AIBU to ask if you were/are a teacher and changed track, what did you do next?

[Lieby]

I'm a primary school teacher aged 50 with virtually grown up children and a DH. I enjoy my job well enough, but it is super stressy and utterly exhausting (at my age) 😬

I would dearly love to change careers, but cannot think of anything I could do that would pay a similar salary. With DD at university, we need the money. Does anyone have any bright ideas?

Where are you based? The reality of career changing is you'll normally take a pay cut for several years whilst you gain experience in that field. Also, whilst I appreciate teaching is a very challenging job, if your based outside of London and the South East it's one of the higher paying jobs (assuming on the basis of your experience your on 30k plus).

If you're happy to stay in the education sector but do something different you might have more luck. There's been a few threads on here about people working for children who aren't able to attend school and similar, although no idea on salaries.

If you really want to get out it might be worth retraining in your spare time and then aiming to leave teaching when your DC leaves uni? You'll presumably be better able to take a short term pay hit then.

What do you want to do? I was never a teacher but changed career (to law) in my 30s. It was a long slog that is only beginning to show dividends now (about six years after I started retraining).

Do you definitely want a total career change, or could you shift within education (pastoral?)

I do know the difference between your and you're, promise

Agree with the advice about looking at other education based roles.
But as a teacher myself with just a few years to go before early retirement, I'd also advise looking at what your actual take-home pay will be if you go for a lower paid job. You might be surprised at how little the difference in net pay is. If you've worked full time all or most of your career you'll have built up a good pension pot. Go on an online salary calculator and Check out what you'd get on a salary 10 or 15k lower than you're on... if you freeze your pension, and with reduced tax and NI payments you could be in for a nice surprise.

I'm going to leave teaching in two years time (when both DC are in school) and train as an EP. I've done the psychology bit already just before I had my kids. It will be tricky financially for the three years of training but the salary afterwards will equate to what I'm currently earning within a couple of years. I've just turned 40 so another 25 years of working to go.... no way I'll last that length of time in teaching if things continue as they are

What's an EP?

I went into Adult Ed but stay well away from it if you want a comparable salary!

Educational Psychologist

What about supply teaching?
It's nice to take control back and do as you please. Get your face known in schools and pick up some regular PPA cover work.

All of the nice bits of teaching and learning and none of the responsibility.

Thanks so much for the replies. How did you manage to get early retirement munstermonchgirl? So many people I know seem to've benefitted from that back in the day! You may be right about the eventual take home pay-will investigate. I'm in a well paid role (50k ish) so it can feel like golden handcuffs. Thanks again to everyone.

You could apply to train as an Ofsted inspector, current practitioners are valued. Contract is usually for 16 days a year. This would be something you could continue to do if you gave up teaching and is also a useful way into consultancy.

50k as a primary teacher (muses over why I am paid £24k....)??!

Are you a Head?

I think I would be inclined to take early retirement and then have a few years off. Reflection/rest and then you could do some tutoring?

London, top of the pay scale starutopia - not a head, just class teacher. Well paid but you bloody earn it!!

You can't take early retirement at 50- not an receive any payment. You can stop working at any age but it isn't retirement and you can't access your teachers pension.