AIBU to feel ready to retire from teaching at 46?

[ismsoboredofit]

I’m 46; been teaching since I was 22 although part time for the last few years.

I have realised I am absolutely bored to tears of it but I am struggling to think what else I could realistically do (I know civil service is always suggested on leaving reaching but I’m not interested in this at all and that’s the main thing suggested on the Facebook group.£

I do have a few ideas but the actual logistics of it wouldn’t be possible until my child is older. Sometimes I think I should just leave anyway but that feels a bit foolish. However, I have no enthusiasm or interest now.

When can I retire?

You don’t need to think of it as retiring as such seeing as you’re thinking about getting another job? I left teaching and found an alternative job quickly. Teaching is a well respected qualification.

I didn’t leave teaching because I was bored - I left because I was exhausted. I think if you’re just bored, there can sometimes be things you can do to reignite your professional curiosity such as training. But you may be past that point… You just have to do what’s right for you

Of course you're not unreasonable to want to change jobs.
I work within teaching and it can be brutal at times. Kids these days are just so rude, entitled, lazy. Obviously the lovely, polite and enthusiastic children make it worthwhile.

@ismsoboredofit I love your username! Waiting for the inevitable “how can you possibly be bored, I’m always so busy…” I too got bored of teaching. I was very very busy but fuck me it was dull! Even with the variety of the day in secondary school. I likened it to housework, always there and plenty of it but seriously boring!

I think start looking now for new careers unless you can afford to retire properly. I made a decision that if I was back in my classroom the following September something was very wrong. The self-imposed deadline really focussed my mind and I got out. Still in education but not the classroom.

If you can afford it find a proper career coach and book a few sessions with them. There’s a register on www.thecdi.net

@PoliteSquid thats exactly what it is. Too long I think.

Problem is anything I would be interested in isn’t possible due to childcare so I feel stuck until DC is older!

I admire you for staying so long and always think it's a shame to lose any one in that profession, but i'm not blind to the fact that teaching has changed very much over the years.

When my DC were at school their were kids then that just pushed and pushed teachers to their limits knowing their parents had their backs no matter what they did and I suspect things have only got and will continue to get worse.

When can I retire?

Do you not need to stay for a full pension?

I’m in the private sector and will need to work until I’m 60 at least.

To he honest that doesn’t bother me much. I don’t have much to do with parents anyway. It’s just I am struggling to feel any real enthusiasm. And even if I do show it the kids aren’t interested which makes me lose interest too.

If I wanted a full pension I’d need to stay until I’m 60. I don’t know if I’ve got fourteen years left in me though!

I'm leaving. I'm early 50s.

The workload at my school increased hugely over the last couple of years with a new HT who, due to inexperience/incompetence has introduced a lot of unnecesary 'busy work' and micromanagement.

I have also found the increased uniformity and micromanagement around lesson planning stifling and am becoming bored too. It has just stopped being intellectually stimulating which is a really sad thing to say about a professional career in education!

My plan is to go into EOTAS tutoring or become a Forest School Leader. Ideally combining the two. Which would give me the intellectual stimulation and professional opportunities to apply my skills and expertise properly. I hope...

Presumably you'll look for another job, not to retire?

I think that's fine at any age, really.

I can connect to being a stuck in a job that suits your family that you might not have stayed in otherwise, what helped me was realizing it wasn't forever, and that I was making a choice to be there.

Is there any capacity to move schools or alter your work life in another way? Teach a different year group, switch around your responsibilities?

Otherwise, maybe look at how you can enjoy parts of your life outside work more to compensate.

Ideally I wouldn’t @Stompythedinosaur but anything I would want to do would be impossible so I need to wait … but by the time I’m an age where it’s possible I’d be near retirement anyway!

Can you afford to retire?

If you mean do another jo of course you can go for it.

I'm the same age as you, 46 seems very young to be considering retirement to me! Any chance there's a health element to how you're feeling? Thyroid, low mood, anything? You sound exhausted!

I probably am! Maybe it will get better as DD is older. At the moment I feel like work is way down the list of priorities. I just don’t care, and it’s not a good job to be in if you don’t care.

If you're interested in still working with young people, how about qualifying as a counsellor? I work with alot of ex-teachers who moved into this in their 40s. More flexibility, less stress etc

I’d be terrible! I’m a sympathetic person but more in the ‘let’s help practically’ way.

Haha well there are advice / student services roles in all colleges/FE/Universities and for some charities too!

Do you teach a subject/ stage where private tuition is an option? That's what I did, it's still sort of teaching but much more flexible.

Oh wow, are you me? Same age and same feeling. It’s worse this year than it’s ever been in terms of students just not being interested (and I teach a subject they have to pass).

I came into teaching after the pension changes so I have to keep going for another 20 years to get a decent pension.

I’m looking at advisory jobs or ones working with ECTs, ITT etc. Definitely don’t want to leave teaching but definitely need a break/change!

What subject do you teach/ was the subject of your degree?

She won't be able to get the Teachers Pension for a long time.

You want to retire at 46? That’s very young.

Can you afford it?

What will you do for the next 40 years?

If you hate your job so much just find another one. But you’re young to retire!

Correct

Why does childcare make it impossible?

You can use some childcare for the school holidays

What would you like to do? How old is DD?
Are you a single parent?