Done with teaching. What next?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Education should be like pre-med or engineering but then again teachers would need to be paid more to attract smarter people to the profession in the numbers this country needs.

[Anonymous]

I have no idea why most posters aren't actually answering your question, OP!

Anyway, I taught for 8 years and then left. I taught in a variety of schools, and I don't think you'll feel much happier in a different type of school. I totally get that it is draining - I didn't have kids at the time, but I can imagine that it would have been completely exhausting caring for a big group of kids all day, and then meeting the needs of your own.

I went back to study a Masters in a field related to my teaching area. I searched very carefully for a course that wasn't too long (I had to pay, of course!) and that would give me the best chance of an entirely different career. I like the change and the different experiences it has given me. The first time I applied for a non-teaching job, I was rejected - it was too early and I wasn't close to the end of my Masters. About half a year later and I got lucky with two job offers.

I agree that, unfortunately, time spent teaching is not regarded very highly by most employers. Their mistake, though!

Good luck with your decision. I expect it's a bit harder if you don't teach a specific subject that can transfer easily (like math). If I was in that position, I probably would have studied to be an education consultant or gone into some kind of therapy work.

[Anonymous]

I've met a lot of library assistants who have education backgrounds or were former teachers. You will probably have to take a salary cut.

Also, lots of teachers leave for the private schools--as others have suggested.

It really depends on your interest and talents--training? sales? real estate? administration? working with kids and not adults?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been teaching for 10 years. I am burned out. I teach in a high FARMS school so I was thinking it may just be the population and its challenges that have me feeling this way, but the education system in general has me feeling like a puppet whose strings are being pulled.

If you have left teaching--what did you do next? [/quote

Let me know when you find out. I'm done too. This is not education.

[Anonymous]

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

She has disdain? Do you work in a high FARMS school? That means a ton of kids you are responsible for who are all below level, have behavioral problems, and yet you are required to teach the grade level curriculum and be evaluated on their on grade level test scores.

Oh yeah- no discipline allowed for some of these kids who are waaaaay out of control. No out of class time out- no parent support, no suspensions. It's not teaching any more. It's all input/output widgets.

Poster- you have no idea what you are talking about. Shut up, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

She has disdain? Do you work in a high FARMS school? That means a ton of kids you are responsible for who are all below level, have behavioral problems, and yet you are required to teach the grade level curriculum and be evaluated on their on grade level test scores.

Oh yeah- no discipline allowed for some of these kids who are waaaaay out of control. No out of class time out- no parent support, no suspensions. It's not teaching any more. It's all input/output widgets.

Poster- you have no idea what you are talking about. Shut up, please.

Yes, every single one of them is below grade level, and every single one has a behavior problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no idea why most posters aren't actually answering your question, OP!

Anyway, I taught for 8 years and then left. I taught in a variety of schools, and I don't think you'll feel much happier in a different type of school. I totally get that it is draining - I didn't have kids at the time, but I can imagine that it would have been completely exhausting caring for a big group of kids all day, and then meeting the needs of your own.

I went back to study a Masters in a field related to my teaching area. I searched very carefully for a course that wasn't too long (I had to pay, of course!) and that would give me the best chance of an entirely different career. I like the change and the different experiences it has given me. The first time I applied for a non-teaching job, I was rejected - it was too early and I wasn't close to the end of my Masters. About half a year later and I got lucky with two job offers.

I agree that, unfortunately, time spent teaching is not regarded very highly by most employers. Their mistake, though!

Good luck with your decision. I expect it's a bit harder if you don't teach a specific subject that can transfer easily (like math). If I was in that position, I probably would have studied to be an education consultant or gone into some kind of therapy work.

What field are you in now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

She has disdain? Do you work in a high FARMS school? That means a ton of kids you are responsible for who are all below level, have behavioral problems, and yet you are required to teach the grade level curriculum and be evaluated on their on grade level test scores.

Oh yeah- no discipline allowed for some of these kids who are waaaaay out of control. No out of class time out- no parent support, no suspensions. It's not teaching any more. It's all input/output widgets.

Poster- you have no idea what you are talking about. Shut up, please.

Yes, every single one of them is below grade level, and every single one has a behavior problem.

Are you on the spectrum? I'm not trying to be insulting (or insult anyone on the spectrum or a parent of an ASD kid either) I just can't understand how you could misunderstand the information in the message so completely. Or stubbornly?

[Anonymous]

OP, former teacher, also FARMS, voicing my support. Some crazy responses here, out of left field. Are you teaching elementary or secondary, and if secondary, what's the subject area?

[Anonymous]

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."

No, she said she's quitting because 'the education system makes [me] feel like a puppet'
It's also not unreasonable in any career field to decide if it's the overall field or just your current position that needs changed. Teaching in a challenging inner city environment is probably a lot different from teach at Walt Whitman which is different from teaching kindergarten at a small parochial school. I know people who love teaching middle schoolers but would be miserable teaching first graders. It doesn't mean they hate little kids, just that it doesn't mean job satisfaction or happiness.

Don't look for problems where there aren't any.

I agree, and I'm someone who spent four years teaching in an inner city (not DC) public high school with serious gang problems and feel like I did my time.

Now I have comparatively cushy job teaching at a very nice private school where my students are at grade level or higher, are polite and interested, and who have parents that actually care that they are in school.

I love teaching. I even loved teaching at the inner city school for the most part. But it wears you down and at least I had the good sense to get out when I knew I couldn't take it anymore.

[Anonymous]

"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.
[Report Post]"

Nice try....nope. I had high SAT scores, and I have extensive graduate school degrees and continuing ed.
Have you taken the Praxis for certification?Clearly you weren't aware of the standard.You and the "disdain"poster need to get off this thread. Both of you are not teachers,not in the field, not helpful!

One of the main reasons teachers are leaving is exactly this attitude...people have no idea what goes on in a school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

She has disdain? Do you work in a high FARMS school? That means a ton of kids you are responsible for who are all below level, have behavioral problems, and yet you are required to teach the grade level curriculum and be evaluated on their on grade level test scores.

Oh yeah- no discipline allowed for some of these kids who are waaaaay out of control. No out of class time out- no parent support, no suspensions. It's not teaching any more. It's all input/output widgets.

Poster- you have no idea what you are talking about. Shut up, please.

Yes, every single one of them is below grade level, and every single one has a behavior problem.

Are you on the spectrum? I'm not trying to be insulting (or insult anyone on the spectrum or a parent of an ASD kid either) I just can't understand how you could misunderstand the information in the message so completely. Or stubbornly?

LOL I found this funny. even though we have a spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Op...school psych here. What are your interests/strengths/skills? Every few years I get burnt out and try and brain storm what the heck else I could do. I am licensed so I could theoretically run a private practice... But that would bring on a different set of stressors...so I stay and typically get re-energized. If you just want "out" and need a decent salary, I would look at the higher paying vocational trades. If money/time is not an issue, you can more carefully craft a second career around finding your calling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

And the cited source for this piece of wisdom is? And 1/2 of the American population graduated in the bottom half of their high school class. Entry into some education colleges is no competitive, just like entry into some colleges in general is not competitive. You have a lot of generalizations in your statement.

[Anonymous]

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.

And the cited source for this piece of wisdom is? And 1/2 of the American population graduated in the bottom half of their high school class. Entry into some education colleges is no competitive, just like entry into some colleges in general is not competitive. You have a lot of generalizations in your statement.



This may be my favorite DCUM quote of all time! When I was a teacher, my colleague and I used to say privately to each other, "Someone has to be average." Actually, a lot of someones have to be average, even in the high-achieving environment we taught in.