Ideas and actionable steps for a teacher to leave the classroom

[Anonymous]

Hmmm...how much income or health benefits do you need? You could go through a certification program at community College for another career. Sonagraogers and dental hygienist make good money.

I also feel like you could work your way up in retail for a manager position. I see signs for Chipotle hiring managers at 80k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm...how much income or health benefits do you need? You could go through a certification program at community College for another career. Sonagraogers and dental hygienist make good money.

I also feel like you could work your way up in retail for a manager position. I see signs for Chipotle hiring managers at 80k

No benefits needed, my husband works for the government.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm...how much income or health benefits do you need? You could go through a certification program at community College for another career. Sonagraogers and dental hygienist make good money.

I also feel like you could work your way up in retail for a manager position. I see signs for Chipotle hiring managers at 80k

I often think of this. I'd be VERY happy at Costco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1) Start looking for jobs
2) Look at what they pay and what they require. If you meet 60-70% of the requirements, consider applying.
3) Create a budget and decide just how much of a pay cut you could live with. Do you make 80-90K now? Can you go down to 50K? 40K?
4) Do you have any special skills? Do you speak Spanish? Can you code? Are you awesome at organizing?
5) Can you make an appt. with someone in a potential job field who might help you rewrite your resume to change the language so that it aligns better with another field?

Good luck to you. I hope you can get out. I left public and went to private. In some ways private is better, in some ways, its the same old same old. I'm close to retirement and look forward to leaving it all behind.

NP. People are so delusional and clueless about how much money teachers make. Are you serious?? I have a masters in education and taught secondary school (secondary teachers generally make more than elementary teachers like OP) and I made 50k after 10 years experience when I quit teaching a few years ago. If I made 80-90 at teaching maybe I’d still be doing it but as it was, I knew I’d never make more than 60-70 even if I taught 30+ years and it just wasn’t worth it anymore.

I took a pay cut but I now work part time and remote for Pearson grading tests. I also sub. It’s less stimulating and won’t be forever but I get to spend more time w my kids and my mental health has improved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A BA in education is worth very little. One way you could lean into it though is tutoring. You could also consider entry-level admin jobs with the gov that require nothing more than a BA, but they are hard to get if you don't have veteran status. Think about returning to school to get an advanced degree or learn new skills for a career change.

Gee thanks

I hope I am valued more than my degree. I am smart and adaptable and hard working. I know I can do more than be harassed by 6 year olds (I got punched already this year) and be overworked and underpaid.

I come home and I’m a zombie. It’s not fair to my own children.

It is quite telling that you don't think other working parents are exhausted after work too. This is not unique to teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1) Start looking for jobs
2) Look at what they pay and what they require. If you meet 60-70% of the requirements, consider applying.
3) Create a budget and decide just how much of a pay cut you could live with. Do you make 80-90K now? Can you go down to 50K? 40K?
4) Do you have any special skills? Do you speak Spanish? Can you code? Are you awesome at organizing?
5) Can you make an appt. with someone in a potential job field who might help you rewrite your resume to change the language so that it aligns better with another field?

Good luck to you. I hope you can get out. I left public and went to private. In some ways private is better, in some ways, its the same old same old. I'm close to retirement and look forward to leaving it all behind.

NP. People are so delusional and clueless about how much money teachers make. Are you serious?? I have a masters in education and taught secondary school (secondary teachers generally make more than elementary teachers like OP) and I made 50k after 10 years experience when I quit teaching a few years ago. If I made 80-90 at teaching maybe I’d still be doing it but as it was, I knew I’d never make more than 60-70 even if I taught 30+ years and it just wasn’t worth it anymore.

I took a pay cut but I now work part time and remote for Pearson grading tests. I also sub. It’s less stimulating and won’t be forever but I get to spend more time w my kids and my mental health has improved.

I'm the teacher who posted the above post. In many areas of the country, someone with a masters and 20 years experience makes 80-90k. Where I live, some districts pay more . My spouse has 15 years in, two masters and is making 120k. Yes, most of the country pays sh*t. But some? Some are paying decent wages.

[Anonymous]

Go to work in the field, but outside of the classroom. I have friends who started writing curriculum for their district or went to work for a testing company.

You are 42 so you need steady income for the next 26 years. Do not fall into the trap of tutoring or selling on TPT as a FTG. I’ve seen other people do this and end up in financial trouble very quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to work in the field, but outside of the classroom. I have friends who started writing curriculum for their district or went to work for a testing company.

You are 42 so you need steady income for the next 26 years. Do not fall into the trap of tutoring or selling on TPT as a FTG. I’ve seen other people do this and end up in financial trouble very quickly.

OP here and I do see myself going back once I don't have toddlers in the house. For now, it's impossible to come home and be a mother to them after being so drained and overstimulated all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1) Start looking for jobs
2) Look at what they pay and what they require. If you meet 60-70% of the requirements, consider applying.
3) Create a budget and decide just how much of a pay cut you could live with. Do you make 80-90K now? Can you go down to 50K? 40K?
4) Do you have any special skills? Do you speak Spanish? Can you code? Are you awesome at organizing?
5) Can you make an appt. with someone in a potential job field who might help you rewrite your resume to change the language so that it aligns better with another field?

