People who have left teaching - what job did you go on to do?

[SleepSleepSleepSleep]

My DH wants to leave teaching after 15 years teaching English at Secondary Schools. I am currently a SAHM but also qualified as a teacher but not sure I want to go back to it either.

The job is now more about inspections, targets, paperwork and not so much about the children. Discipline in many schools is sadly lacking and the so called 'good' schools have turned into sausage factories for exam success.

My question is - if you have left, what job did you go on to do and are you happier in your work now?

Catin I've PM'd you about being an NVQ assessor!

I've had it with teaching. The same as everyone else, it's the paperwork, OFSTED, being made to jump through hoops all the time, which used to be OK because I loved teaching and being with my classes, but this year, I've hated that too. I haven't had any time to plan, which has meant my classes have been crap, my relationship with the students has been crap as a result. I got my first ever grade 3 lesson observation after 17 years teaching and I just didn't care. It's just not worth being away from my children for any more. I can't think of anything I would love more than I loved teaching, so was looking for ideas. I am toying with the assessor route, and I currently do a bit of private tuition. I've applied for exam marking jobs with edexcel, and will look up some others with some other examining boards. I didn't want to burn all my bridges, but I feel like I need a break. Maybe I'll go back, if I was living out of a food bank maybe I won't.

Am on ipad at mo but will reply in morning when on laptop x

Another teacher who is planning a way out!

Stress at work was one factor of several which contributed to me becoming depressed this year and I've been off work for 6 weeks. I just cant go back to the 60 hour week and the overwhelming responsibility. I think I am managing to negotiate a temporary .6 small group and 1:1 position. It's not definite yet but if it works I just hope we can survive on the reduced income. Sanity more important. If not I think I will have to look elsewhere but I can see there will be a lot of competition... I feel it's sad because I only trained 7 years ago, already in my 40s.
Sending everyone sympathy hugs.

I was a primary teacher. I went back to uni to do a Masters degree, unrelated to teaching but related to my first degree (history). Can't say too much as it might 'out' me, but I now work in the Heritage sector. It's great but not spectacularly paid for your level of expertise. I muse about returning to teaching because of the pension. There is a possibility I could combine the two, but I know teaching PT eats into non teaching time/other commitments. Ho hum. Do not regret making the change but it was expensive to do a 2 yr MA, you need some savings!

I moved from mainstream to a specialist setting nearly ten years ago. The work-life balance is so much better, I get to properly work in a team and I get to know the children much more closely and can plan and teach from where they are rather than what the NC says their year group should be learning.

But you do need to be resilient, calm and consistent (amongst other things!)

I am in London.

metoo sorry to hear that and glad you may be doing something less stressful soon.

bigTilly what kind of specialist setting do you work in? DH was planning to apply to a PRU, either for a Teaching or TA role. I have worked for a term supply in a PRU and I liked it. A lot better than mainstream school. DH has never worked in a PRU but has been on supply in some pretty challenging schools and taught SEN pupils. I found the challenge of the behaviour in the PRU much easier to deal with than the typical badly behaved students in mainstream schools. I am not sure why that was - there were fewer of them and I was able to build up a relationship with them perhaps.

I'd been out of teaching since ds (dc2) was born as I had a pregnancy related illness and PND, and then dd2!

I'd actually gone back to uni and got a degree in theology - I don't have to work to survive as my dh is a GP! he was just so glad to see me not-depressed that going to study again was great.

I was volunteering at the charity I now work for as a tutor - and as part of that helped set up my family literacy groups. When the literacy project co-ordinator retired (the only employee in that area), I was asked to apply and got the job. The money is a pittance compared to teaching, but I'm so happy in my job, and supplement it with private tuition and marking.

I agree it's a lot of English teachers who seem to get discouraged. I wonder how much that's the marking load? I wasn't an English teacher, my subject is Geography, and I sometimes miss that - I do love my subject, but the admin, especially as a PT (in Scotland, I think that's usually HoD in England?) was crushing. Funnily enough, I have an admin role now both in my job (record keeping and fundraising) and in my voluntary work (the same!!). But they don't stress me out. I love the buzz of a successful funding application!

My dd1 has been able to choose history at school because (1) she hates the Geog teacher and (2) I'm skipping a whole exam level and teaching her at home - she's been able to read an OS map since she was 4, so might as well get the benefit!!

