Is the grass greener? A question for teachers about switching roles

[Anonymous]

I've been at the same school for 11 years. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's terrible. Over the years more terrible than great. Right now it's meh. But it's 10 minutes from my house which is a pretty unbeatable location. I work on a team and the current team leader is a "yes" person and has set that precedent. She is retiring in a few years and the expectation is that I will fill her footsteps. She does hours of extra work per week as team leader that are unpaid, since the team leader position for my department isn't paid. I do not want to do that, but I will be seen as not being a team player since that is the precedent that has been set.

But the crux of the issue is that I don't know if I can do this job for 20 something more years. It's starting to feel stagnant, and the population I work with is starting to get to me and my frustration level keeps increasing. Simply switching schools voluntarily isn't an option. It's hard to find a full time position close to where I live. My current job is pretty much a unicorn job.

A former co-worker contacted me about a job opening in my school district where I would have a completely different role. I would be working with teachers the majority of the time instead of with kids. It is at a different level than I currently work (think elementary to secondary or secondary to elementary). Instead of teaching all day and planning all afternoon/evening, my day job would be to plan/collaborate and there would be much less take home work.

The downside: it's farther away (probably 30 minutes in traffic--still not bad, I know) and if the position ends up getting cut from the budget (it's relatively new) or if it's not a good fit for me then my current position will be gone and I'll have to take whatever position is available.

It's not a given that I would get this new position. Of course I'd have to apply/interview etc but I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to take the risk or not.

If you've been in my shoes, how did it turn out? Are you glad you took the risk or do you regret it?

[Anonymous]

I have not been in your position but I teach on a team with someone who seems to feel like you do.
In her case, her lack of motivation and interest in her job is definitely having a negative impact on her students, who are not getting anything close to the services they should be getting.
If you can't "fake it" and give your students what they need, then you should leave. If you think you are still being an effective teacher, then it is a harder decision.

[Anonymous]

I would not be comfortable with the 2nd situation because I wouldn't want to be put in whatever position was available if things didn't work out. Do you have to accept the team leader position? If no extra compensation is offered and you are not given time during the school day to get the work done, why would anyone accept that position? I might say that I would take the team leader job if I am given time in my schedule to get the extra work done. My team leader has an afternoon each week where she does the extra work. Make a list of the extra work and an appr. amount of time it takes to get it done so your admin knows how much extra it really is.

[Anonymous]

Apply for the job; see what happens.

[Anonymous]

Apply for the job; see what happens.

Agree. It sounds like you might not be qualified for the job. Are you? Think about this: if it is at a different level of expertise, will you be accepted--or will others give you push back? (I'm thinking about an instructional coach who had almost no teaching experience telling others what to do. Nice, but it was not the job for her.)

[Anonymous]

You gotta' love the school system - take the burned out teachers who can't hack it anymore and make them instructional coaches. Then let them dictate how everyone else in the school will teach and make more work for the real teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You gotta' love the school system - take the burned out teachers who can't hack it anymore and make them instructional coaches. Then let them dictate how everyone else in the school will teach and make more work for the real teachers.

Exactly. This is what I'm seeing from her post too. Why not just try to reduce the work of the actual teachers?

[Anonymous]

You can say no to the team leader spot.

But also, switching roles can be energizing! Some people aren't cut out to do the same thing for thirty years. It doesn't mean you "can't hack it" or even that you're done with being in the classroom. Lots of people move around every now and then to keep things fresh.

[Anonymous]

I wish MY team leader approached his duties with passion and willingness to put in the necessary time. Instead, he actually tells other teachers that he doesn't do anything outside of school, and gives his students "study days" to do what they want while he marks their compositions during class (since he doesn't do anything outside of school); he also works out every day during his preps. I work very hard, and so do the other teachers in our department, but this guy was promoted to the team leader/department head role, and none of us can figure out why. So, if he can do it, and get such glowing reviews from admin, you can do it too, OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been at the same school for 11 years. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's terrible. Over the years more terrible than great. Right now it's meh. But it's 10 minutes from my house which is a pretty unbeatable location. I work on a team and the current team leader is a "yes" person and has set that precedent. She is retiring in a few years and the expectation is that I will fill her footsteps. She does hours of extra work per week as team leader that are unpaid, since the team leader position for my department isn't paid. I do not want to do that, but I will be seen as not being a team player since that is the precedent that has been set.

