Leaving teaching

[Anonymous]

Are you required to write lesson plans? We are but they can be basic as long as they have standards, objective, assessment, accommodations/modifications. My plans are basic because they are for me and I know what I'm doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you required to write lesson plans? We are but they can be basic as long as they have standards, objective, assessment, accommodations/modifications. My plans are basic because they are for me and I know what I'm doing.

Our plans have to be published for students, parents, and admin to see. They have to be detailed enough that a student sick at home will have no problems following the class notes, activities, etc. They must also be updated daily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think evoking a lot of guilt and emotion is just one of many toxic reasons teaching has turned into a hellscape. It's a job. That's all. If the job isn't a fit, then start working on employee retention, but guilt isn't appropriate.

My mother was a teacher - classroom and then specialist for 35+ years. At one point long after she retired she said she regretted always giving the district 110% to the detriment of the family. Guilt is used as a tool, but the appreciation factor is quite low.

NP. It's not guilt, it's responsibility. Your mother knew that, even when she was complaining.

Wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Less is better due to potential retaliation and hard feelings across staff and admin. If you were important to them they would have done more to keep you to begin with. Move on, don’t look back. Don’t burn bridges either though, leave everything in order, cross your T’s dot your I’s.

No, that's the wrong calculus. In return for a year contract without worrying about getting fired or laid off, teachers agree to not quit midway through.

It's not a job where you can be let go at any point, and where you may quit at any time. So your advice is off target.

You are impressively wrong.

[Anonymous]

There has never been a better time to quit mid year if you think you might want to come back. One of our special ed teachers quit the second week of school. They couldn’t replace her or even find a LTS. She returns tomorrow. They can’t pay her more, but she’s going to get dedicated time to do case management.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In most jobs, two weeks notice seems pretty standard. I'm leaving my teaching job. If you are a principal or administrator in a school, does 4 weeks notice seem like enough?

2 weeks is the norm. School doesn’t care, your position would be filled. Think about yourself first and foremost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Retired principal here. Years ago, I had a French teacher leave for a better paying job with two weeks' notice. I was able to find a teacher - luckily - to take the class (and she turned out to be a great long termer). A couple years after this happened, I was talking with a few of the students in the class (they were seniors by then) and they were still angry about that first teacher walking out on them -- they took it very personally (they were a great class).

This is a dramatic story, I know, but the kids are almost always negatively impacted. Leaving at a natural break (quarter, semester, holiday, etc.) if always better when possible.

Experienced teacher (15+ years) looking for another job right now-
I understand the impact my abrupt departure may have on my students. I’m a pretty well-loved teacher. The problem is I am absolutely miserable right now. I can’t work 60-65 hour weeks anymore. I can’t put my work over my family anymore. I can’t cover for my admin anymore, taking on every little thing they need me to do.

The “my students will suffer” idea kept me in this job for years. It can’t anymore. My own children are suffering. I am suffering. I know I have leverage now because of teacher shortages, so the threat of losing my license doesn’t really scare me. If I can find a better placement, I’m going to take it. I’ll feel bad that I’m leaving my students, but I won’t feel bad because of what it does to admin. Admin is why I’m trying to leave.

I don't understand why you are working 60-65 hours a week and why you can't say no to admin. I would work on that skill first, how to say no, because that will still be a problem wherever you end up.

I’m the PP. I’m curious… what should I give up? Should I give up planning? That took five hours this weekend. If I don’t plan, I don’t have lessons. Babysitting 140 students with nothing to do sounds dreadful. Should I give up grading? I’d LOVE to do that, but it seems students and parents expect feedback on assignments. Should I give up responding to emails?

That’s the problem. If I give something up, my job gets harder. These are required tasks that I need to complete to function in the classroom. This isn’t about me going overboard. This is about a job that requires 20-30 hours a week of behind-the-scenes work, but I am given 4.5 hours of uninterrupted time to get it done.

It isn’t about saying “No.” I refuse to do things ALL THE TIME. If I didn’t, I’d be working over 80.

Exactly... 'just do less'..... of what specifically? Not that simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Retired principal here. Years ago, I had a French teacher leave for a better paying job with two weeks' notice. I was able to find a teacher - luckily - to take the class (and she turned out to be a great long termer). A couple years after this happened, I was talking with a few of the students in the class (they were seniors by then) and they were still angry about that first teacher walking out on them -- they took it very personally (they were a great class).

This is a dramatic story, I know, but the kids are almost always negatively impacted. Leaving at a natural break (quarter, semester, holiday, etc.) if always better when possible.

Experienced teacher (15+ years) looking for another job right now-
I understand the impact my abrupt departure may have on my students. I’m a pretty well-loved teacher. The problem is I am absolutely miserable right now. I can’t work 60-65 hour weeks anymore. I can’t put my work over my family anymore. I can’t cover for my admin anymore, taking on every little thing they need me to do.

The “my students will suffer” idea kept me in this job for years. It can’t anymore. My own children are suffering. I am suffering. I know I have leverage now because of teacher shortages, so the threat of losing my license doesn’t really scare me. If I can find a better placement, I’m going to take it. I’ll feel bad that I’m leaving my students, but I won’t feel bad because of what it does to admin. Admin is why I’m trying to leave.

I don't understand why you are working 60-65 hours a week and why you can't say no to admin. I would work on that skill first, how to say no, because that will still be a problem wherever you end up.

I’m the PP. I’m curious… what should I give up? Should I give up planning? That took five hours this weekend. If I don’t plan, I don’t have lessons. Babysitting 140 students with nothing to do sounds dreadful. Should I give up grading? I’d LOVE to do that, but it seems students and parents expect feedback on assignments. Should I give up responding to emails?

That’s the problem. If I give something up, my job gets harder. These are required tasks that I need to complete to function in the classroom. This isn’t about me going overboard. This is about a job that requires 20-30 hours a week of behind-the-scenes work, but I am given 4.5 hours of uninterrupted time to get it done.

It isn’t about saying “No.” I refuse to do things ALL THE TIME. If I didn’t, I’d be working over 80.

Exactly... 'just do less'..... of what specifically? Not that simple.

I stopped filling out IEP paperwork and quarterly reports. No time to do it.