I had a breakdown and while recovering I saw an advert from my company seeking volunteer mentors for young offenders. My CV was spotted and I was offered a part time role doing functional skills with young people on offending programmes and flexible schooling. Since then I've worked with probation, employability skills programmes, incapacity benefit claimants, ethnic minority excluded women, and criminal justice / drug intervention. I'm now offering careers advice and I deliver equality and diversity training throughout the region. My new group counselling job is linked to one of our partner agencies and I'll now be working part time in both roles.

Oh, and in addition to my private counselling work I'm Chair of the board of trustees for a local bereavement charity.

Thanks sooty and glad you are over the breakdown now.

DH has actually applied for a job teaching offenders and is planning to have a blitz today applying for TA/Support roles and phoning agencies.

From reading MN it seems may teachers are unhappy and have made the move into support roles or out of education and are glad they did!

Pearlgirl..can I ask..where are those sort of jobs advertised? I would love to do that!

Thanks pearlgirl. Indians, I do a fair bit of tutoring and have thought about starting an agency, although not yet. I am in no way diabelieving you or wish to be cheeky but how do you earn more than teaching with only two tutors on your books?? Would you be willing to tell me more please? Good luck all in your searches and and new ventures!

I'm also a former English teacher. I left after 6 years after starting at a new school due to moving house and hating it. It was also expecting Ofsted after 2 RI inspections and was the most stressful environment I have ever worked in. It was normal to see people crying in the staff room and so many staff on long term sickness. I left to work as an HLTA in a special school and also did some private tuition. The pay cut was quite large but I was so much happier and it gave me time to think about the future. I'm now training as a speech therapist and a million times happier! Good luck to your partner! x

Hello it's Sleep the OP!! Thanks Pippa and good news you are happier now.

DH has accepted a temp role as a TA in Pupil Referral Unit so will give him a chance to see how he gets on but I think he will be happier (though we will be a lot poorer financially). I had a supply teacher role in a PRU and liked it far better than mainstream schools.

I am registering with an agency too as though I teach from home this agency deal with the local council so can find me ad hoc work teaching kids in care/those who need extra help at school. Just a few extra hours a week.

I have namechanged due to DD1s Peppa Pig obsession! Also I am no longer sleep deprived due to us all recovering from our colds.

Hey sleep/puddymuddles (we are watching Pp right now!), glad you have a plan and dh got a job, I have often wondered about a PRU..did lots of behaviour management in previous role and enjoyed it. I hope it is a good move for both of you! I might well go down your tuition route perhaps! I wondered how you get tuition with kids out of school etc so might look at agencies. I would love to be a hospital teacher but unsure how you go about that! Anyway, goof luck to everyone making a change!

good!

I'm in charge of supply at my school and I've noticed that there is a huge increase of highly experienced teachers now doing supply. Ex hods and heads of faculties who have left because of the increased pressure. There is at least two long term members of our staff who plan to go in summer. Young teachers have no life (none of them have lives tbf)
Interesting article in today's guardian magazine.

Yes saw that article...very interesting! I guess it makes supply roles hard to get though!

You are kidding! Especially in the core good supply are like hens' teeth. Currently I've had a maths/science teacher all year, two English since half term, and taking on music and ict teachers after Easter. Experienced ones are more expensive, but for longer gigs well worth it.

cuggles good luck with the tutoring. DH now has a few students as well.

fuckery this doesn't surprise me. HODs are under huge pressure and at last with supply you teach and go home and don't have to worry about managing people/meetings etc.

I saw on facebook (through a teacher friend) that there is an NUT strike soon over pay, pensions and workload. i do think teachers have never been more unhappy than they are now.

Fuckery, that is good to know as might well be way forward for me. Thinking about exam marking too.

Another one wanting to quit teaching here. I'm secondary MFL currently doing a maternity cover. They persuaded me at interview to do some English too, which I'm not qualified to do and haven't never done before. I was led to believe it would be a few library lessons or something but I have 2 classes, for one of which I am sole teacher. I arrived in September to find that this 'Outstanding' school had no fewer than 4 unqualified English teachers and no HoD. I have had virtually no support.
I have nothing but contempt for Ofsted and its ludicrous criteria which are a pointlesd rod for teachers' backs and yet judge schools like mine as outstanding because of their box-ticking abilities while they treat their staff like crap and the kids like numbers on a pags.
Apologies for the rant... I am leaving in 2 weeks so I should be a bit more chilled ! But the HoD just emailed to arrange to observe me... 9 working days before I leave - wtf?

God that was long - sorry!

I would refused to be observed if I were you, what are they going to do about it! That's ridiculous