To stop teaching but what else to do?

[Ispini]

Hi all
I have been teaching for over twenty years and used to love it. I’ve worked abroad for several years and have worked in a variety of schools including SEN which I loved. The last SEN school I worked in was a very long commute but I enjoyed every day despite the long drive each way.
I got an opportunity to work in a mainstream school nearby and took the job and tbh I am totally miserable! The staff are judgmental and bitchy and I so miss the comradery of my last school where everyone just pulled together.
Should I stick it out or try to go back to my last school. I do work for an agency and I know they want me to stay where I am but I’m a real mess just thinking of going in tomorrow.
Any x teachers out there who have left the profession? What do you do now? I just can’t see myself doing anything else but at the moment I’m struggling to even face work in the morning. It just seems that if it’s not bad behaviour from kids, it the staff and in this case that’s the situation. I’m constantly been berated by certain TAs who have been in the school for years and seem to think they run the show. The curriculum and lessons are extremely prescriptive, there’s no flexibility at all, it’s all really robotic and not the way I teach at all! I’m under financial pressure to keep working, obviously like everyone. Just sounding off really.
Any x teacher success stories out there? I’d love some inspiration.

I would get yourself on the facebook page - Life after Teaching - Exit the classroom and thrive. Amazing support group and lots of v useful advice. You are not alone. Post on there - can do it anonymously.

I taught science for 13 years and now retraining as a pharmacist. Best decision I made. No regrets about leaving at all.

I left a 14 year career in teaching (primary with literacy and SEN specialisms). I moved into HE as a study skills tutor supporting students with SpLDs. I already had the dyslexia teaching quals necessary. Five years on and I'm half way through my PhD and I've just secured my next post as Learning Adviser (academic skills developer) - my dream job.

I love working in HE and it's a different world to school teaching. I would recommend looking at vacancies near you on jobs.ac.uk in professional or support services at universities. Just see what's out there.

I've never been a teacher but my advice would always be to look at your transferable skills - having a background in teaching means you have many!! You need not necessarily stay in teaching, if you did perhaps you could do private tuition? A couple of ex teachers I know have gone into areas like copy-writing.

DH transferred into the DfE and had never looked back. Loves his work/life balance. Loves that he does his job, shuts down the computer and it's done til tomorrow. Loved the benefits of flexitime and wfh some of the week.

A friend retrained to teach EFL and really enjoys it. Still teaching, but nothing like the hassle.

Thank you for your reply, I’ll be on that first thing while on the train. 👍🏻

Replies even!

You could do:
Tutoring and mentoring
SEN support as cover/supply.
If you loved your old school, you could go back there

If you want a change using transferable skills you could work in the public or private sector as a training officer. Look up public speaking jobs on Indeed in your area. Lots of interesting things come up and the job specs fit with teacher skillsets

You have been aboard, and are skilled , what about the intelligence services ?

• Be a private tutor.
• Teach in higher education college/university
• Be a training facilitator in the corporate world or public services (NHS). A lot of jobs out there ask for people with teaching qualifications and train you up on what you you’d be training others on.

Life’s too short to be in a job that you are miserable in. The world really is your oyster.

Thank you everyone for some very useful suggestions that I never thought of. Will do some research today.

If you enjoyed your job until you started at this school, it doesn't sound like you should leave the profession. Just leave the school,

I was a secondary teacher for nearly a decade
Ended up hating it
Grubby conditions
No loo breaks
Aways getting the blame from shitty parents
Shitty kids

I left and worked for an exam board for around 5 years and now I work in a university setting looking after our students in a department and all of their programmes etc recruitment of students
I worked hard to get where I am
Its a much better job and I love it
I manage my own timetable
I have such satisfaction in my role
Its not boring like teaching and never repetitive
I also don't get shit all the time
I travel the world with my job and the opportunities are endless
Working for an exam board really helped bridge the teaching to the University gap
I miss the classroom but not enough to ever go back
If you can teach you really can do lots of things
I would expect to take a pay cut to begin with but look at roles in HE exam boards even if it seems like a temp, dmin role its the experience on your cv

Have you tried this board?
www.mumsnet.com/talk/mature_students
Lots of people asking for advice on taking a new direction. Maybe some stories will inspire you.

What do you want to do? Do that. I left teaching and it's the best thing I have done for my sanity