Teachers- How long can you keep teaching?

[Anonymous]

S/O from what kind of retirement do you want?

Im almost 60 and don’t think I can last to 62. Spouse concerned about loss of income.
By 4 every afternoon I can hardly move and am ready to go to bed. I’m tech savvy enough to have managed all the in school/out of school shifts, I lead gréât active field trips, I know my curriculum. But I can’t pop up from the floor easily anymore, and the increased computer time has meant too much sitting. Feel like I’m losing my already diminishing health. This year is worse than last; I feel so burnt out. Normal things feel like they sap my last drops of energy. Others? How long will you last? Suggestions? (All my friends say: do less, but right now I don’t feel like I’m accomplishing much.)

[Anonymous]

God bless you. I'm almost 42 and ready to quit yesterday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spouse concerned about loss of income.

My mom was an excellent, dedicated teacher who retired from teaching at 55 and never regretted it. Teaching took a heavy toll on her, and I'm glad she got her life back. If income is your DH's primary concern, maybe you can look into retiring but still earning a little money, possibly in a completely different area.

[Anonymous]

Assuming your spouse is still working with access to benefits, could you tutor to earn some money while still gaining back 90% of your time?

[Anonymous]

Well, you just have a few years left -- can you make your classroom routine easier on your body? I mean, don't get down on the floor any more.

[Anonymous]

Why cant he work? You can take your pension. You can always supplement by tutoring.

[Anonymous]

Have you checked your retirement statements? When is the earliest you can retire and get full benefits? I would talk to HR and see. I'm on an old retirement system and can retire with 30 years in. I have 7 years left and am counting down. I hope I make it!!

[Anonymous]

Agreed with an earlier comment, have you checked with HR to see what your options are and how much you will make in retirement? I would try to finish this school year and figure out what types of skills you have to transition to a different position for a few years. Also sit down and really look at your finances to see where you stand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, you just have a few years left -- can you make your classroom routine easier on your body? I mean, don't get down on the floor any more.

+1

[Anonymous]

My mom taught until 68, but she was in physical pain every day and the last two years, she was unable to climb to the third floor of the building so her classes were held in a makeshift space. The kids adored her though and we still can’t go anywhere without them stopping her to give hugs and updates on her life.

I don’t want to do it though. My 30 years is at 69, which seems crazy. A coworker was teaching at 72!

[Anonymous]

In Maryland teachers can qualify for early retirement with 15 years of service and at least at 55 years of age.

I'll qualify at age 58 (I'm 54 now) and don't know if I can keep teaching longer than that.

[Anonymous]

OP here- I was especially interested in the exhaustion factor. My days aren’t bad, but as soon as dismissal is over I’m ready for bed… so continuing is at the expense of every other aspect of my life. Health is my primary concern.

If I told you what my « pension » looks like, you’d call me a troll. Taught public and private. The private school contributed about 60,000 toward a 403 , the rest were personal contributions on a modest salary. From the public I’ll get about 6,000/ year. Really, bc I wasn’t there my full career. Still, with social security I think I can manage. I just didn’t expect to feel so worn out yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
If I told you what my « pension » looks like, you’d call me a troll. Taught public and private. The private school contributed about 60,000 toward a 403 , the rest were personal contributions on a modest salary. From the public I’ll get about 6,000/ year. Really, bc I wasn’t there my full career. Still, with social security I think I can manage. I just didn’t expect to feel so worn out yet.

I don't mean this to be snarky, but is your husband right to be concerned about finances? I don't see what working 2 more years will really do for you in your case. You aren't working to qualify for much of a pension (although $6000 a year is better than nothing of course!)

It seems like you might need to find some work you can keep doing physically, unless your husband can carry the financial load of retirement. Is your house paid off?

If you are very tired suddenly, it could be a medical issue, too. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Could you tutor to make extra money in a less taxing way? Or maybe have someone who started homeschooling pay you to do some at home instruction? My mom switched from teaching to private tutoring and made almost as much money from just an hour or two of tutoring as she did teaching all day (but she taught high school math - not sure if there is as much demand for non-STEM tutors).

[Anonymous]

At 55 and four months I will have thirty years. I plan to retire and get a less hectic job in a different field.