Best thing(s) about being an ex-teacher?

[Youshouldbestrongerthanme]

I left the profession about 18 months ago after 21 years of service.
I met up with an ex-colleague today and she remarked upon how well I look - like a weight has been lifted.
And that's exactly how I feel!
So for me, the best thing has been the positive impact on my mental health - for myself, my husband, and my three kids (5, 15, 18) ❤️

The absolute best thing is staying in bed until lunchtime during the first week in September. No tedious inset days, no induction days, no lesson planning, no marking, no form lists or seating plans or SEND adjustments, no department meetings, no exam result analysis, no tarting up classroom displays, just turn off the alarm clock, turn on the radio, and pour another cup of coffee. (And I absolutely loved my job right up to retirement.)

Not being verbally abused multiple times every day.
Being able to use the toilet and make a drink at work whenever I want.
Not putting in 25+ hours a week in unpaid.
Not being undermined by SLT.
Not using my own money for resources.
Not being asked to have ‘restorative conversations’ with children who had made sexual remarks or threatened violence against me.
Not having to listen to Paul Dix.
Not having the Sunday scaries.

rant over

Not using my own money to buy resources, fruit and things like spare tights and socks

Not being screamed at by parents whose child wouldn't POSSIBLY have done that

Not dreading waking up in the morning

Not crying almost every day

Not feeling guilty for doing something that isn't related to work

I can go out into town when it is not ridiculously busy

I can go to different places for cheaper rates, because I don't have to go in the school holidays

I don't dread the sound of my own surname, when you get children constantly wanting your attention and saying, "Miss X! Miss X! Miss X!"

I do not feel like I'm baking in an overheated classroom full of other sweaty bodies

I see natural daylight more than once a week on Tuesdays during playground duty

I don't have to feign cursive handwriting at all times, or penalise children for not using it. Quite frankly, as long as their handwriting was legible, I didn't really care!

I don't have to enforce peer massage. I mean, I'd hate it, too!

I don't have to endure observations.

My physical and mental health is SO much better!

Being able to pee when I want
Being able to make a drink when I want
Not having my time wasted because SLT won't just say "don't be ridiculous" to either some parent demands / complaints / requests, or the many, many ridiculous OFSTED demands.
Being able to say 'yes' to going out somewhere in the evening or at the weekend without stressing over not getting the hours of unpaid work done.
Not having to choose which ridiculous SLT pet project to challenge this month

Overall I'd sum it up by saying getting some autonomy over my life back.

I'm leaving at the end of this academic year after 15 years and I cannot wait! I don't care if I'm poor or jobless after this, I will be free. Free to do whatever I want when I want! I'm already making plans for what I'm going to do with all my free evenings come July 😁. And booking a term time holiday just because I can.

I'm retired rather than ex, IYSWIM, and after 43 years I relish the freedom of Sundays.
The last 16 years were spent teaching in Melbourne, a tonic after the UK, though they're catching up with the batshittery admin overload. I only had one lesson plan looked at in my entire time. Oh, and no inspections: the union saw them off years ago.

This!

I left over 4 years ago now. Best things are hybrid working, being trusted by my employer, having more time for my kids, taking a day off in term time if needed. Can’t believe I wasted 12 years of my life doing it tbh

Love these - good to see it's not just me that felt this way (I guess because at first there is a little guilt for making the decision to leave knowing how things are at the moment in education).
I am going away IN TERM-TIME for a few days with my husband in May and this literally be the first time in my 45 years I've been away on school days!! 😆 We couldn't have afforded an abroad holiday otherwise so looking forward to it.

I feel like a different person since leaning teaching.

No spending most of Sunday getting ready for the week ahead.

No 6am alarms and rushing to get ready and out within an hour of so.

No 7.30-6pm days will no breaks, eating sandwiches which you mark and feeling guilty for needing to pop to the loo a couple of times.

No pointless staff meetings, irrelevant INSET days, parents’ evenings, PTA events, lesson observations, learning walks, performance management meetings, working walls, displays, reports, pointless form filling, answering endless emails, CPOMS, subject leadership, dressing up days, residential trips, buying all resources needed for your classroom…

Yes to no working for odious SLT (I know not all are but most of the people I’ve been unfortunate enough to be lined up managed by were.)

Teaching is all take, take, take with no give. Your own children, aging parents, health and well-being all suffer. I’m happy to give up the wonderful pension to have a happy life now (especially as there are no guarantees.)

I’m now a tutor and earn more than when I was a teacher and I’m working way less!

I wish I’d left years ago too but to be fair it did used to be a lovely job. It’s only in relatively recent years that it’s become all consuming I feel.

Just loved being in the classroom (secondary MFL) - the kids made me laugh every day - and also really enjoyed the lesson planning, but couldn’t stand the useless SLT. For me was a second career after being in business and would have stayed on to see my classes through, but my financial advisor told me I was mad to keep working on a relentless slog when I don’t have an infinite healthy active lifetime..

I got the book Teacher to Tutor and made the move, I absolutely love being in control of my own life! Self employment is all about autonomy, I choose when to work and what hours, it’s just so much better!

And a hugely emphatic yes to the term time holidays too!