If you work from home, I thought that as long as the work gets done, you can be flexible, so could make it fit round family life better. Zoom or Teams meetings would be fixed, I suppose.

Teaching is in such crisis now that if you have the chance to try something else, I would.

Evening freedom is a massive plus.

Make sure your pension is protected.

Go for it, left teaching in 2021, for a wfh role, took a paycut but in reality take home pay wasn't that different and the pace and work life balance was definitely worth it. I did miss getting out of the house, so have recently started a hybrid role, 2x a week in the office. I still work in an educational role. No regrets and I'll never go back to school roles.

Thanks both of you.

My pensions a bit rubbish - have taught part time a lot. Leaving teacher pension which I know isn't great but there is a pension scheme at the new place.

It does appear to be more flexible around zoom meetings.

There's a couple of classes I will really miss delivering. And I do get a "buzz" from teaching when it goes well. But also the idea of routine beckons.

I will need to be self motivated working at home I guess? I did think I'd have to make myself get up and stretch as I am quite sedentary and if I don't drive to venues /work from home that could get worse!

Id be able to organise my own time.

Obviously I don't actually have the job. And it's not amazing pay but it would be a different challenge. It would build on the experience I've gained as a teacher.

I keep a routine, get up and do a workout and then ready to turn on my laptop at 9. I work at the dining table, so at 5, everything gets put away to make space. I do regular teams meetings so look presentable on top, jogging bottoms or leggings usually on though! Mine are teens, the good thing is you can stretch leave, I often take 1/2 days or long weekends and can actually take leave for my birthday 🥳

I do quite like the idea that I could put everything away at the end of the day.

At the moment I have teaching files and resources all over our kitchen!

Will you definitely not have to work evenings/weekends? All the senior managers I know seem to put lots of extra hours in. Wfh depends on how sociable you are, can be quite isolating. How much holiday will you get?

It's a manager rather than senior manager. And less pay than main pay scale teacher - just not a school job!

I might find it a bit isolating when I'm used to the "buzz" of classes. And possibly have to actively leave the house... although kids/life etc.

And a clear day off a week will be new so can make sure I get out.

I think it applies to managers as well depending on the company you work for, a lot of jobs have extra hours attached tbh, is there anyone who can tell you about the general ethos of the company?
sometimes the grass is greener, sometimes not, the only way to find out is to try

Yes - although people sometimes do work a bit exta evenings and weekends aren't routinely required. (Hence being part of the appeal!)

My pensions a bit rubbish - have taught part time a lot. Leaving teacher pension which I know isn't great but there is a pension scheme at the new place.

If the role is with the council (with you referencing moving into other council roles) then don't worry about this: the local government pension scheme is better than the teacher pension scheme.

OP, have you seen the Facebook group called Life After Teaching- Exit the Classroom and Thrive? Lots of good advice and people in similar situations to yourself. You can post anonymously.

Thanks will have a look. Like with any jib move it's a huge leap when you're comfortable in the one you're in!

I moved from teaching HE into instructional design. I WFH. Advantages in cost savings are petrol and lunches. Flexibility with my time to pick up teens from the station etc.
Career progression also nice. Personally I earn about 25% more.
I don't work weekends but do work long hours so that I can do half days as and when I need to. I do have an office at home and I bloody love having my own space.

I felt the same about a similar job change years ago. I said 'I will miss working with the kids'. A colleague raised her eyebrow and said 'do you miss them in the holidays?' Of course I didn't! That was nearly 25 years ago. She was right. Occasionally if I go into a school I kind of romanticise it and think it's where I belong. But that is ignoring the daily grind of it and in reality I haven't looked back. (I also love working from home tho and being able to keep on top of life as well as being in a quiet space.)

Left teaching from a .44 job to a full time job managing a charity shop in 2013 best thing I did. Money was about the same but even though went from part time to full time worked a lot less and got my Sundays back. 3 years later bought our own shop and now earn more than teaching but most of all I’m in control of my own destiny.

Really great to hear other people's experiences.

I think not being "on" when I'm teaching sessions and having some freedom over cups of tea/loo visits would also be great, being able to pace my working.

And the Sundays back would be amazing. And the evening getting everything ready the night before.

Yes interesting about missing in the holidays- It still feels a leap to jump out altogether!

