Help. Leaving the teaching profession. Who has done it and now what do you do?

[Emmastone123]

27 and live in central London. Have been a teacher for 3 years and hating it - currently at a private prep school. Finding the parents a bit of a nightmare, but not only that, just finding the actual teaching exhausting. Voice hurts at the end of the day and finding no energy to actually be 'me'. I suffer from anxiety and find teaching quite a 'personal' career, so just find my anxiety levels are sky high as I take everything so personally.

Would need a job that pays at least 29,000 a year, give or take and something that invovles people. Am happy to retrain but I'm so struck! Looked into training as an antenatal teacher as I'm I obsessed with babies, but it takes two years...

Any replies and suggestions would be much appreciated!

Home based positions for the TES advertised today here.

I left teaching 2 years ago due to stress and anxiety, so I have so much sympathy for you OP. It is horrible when it impacts on your whole life and brings you down.

I did try a different (very different!) school before I quit altogether and sadly it actually made things worse rather than better.

Because of my experiences I'm a big fan of, 'do whatever will make you happy'. Don't worry about what other people might think or what you might be doing in 10 years time. Just do what you need to do now that's right for you.

I'm now a full-time professional musician, I teach piano (love getting to use my teaching skills but on a one-to-one basis!), tutor on courses and perform. I also did some private tutoring to keep me afloat in the first few months, but to be honest the music thing took off so much more successfully than I thought it would. I was very lucky however as I'm married and my husband was able to pay the bills for a few months if I hadn't had any income. If you're not in that situation, maybe try to put a few months' salary aside in savings before you take the plunge.

But seriously, do it. Something else will turn up. Your mental health is more important :)

I would do some supply teaching while you take a bit of time to decide your next big move.

I love supply. I'm known now in a few local schools and I like the variety, plus of course no marking, meetings, data, emails, other crap.