Done with teaching. What next?

[Anonymous]

I taught second grade for years. I left and start teaching in a part-time preschool program. I had a Monday, Wednesday, Friday 4s class and a Tuesday & Thursday 3s class. I worked every day, but only until about 2 at the latest. Less money, but so much easier. And my schedule matched my kids. I got to be at home when they were and didn't have day care costs.

[Anonymous]

I worked for an education advocacy group, with tons of former teachers. The pay was so-so, but the flexibility and long lunches made them giddy.

Thank you for your 10 years of teaching. Good luck in the next chapter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad you're leaving if you have that much disdain for your students.

NP. Do shut up. OP did not express disdain for students ANYWHERE in her post. Learn how to read and until then, zip your trap.

She basically said "I'm quitting because poor people."

No, she said she was fatigued by the challenges they bring. If you have no experience with kids from poor families or families that don't speak a word of English then you have no idea how hard they've got it in school. They are at a big disadvantage and teaching them has got to be a lot harder than teaching kids from wealthier families who pay for tutors, after school activities, etc.

[Anonymous]

A friend left teaching to be a dog groomer. Went to dog grooming academy / school in Raleigh NC and it took around 3 or 4 months total. She ended up liking the area so much that she and her family moved nearby to Apex,NC. She likes the working with dogs now. They own a cute home in a great area now and I don't think she's ever been as happy. The school systems really beat you up.

[Anonymous]

My sister was a special education teacher and got burnt out after 7 years. She went back to school and got a degree in educational psychology. Now she works in a school setting doing testing and evaluation of students and loves what she does!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Case in point why teaching quality is different at a school with more FARMS and low great schools ratings.

Our low "great schools" rating, high FARMS school had a kick-ass principle and teachers. I have nothing but admiration and respect for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ignore the trolls.

Check out private/independent schools. I teach at one and love it. Lots more freedom. Still stressful but not in the same way. Helicopter parents vs. absentee parents. Not such a cog. Still with kids. Bright capable hopeful kids with opportunities.

I moved to private school after burning out in FCPS. Lower pay but engaged parents who valued your work.
Look into corporate training or go back to school for a master's in instructional design at George Mason. K12 in Herdon also hires former teachers to a variety of positions.
What curriculum publishing companies are in the area? Have you looked into Dept. of Ed. I thing NCTM and other education associations are in N.VA.

Good luck - BTDT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad you're leaving if you have that much disdain for your students.

NP. Do shut up. OP did not express disdain for students ANYWHERE in her post. Learn how to read and until then, zip your trap.

She basically said "I'm quitting because poor people."

Guess how I know you're not a teacher?

Because I had a good SAT score, went to a good college, and had good grades?

Do you have a child that goes to school? Would you want the teacher to know you felt this way? Please for the love of humanity homeschool your child. Oh wait you can't!!! You are to smart and special and important! You can't be a teacher! Hmmm. So ... Do you have kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Case in point why teaching quality is different at a school with more FARMS and low great schools ratings.

I have taught at a high poverty school and am currently at a wealthy school (trying to combat the burnout OP speaks of). I can 100% guarantee you that the teaching quality was better at the low income school. It had to be, if we were going to be successful with those kids. My colleagues and I ran free after school clubs and support classes, planned and executed amazing lessons, and truly collaborated to improve our teaching.

Rich kid school? Mentality is, "Our scores are good. Clearly what we're doing is working. Carry on." Teachers have no clue what is going on in anyone else's classroom. No one talks about how to support the kids, or tries to analyze misconceptions. It sucks. The teachers and administration all think they are awesome, but I don't think they realize how much of it is just the demographic they're teaching.

I wouldn't send my kid to this wealthy school if I could help it. And next year I'll be going back to the collaborating, poverty stricken school where the teaching is stronger. This was a year to "re-energize", but I won't stay here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad you're leaving if you have that much disdain for your students.

NP. Do shut up. OP did not express disdain for students ANYWHERE in her post. Learn how to read and until then, zip your trap.

She basically said "I'm quitting because poor people."

Guess how I know you're not a teacher?

Because I had a good SAT score, went to a good college, and had good grades?

I had a 1580 SAT score, got into multiple ivies, and graduated with honors.

I'm a teacher.

Thank you for perpetuating stereotypes. For some people, money isn't that important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Because I had a good SAT score, went to a good college, and had good grades?

I hope you homeschool, because teachers have enough to deal with, without also having to deal with parents who hold teachers in contempt.

Although people who homeschool are also teachers....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Because I had a good SAT score, went to a good college, and had good grades?

I hope you homeschool, because teachers have enough to deal with, without also having to deal with parents who hold teachers in contempt.

Although people who homeschool are also teachers....

Well said. PP here tried to say this earlier but came out a bit incoherent. Thank you for this!

[Anonymous]

I worked In market research for three years then taught English for six years. I now work in Communications for a large company. When I was looking to make a career change, I found that most corporations viewed my teaching experience as irrelevant. It was helpful that I had a year of experience as a department chair, which included some PR-type activities (transition to Common Core) and managing a budget. Still, I was hired into my current company as just one step up from entry level, and also had to take a small paycut. I've spent the last four years working my way up to a manager position and the same salary I earned in 2010 :/

PP mentions corporate learning/training positions. My experience was that teaching kids was not viewed as equal to teaching adults, even though the Learning Dept in my company espouses most of the same principles I used as a classroom teacher. If you want to go that route, I'd also recommend an ISD certificate or Masters (GMU's certificate program is all online) as most of the jobs I've been seeing recently are for developing online learning courses.

Good luck, OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad you're leaving if you have that much disdain for your students.

NP. Do shut up. OP did not express disdain for students ANYWHERE in her post. Learn how to read and until then, zip your trap.

She basically said "I'm quitting because poor people."

Guess how I know you're not a teacher?

Because I had a good SAT score, went to a good college, and had good grades?

Begone with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad you're leaving if you have that much disdain for your students.

NP. Do shut up. OP did not express disdain for students ANYWHERE in her post. Learn how to read and until then, zip your trap.

She basically said "I'm quitting because poor people."

Guess how I know you're not a teacher?

Because I had a good SAT score, went to a good college, and had good grades?

I had a 1580 SAT score, got into multiple ivies, and graduated with honors.

I'm a teacher.

Thank you for perpetuating stereotypes. For some people, money isn't that important.

Sadly most of the U.S. teachers come from the bottom half of their high school graduation class with SAT scores well under 1000. Entry into education colleges are just not at all competitive. One way to turn our education system around is to mandate a higher bar into the profession.