Fellow teachers...would you leave teaching if given the opportunity?

Question

I have a great opportunity to return to a job that I really liked before I started teaching 3 years ago. The only reason I left the job was to pursue my "dream" of teaching. The job has excellent benefits , has a very pleasant work environment (unlike my present school), and after my meeting tomorrow I may even be able to negotiate a pay raise from my teaching position. At the very least I should be making the same amount. If I make the same amount there are also yearly incentive bonuses to be made. Of course these are not guaranteed but I always got one in the past which were about several thousand dollars above my base salary.

Of course I will be giving up summers and school breaks BUT the days I do work will not include a fraction of the overtime I work now.

I am not happy teaching but do you think 3 years is long enough to be able to tell? I think I gave this a fair shot and should know by now if it will make me happy? Would you take this job if you were me?

Answer 1

I have been teaching for 10 years and no, I would not give up my job for any other.  I worked for a number of years in another job prior to teaching and what I've learned is that every job comes with its own type of stress.  There are some stressful and distressing things about education today, but it is a type of stress that I handle fairly well--and I enjoy what I'm doing.  However, if you are not happy you should not be teaching.  Summers and other breaks don't make up for the fact that you just don't want to be there.  This is a job where you really owe it to someone else (about 30 someone elses) to be there because it is the right job for you.  If it is not, you should move on.  Best of luck to you.

Answer 2

There is nothing worse than a teacher who does not want to teach any longer.  Everyone remembers that old, grumpy, lousy teacher who does not love the kids.  Don't become one of those people!!

Answer 3

Many teachers decide whether they want to continue teaching within their first five years in the classroom.

I'll be honest. I know someone in your position. She teaches first grade with me. She went through alternative certification as well. She is just not happy. She is entering her fourth year of teaching this year, and I can't understand why she keeps coming back. Don't get me wrong, I really like her, but it's not fair to her or her students.

If I were you, I would take the job you love. You deserve to be happy and the students deserve to have a teacher that wants to be there.

Answer 4

I know this is chatting, but what state do you teach in and what subject?

Most teachers realize they don't like the job before 7 years.

Answer 5

Get out of the classroom of a Public School and go to where you can be effective and get a pay check.

Now of course you can teach in the volunteer roles if teaching is a thing you love.  I love it, but you could not get me into the public system for a huge paycheck.  I teach privately and volunteer stuff.

PLEASE get the job that fulfills.  Teaching is a calling and you need to get into your love rather than what you 'think' was a dream.

Answer 6

Nope!

As a classroom teacher, computer tutor, part-time professor, corporate trainer, etc., teaching is not what I do. It's who I am.

Even if I left the trenches of the traditional classroom, I would still choose to be an educator.

Answer 7

What I'm going to say is going to sting.

You have already made your decision.

3 years is not long enough to know, but this probably wont change anything. You are still just trying to figure out how to deal with behavior and all the different levels in your classes. There are things that you will never experience untill youve been on the job for 5 or more years. *Thats* when you'll know. Sad thing is half of all teacher leave before that point.

Here is what I get to see, that you won't:

I get satisfaction every day.

Every day is different.

I decide what to do and when to do it.

I am connected to thousands of lives.

Former students inviting me to their quincinieras, high school graduations and college graduations!

students informing me of their career choices - my first doctor this last year -(older sister of one of my outgoing kids)

I have now been teaching long enough to see engineers, musicians, teachers and business owners come from my former students.

I have connections to entire families that run through my school.

I soon will see children of my former students

I see students when they have that "aha" moment

I get to teach about the grandeur of life and the beauty of mathematics.

a former student of mine is now my colleague.

I am stopped often at public places by adults who I barely recognize but say that they were in my class years ago.

I have parents who send me food because I mentioned I liked a certain dish, and they wanted to share their version.

I get thanks, smiles and appreciative gestures daily

Finally, to answer your question: "would you leave teaching if given the opportunity?"

I teach math and science. I have the opportunity every single year. There is opportunities to go into administration, coaching, mentoring. I decided at about year 5 that this is what I do. When you are a bit older, you will see that salary isnt what its about.

Good luck to you!

Answer 8

I firmly believe that you should not stay in a job that makes you miserable! I love teaching, but teaching has been my dream since I was a small child.  If I were you, I wouldn't keep doing it.  The reason that many good teacher prep programs give the students experience in the classroom is so that those people who do not really want to teach can figure that out...and they don't spend three years in the classroom.

You have given this job enough time.  It isn't going to suddenly get better one day. Maybe you just found out that teaching wasn't your dream after all, and that's okay! Go for the other job.