Good luck to you. I hope you can get out. I left public and went to private. In some ways private is better, in some ways, its the same old same old. I'm close to retirement and look forward to leaving it all behind.

NP. People are so delusional and clueless about how much money teachers make. Are you serious?? I have a masters in education and taught secondary school (secondary teachers generally make more than elementary teachers like OP) and I made 50k after 10 years experience when I quit teaching a few years ago. If I made 80-90 at teaching maybe I’d still be doing it but as it was, I knew I’d never make more than 60-70 even if I taught 30+ years and it just wasn’t worth it anymore.

I took a pay cut but I now work part time and remote for Pearson grading tests. I also sub. It’s less stimulating and won’t be forever but I get to spend more time w my kids and my mental health has improved.

I'm the teacher who posted the above post. In many areas of the country, someone with a masters and 20 years experience makes 80-90k. Where I live, some districts pay more . My spouse has 15 years in, two masters and is making 120k. Yes, most of the country pays sh*t. But some? Some are paying decent wages.

I meant to say I'm the poster who wrote the post about "Do you make 80-90K and could you take a cut to 50K".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to work in the field, but outside of the classroom. I have friends who started writing curriculum for their district or went to work for a testing company.

You are 42 so you need steady income for the next 26 years. Do not fall into the trap of tutoring or selling on TPT as a FTG. I’ve seen other people do this and end up in financial trouble very quickly.

In FCPS that’s a $1500 stipend over the summer for currently employed teachers. It’s not a separate job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm...how much income or health benefits do you need? You could go through a certification program at community College for another career. Sonagraogers and dental hygienist make good money.

I also feel like you could work your way up in retail for a manager position. I see signs for Chipotle hiring managers at 80k

I often think of this. I'd be VERY happy at Costco.

I know someone who went back to work at Cosrco after being a SAHM. She's been there 20 years now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A BA in education is worth very little. One way you could lean into it though is tutoring. You could also consider entry-level admin jobs with the gov that require nothing more than a BA, but they are hard to get if you don't have veteran status. Think about returning to school to get an advanced degree or learn new skills for a career change.

Gee thanks

I hope I am valued more than my degree. I am smart and adaptable and hard working. I know I can do more than be harassed by 6 year olds (I got punched already this year) and be overworked and underpaid.

I come home and I’m a zombie. It’s not fair to my own children.

It is quite telling that you don't think other working parents are exhausted after work too. This is not unique to teachers.

DP.

Teachers know others are exhausted. Why cant we mention that WE are exhausted without someone trying to upstage us?

The OP didn’t mention that she works harder than you. She didn’t compare your job to hers. She merely said she’s exhausted. Let her have that. It doesn’t take anything from you when you allow a teacher to vent.

[Anonymous]

Get a different certificate and change schools - maybe even districts. A lot of burnt out teachers go into Gifted Ed - that joke of a specialty where they pull all the beset students from your class for an hour a day and spend the rest of their time drinking coffee in a tiny office in some forgotten part of the school) and often from there into admin (failing up).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to work in the field, but outside of the classroom. I have friends who started writing curriculum for their district or went to work for a testing company.

You are 42 so you need steady income for the next 26 years. Do not fall into the trap of tutoring or selling on TPT as a FTG. I’ve seen other people do this and end up in financial trouble very quickly.

OP here and I do see myself going back once I don't have toddlers in the house. For now, it's impossible to come home and be a mother to them after being so drained and overstimulated all day.

Can you take a couple of years off, or work only part time until they are in school themselves? You're unlikely to find any job making more than 35-40K that doesn't require just as much work, since you'd be entry level and need to learn everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1) Start looking for jobs
2) Look at what they pay and what they require. If you meet 60-70% of the requirements, consider applying.
3) Create a budget and decide just how much of a pay cut you could live with. Do you make 80-90K now? Can you go down to 50K? 40K?
4) Do you have any special skills? Do you speak Spanish? Can you code? Are you awesome at organizing?
5) Can you make an appt. with someone in a potential job field who might help you rewrite your resume to change the language so that it aligns better with another field?

Good luck to you. I hope you can get out. I left public and went to private. In some ways private is better, in some ways, its the same old same old. I'm close to retirement and look forward to leaving it all behind.

NP. People are so delusional and clueless about how much money teachers make. Are you serious?? I have a masters in education and taught secondary school (secondary teachers generally make more than elementary teachers like OP) and I made 50k after 10 years experience when I quit teaching a few years ago. If I made 80-90 at teaching maybe I’d still be doing it but as it was, I knew I’d never make more than 60-70 even if I taught 30+ years and it just wasn’t worth it anymore.

I took a pay cut but I now work part time and remote for Pearson grading tests. I also sub. It’s less stimulating and won’t be forever but I get to spend more time w my kids and my mental health has improved.

I left teaching in the DMV almost 20 years ago at 65K and I only had 7 years experience. If I were to go back, I'd be over 80K in most of the districts.