Advice needed ... Leaving teaching

[Chells]

After extended maternity and two gorgeous girls I've made the decision not to return to primary teaching. I worked my butt off for 12 yrs and truly feel the hours and paperwork etc... Aren't fair on my children.
But the dilemma is what to do now!!!!! I've been assured that I have 'transferable skills', but no idea into what line of work!
None of my teacher friends have moved on so low on advice.
I miss working with the kids, but not the parents and labour intensive paperwork. Also worried my brain has atrophied after nearly 3 yrs at home!!!
Help!!

What about publishing? Could try one of those term time only sales jobs for educational publishers and then leap from there if something better paid comes up within the company. They often prefer to use ex teachers since teachers respond better to that! Pay would be less but it might be a start.

Tutoring?

I returned to teaching after 6 years out, but have now gone part-time instead of full-time. I'm hoping it will mean that I get more family time.

I started back as a HLTA, and really enjoyed it. That's an option, if you don't need to earn a great deal.

Thanks so much for advice! More than I had thought of!!!!

I tried childminding but it wasn't for me, local authority work, ta?

I know lots f qualified teachers who are TAs. I understand tht in primary there may still be prep and marking though?! I work 3 days a week and just manage... I was speaking to a primary teacher yesterday who does 2 days of a job share ...

Oh I meant to add - at 3 days a week I earn way more than a full time TA, so that is a major consideration for us. I don't really think the money would be work the childcare for two pre school.

Can you tutor? I tutor in the evenings after DD is in bed. Obviously the income varies hugely over the course of the year (I am secondary so have masses of tutees before/in exam season) but overall I made just under £10k this academic year, which is more than I was bringing in working 4 days a week in a school after paying for nursery.

Former teachers I know of have,

Moved into social work
into children's services commissioning in the council
And accountancy

Psychologist, ot or social work /nursing are areas you could retrain in (and ive thought of but cant afford!)

Id love to do a doctorate but the need for money is higher!

I think it's hard to leap from teaching to a job with comparable pay. Its a bit of an isolated profession like that.

Id like to do a jib involving research, and not 30 people every hour of the day. No idea what though!

Friends of mine have gone on to

• Work with trainee teachers
• education department of a museum
• office manager
• freelance gardener
• retrain as a solicitor

Educational / fun children's group yours and outings, so a mini-beast discovery session every Tuesday am for 2hours in the local park or a painting and collage session (or what ever). At Christmas time do themed session, such as collecting holly and ivy to make a table decoration. Of course charge for it.
Then your own kids can join you.

Someone I know was a science teacher and is now an educational events manager for National Heritage.

Would transferring your skills and still keeping your hand in with children's learning in that sort of way interest you?

Wow!! Loads of fab ideas! Huge thanks everyone
Need to do some serious head scratching now

We have IT trainers at my workplace who are former teachers

There are FAR more people wanting to leave teaching than there are suitable jobs

Are you against PT for definite?
I think it gives you the best of both worlds.

I became a learning technologist