To ask ex teachers for advice?

[desperateteacher]

I am a very experienced teacher looking to exit the profession. I detest it. There was a time not too long ago when I felt I was doing a good job and had clear career progression, but the last six months I have been bullied mercilessly and my confidence is at rock bottom. That, combined with the state of education (no budget for necessities in schools - I’m talking glue sticks, exercise books and supply teachers to cover, erosion of time to fulfill the extensive requirements of the role and an increasing number of SEND needs) and I’m looking to get out. My question is what can I do?

I’m after practical advice and pointers; I’m well aware what transferable skills we have, but where do I find these jobs? Has anyone left the classroom successfully and what did you do? I’d love some success stories to stop me spiralling! And without meaning to offend, I’m not really after stories of ECTs leaving the profession and starting again, because I’m nearly 40 with a salary of nearly 50k!

My friend actually mentioned this before!!

I honestly couldn’t be less cut out for something! I’m one of those people who is good at their job through sheer drive and the need to do their best rather than some altruistic motive! I couldn’t cope with the chaos I’m afraid!

From working with some ex-teachers and later interviewing some, I have strongly noticed a certain way of operating that doesn't particularly suit the type of roles that need to work with other adults closely in offices. It sounds trite, but I think teachers get used to being "the authority" much of the time and can find it a bit tricky to understand how to operate as part of a team. Skills to do tasks are generally fine, it's really all the soft skills (and even understanding the importance of those soft skills) that let them down. It may be useful to do something like a Presence & Impact or similar communications training course before applying, to avoid the risk of alienating people before you even get through the interview. A bit of humility separating things you've done from things with slight similarities will help at interviews too.

I hear CS mentioned so often but every job I see seems to need very specific experience.

Ah, I'm sorry, I don't know any providers in that region. Good luck in whatever you decide to do. It's such a shame that experienced staff like you are leaving what used to be the best job in the world.

You just have to apply, even if you don't quite meet all the criteria. I didn't even understand the role I went for or what it would be doing, but I still got the job 🙂

Look at 'Miss Moore No More' on Instagram. She posts potential jobs and links to websites which people could leave teaching and do on a similar salary.

I'm not a consultant. I'm on teachers pay and conditions but go into schools and train staff on deaf Awareness and do 1:1 interventions with pupils who have a hearing loss. We have similar teachers in our council working with pupils with vision impairments, physical disabilities, communication difficulties.
I had no SEN training, just applied and then trained while on-the-job. In the past few years we've employed about 8 new teachers, so tend to have 2 or 3 jobs going a year.

Is there any chance of a deal to get out..?..I took redundancy after 27 years in an fe college, mostly enjoyed my time there but new evil toxic management almost led me to quit but i hung on and got money, now do gardening and part time tutoring, huge pay cut but the pay off cushions me until i collect the small pension as went part time to cope....not sure what i would like to do...good luck.

Would you considered doing a postgraduate conversion degree/masters and moving into children's nursing/health visitor , social work or slt?....although, to be fair, they are probably all quite stressful jobs.

I keep seeing jobs for checking the AI being used to generate resources.
I don't recall the salary but think it was fairly low.
I do cover now. Support Staff salaries are abysmal.
I think the amount of SEND/undiagnosed SEND with no extra money for interventions is making the job untenable (not being disablist, my own children have additional needs).
I once jumped from teaching to ICT consultant. I also worked in recruitment for a Supply Agency. I've worked in Inclusion for a local playscheme. I've worked as a postal worker. I've worked in a Kindergarten. I've worked in Adult Education.
I've done tutoring and taught small groups privately.
You'll see jobs advertised on Indeed for online tutors in most subjects.
I've also done some school reception work, which I found easy and rewarding.
But at my age now (in my fifties) I think it may be too late to change career for me. I need term-time only work.
If I had more freedom and flexibility in my caring responsibilities, I'd probably be looking to apply for a GP receptionist role (different kind of stress/transferable skills like using databases/GDPR etc).
I think Museum/Gallery education is competitive and needs bespoke qualifications.
I've known people who have gone to work in Family Courts/retrained as Social Workers/specialised in Pastoral roles only/gone to work in retail (e.g. garden centres), become childminders, gone to work in admin roles at the local university/gone to work for the LA in different initiatives or returned to the career they had previously if they retrained as older teachers.
I think finding anything 25K or over, full-time, with career potential/progression is harder than you'd think.

I agree to a certain extent, there also many teacher Facebook groups where new-ish teachers are pretty much begging for pre written SoW.
I also think that they have been mis-sold the job in that the ads say its so rewarding with with teachers prancing about and going home at the end of the day with no work.
But as a plus side to what they are saying is that they won't take the shit, no lunches, always on cover etc.

You’re right. I always am aghast at anyone who chooses to go into the job now; it’s not so bad at the top of the payscale, secure in your specialism, and seasoned enough to not have to kill yourself all the time, but I can’t imagine going into it now. As an aside, Gen Z teachers are getting it right with their boundaries.