But the crux of the issue is that I don't know if I can do this job for 20 something more years. It's starting to feel stagnant, and the population I work with is starting to get to me and my frustration level keeps increasing. Simply switching schools voluntarily isn't an option. It's hard to find a full time position close to where I live. My current job is pretty much a unicorn job.

A former co-worker contacted me about a job opening in my school district where I would have a completely different role. I would be working with teachers the majority of the time instead of with kids. It is at a different level than I currently work (think elementary to secondary or secondary to elementary). Instead of teaching all day and planning all afternoon/evening, my day job would be to plan/collaborate and there would be much less take home work.

The downside: it's farther away (probably 30 minutes in traffic--still not bad, I know) and if the position ends up getting cut from the budget (it's relatively new) or if it's not a good fit for me then my current position will be gone and I'll have to take whatever position is available.

It's not a given that I would get this new position. Of course I'd have to apply/interview etc but I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to take the risk or not.

If you've been in my shoes, how did it turn out? Are you glad you took the risk or do you regret it?

Which county?
Sounds like staff dev which has gotten cut many times in the past

However, while the job can be rewarding, you may get significant pushback from staff who refuse to see you as an instructional leader. These are often viewed as easy jobs, but having worn many hates at multiple levels, I can say that working with adults is tough. You will need to work on your leadership skills & you'll have to develop a tough exterior.

And If admin isn't supportive, you'll be floating around with no direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been at the same school for 11 years. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's terrible. Over the years more terrible than great. Right now it's meh. But it's 10 minutes from my house which is a pretty unbeatable location. I work on a team and the current team leader is a "yes" person and has set that precedent. She is retiring in a few years and the expectation is that I will fill her footsteps. She does hours of extra work per week as team leader that are unpaid, since the team leader position for my department isn't paid. I do not want to do that, but I will be seen as not being a team player since that is the precedent that has been set.

But the crux of the issue is that I don't know if I can do this job for 20 something more years. It's starting to feel stagnant, and the population I work with is starting to get to me and my frustration level keeps increasing. Simply switching schools voluntarily isn't an option. It's hard to find a full time position close to where I live. My current job is pretty much a unicorn job.

A former co-worker contacted me about a job opening in my school district where I would have a completely different role. I would be working with teachers the majority of the time instead of with kids. It is at a different level than I currently work (think elementary to secondary or secondary to elementary). Instead of teaching all day and planning all afternoon/evening, my day job would be to plan/collaborate and there would be much less take home work.

The downside: it's farther away (probably 30 minutes in traffic--still not bad, I know) and if the position ends up getting cut from the budget (it's relatively new) or if it's not a good fit for me then my current position will be gone and I'll have to take whatever position is available.

It's not a given that I would get this new position. Of course I'd have to apply/interview etc but I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to take the risk or not.

If you've been in my shoes, how did it turn out? Are you glad you took the risk or do you regret it?

Which county?
Sounds like staff dev which has gotten cut many times in the past

However, while the job can be rewarding, you may get significant pushback from staff who refuse to see you as an instructional leader. These are often viewed as easy jobs, but having worn many hates at multiple levels, I can say that working with adults is tough. You will need to work on your leadership skills & you'll have to develop a tough exterior.

And If admin isn't supportive, you'll be floating around with no direction.

Lol
Hats, not hates! But hate fits in here, too.

[Anonymous]

OP, if you feel you would have difficulty standing up to your current administration about not doing extra work as Department Head, I don't think you'd be good in a position where you had to plan and collaborate with many different adults on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish MY team leader approached his duties with passion and willingness to put in the necessary time. Instead, he actually tells other teachers that he doesn't do anything outside of school, and gives his students "study days" to do what they want while he marks their compositions during class (since he doesn't do anything outside of school); he also works out every day during his preps. I work very hard, and so do the other teachers in our department, but this guy was promoted to the team leader/department head role, and none of us can figure out why. So, if he can do it, and get such glowing reviews from admin, you can do it too, OP!

Does he get a stipend?

I'm in an elementary school. Nobody ever wants to be team lead. It's a lot of extra work and time for no extra compensation.

[Anonymous]

Our elementary school rotates the team leads every year. This way all the teachers get a chance to lead and no one is stuck with the extra work every year.

[Anonymous]

20 years is a long time to keep doing something you are not enjoying, and teaching doesn't vary that much year to year.

Here's a bit of grass is greener, though: many of us outside of hit mid-career, realize we will never set the world on fire, have a love-hate relationship with our jobs, and make peace with it.