I think there will be more flexibility for kids hospital appointments/nipping out to get them but don't yet know how much. I think as long as you do your hours overall it's okay.

It will be a shock going from lots of contact time to not seeing anyone at all - but they do chat on teams etc.

And yes to the "grind" of teaching.

I do have a tiny house. When I've googled wfh threads on here it seems lots of people have "offices" and "spare rooms".

I will firmly be in the kitchen... which might be tricky for the hour the kids come home after work. And maybe I'll need a better chair? I can shut the laptop at the end of the day though, and the room is currently full of teaching resources!

I think I might go for it. (Obviously I may not get the role anyway!)

I’ve left teaching and the improvement in my mental health and increase in my free time has been incredible. I left last July and will never ever return to the classroom.

I work for the Civil Service and love the flexibility of my new role. I can WFH up to 40% a week but I rarely do that because of the nature of my job. I work two evenings a week and finish at 9pm but on those days I start at 1pm so get the morning with my toddler. I was able to go to my eldest’s school concert without using annual leave or begging a head teacher by simply rearranging my hours a bit.

If you have the chance to escape, I couldn’t recommend it more.

I do have a tiny house. When I've googled wfh threads on here it seems lots of people have "offices" and "spare rooms".

My DH wfh all week so has a desk in the dining room. I sit on the sofa with my laptop on my lap. Not ideal but it’s only 1 day a week and I actually quite like it.

Just curious that you feel leaving teaching will give you more of a routine. I find teaching is heavily dependent on routine, from the lesson itself, to the timetabled week, to the predictable (if frenetic) rhythm of the academic year.

The routine is probably one of the things that keeps me in teaching, to be honest.

I was in managerial role prior to teaching and the late evening working was often unpredictable. I often worked at home too, and there was definitely am expectation that I would do so.

I know teaching is in a mess, but just make sure that you have a good idea of what office like can be like. I personally prefer the classroom.

Yes I see what you mean about structure. I currently teach in a variety of locations (not standard school teaching) and a variety of subjects and I often am planning sat am/sun eve or eve the night before...

So having a set 9-5/ 8-4/ whatever from home is currently appealing in term of routine. Having the time you "end work" rather than finishing prep for the next day.

I left teaching for a managerial role outside - education work in an arts org.

I hate it so much I’m going back to teaching in September.

I love the flexi hours and the opportunity to wfh, and being able to choose to take holidays when I like. I also love having a schedule during the day that’s up to me to decide rather than being ruled by a timetable. I will miss these things.

However I get no sense of fulfilment from my role - I don’t feel like I’m doing anything that matters. So much of my time is spent on pointless admin and dealing with internal politics that necessitates lengthy meetings about absolutely nothing. I work long hours and am expected to check emails into the evening and over the weekend. And I’m paid half of what I was paid as a teacher, with a terrible pension. Plus I miss the long holidays. Only having 25 days off a year is rubbish compared to the school holidays.

Teaching for me is my passion and my vocation, and I love my subject and get great joy and fulfilment from teaching it. I also love travelling so having those long stretches of holiday are really important to me.

The grass isn’t always greener. It depends on what is most important to you. The flexibility of an office role is great and if that is something you need more than anything else, then that’s a good reason to go for this other job. If you’re fed up with teaching and want a break, then go for the job. However if you still love teaching but you’re just feeling overworked and need a bit more work life balance, then I’d encourage you to go for a teaching role in the independent sector instead. I’ve always worked in independent schools (and will be going back to one) and it’s such a different experience to state. I never took work home in the evenings or weekends because my classes were small which reduces marking and I had plenty of time to plan during the day as I had so many free periods. You work long days but you can leave work at school once you leave at 6pm. And often the pay is much better too.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Thanks Enid. Yes that is the flipside. I do quite like my current classes and would miss the buzz from teaching - it was just that this role came up that suits me rather than I was desperately looking to leave at this moment.

I keep flipping back and forth! I might apply and swe how it goes.

Apply and go from there, imo. It sounds like the change will he an advantage to you and your family on the whole, so why not try?
My wife was a teacher her entire career but left about 2 years ago to retrain as a therapist. She hasn't looked back, although she still misses her classes from time to time. The rest of it she doesn't miss at all.