Should I leave teaching?

Question

I have been teaching now for 6 years and have a good job in a girls' independent school. I am an English teacher and just feel as if I have no life outside teaching during term time. I will mark/prepare until late at night every night and I feel tired every day. I am in my late 20s with a top notch academic background- is it too late to start again in a new career?

Answer 1

Its never too late to start a new career - I've known people start new careers in their 60s and without the educational background you have!

I think a good idea though is to distance yourself from the situation a little. It sounds to me like teaching is very much getting on top of you and wearing you down, and this may be putting you in a rather desperate and unhappy frame of mind. It might be an idea to write down why you got into teaching in the first place. What was it about the career that appealed to you, and in what ways has it not met with your expectations?

If you feel after making such a list that it definitely is not the career for you then look back at the list of things you liked about the 'idea' of teaching and work from there in terms of what your next career move could be.

For example - for me personally, I like the fact that no day is the same in teaching. I like the fact that it is active and not a 'sitting in the office' type job. And I like working with people who say what they think and express themselves spontaneously and sometimes hilariously. So if I were thinking of changing career, I would want something that offered me those same perks.

I think the worst thing would be to be hasty and move careers for the sake of getting OUT of teaching, rather than for the sake of getting INTO something you really want to do.

Good luck with it though, it is always really sad to hear of yet another casualty of the current teaching situation - yet another one of us exhausted by a huge workload and depressing amounts of stress!  

Answer 2

nope defo not too late, im 25 and have just started in accountancy,its never too late.

decide what u would lke to do, then train then go for it.

If its just about the social life and u like teaching, maybe its worth joining some social groups where u live or change schools.

good luck

Answer 3

Absolutely not! You can certainly get a degree in something you would prefer more but if you would like to stay in the teaching field with part time hours then here are some options of things you might want to do.

~Special Ed Teacher

~Early Childhood Teacher

~Gifted and Talented Teacher

~Specialized Reading

~Specialized Math

~After School Tutoring

~Part time kindergarden

Answer 4

I am also a qualified English teacher and at the moment I work as an IT consultant. Out of experience I can tell you: it's never too late to change and you don't know how many times in your life you will have to change profession.

Don't punish yourself with doing a job you don't enjoy anymore.

Go, find out what else is out there and you might find it even pays more than teaching. ;-)

Answer 5

Well to be honest, I'm not going to be critical or judgemental but I see my teachers in my school.. in the Philippines and they are so incredibly young because they graduate in grade 10 and go to college and finish by the time their 20. It's insane. But anywho, I see them teaching in my school and wonder if they're going to be happy teaching for so long. The academic system here in the Philippines is definitely harder than other places and I'm not sure if they'll enjoy this from their 20's until they get old. They don't seem to mind, but from what you say.. it seems like you do want to quit. Don't listen to the people who tell you no. It's pretty obvious you want to leave, but you're afraid of making the wrong decision. Do what you're instincts tell you, follow your heart. If it doesn't work out, you can always go back to teaching.

One of my teachers who is about 20 years old, well she taught Math for about 5 years then she moved, had a baby and went to work for an airlines. Now she seems to be coming back to where she lives to teach again, but for something higher which is college.

So there's a story, I think you're young. You might be good at teaching but take some time off. Do something for yourself, try new things. Being a teacher can give you many opportunities and potential to do a lot of things so take advantage of that. If it doesn't work out, then again, go back to teaching. It's not the students who are leaving. You are if you make the decision, but the students will always be there.

G'luck!

Answer 6

No it's not too late and you will find that ex teachers are in demand in other professions because of the qualities that you need to be a teacher.

I would suggest approaching a good recruitment agency and see what they have to offer.

Answer 7

You are young and need to find your passion.  It may just be that particular school and curriculum.  You dont say if you student taught or where?   Maybe you are not allowing yourself to take advantage of other alternatives....a student volunteer helper? you could grade them and give them their scores 3 days later not the next day?  Grade them in class together?  Sometimes we can get caught up in thinking we aer the only one that can do something and pressure ourselves when a little sharing of the load could be done.

With your training there are limitless possiblities to what you can do and where you can go!!!

Take advantage of that while you are young.  Live so you willl have no regrets.   Search deep inside yourself for what you really want out of life and your career...then go for it!!!

Good luck  and don't second guess your solution or procrastinate!!!We dont want to see you back on here next year with the same feelings!!! lol  

Answer 8

of course u can! u must possess the power of willness to guide ur new career! gud luck

Answer 9

Another career is certainly an option and it's NEVER too late to start something new. However, do you really want to leave teaching? Is it just the demanding workload or are you burnt out on students?

I spent the first 6 months of my first year of teaching always being the one to arrive earliest and leave latest. I didn't have a life outside my job, spending every night marking papers and writing exams. Then I figured out I needed a routine. I quit socialising during the work day so much and spent free periods marking like mad, sometimes even through lunch if I needed to. I also employed a "teacher's aide" who marked the easier areas. But the biggest hint of all - I put the responsibility more into the hands of my students. They corrected their own work in class. On bigger papers, they peer edit AT LEAST twice before I ever see their paper so there's much less marking for me to do. Granted, it does take class time to teach them these skills (i.e. peer editing) but they are not only worthwhile to the student in the long run, but they make your free time yours again.

My friend and colleague recently thanked me for getting emotional about working during the summer (I was so against it) because, as she put it, I reminded her that it's okay to take time out for herself. We can't be perfect. Ever. And the students get that. SO, if you want to go out one weekend, go. Tell your students they'll get their papers back as soon as you get them done. They can deal with it. I had teachers in high school who sometime didn't get ours back to us for a month, and we truly didn't mind at all.

Sorry for being long winded - I'm actually in the middle of writing a book for teachers and this is a huge chapter in it. I would just hate to see you leave something that you're good at and you like, with the exception of all the marking. But, if you can find that balance...it's all worth it in the end.

Answer 10

I agree with the others.  Don't continue to do the job if you no longer enjoy it.  You owe it to yourself and those who might become your future students to seek a change of career.

In my own teaching career I've met too many teachers who should have got out early, before it was too late.  Teachers who stay too long and eventually become embittered or utterly disillusioned are not good for the students.

I eventually quit teaching and followed another career.  Now I'm over retirement age I am happily embarked on a third career, which I do simply because I want to, and not for the money.  I don't need it.  it's a bonus.  I already have two adequate occupational pensions.

Answer 11

English teaching is very tough.  Sometimes I think it is the hardest subject, particularly with the marking.

I felt like this during my second year of teaching. The school was putting way too much pressure on us for results.  Examples: We were forced to stay behind for meetings up to 6.30pm on some occasions and were frowned upon if you had an appointment or prior arrangement.  None of us had kids but who knows what we would have been expected to do with them until 6.30!  We were also made to go to the HODs house before an ofsted inspection and stayed until 11.30pm making resources. CRAZY!

I knew it was too much so I moved to another school.  It is much better now.  There is still a lot of pressure but I have found that I can manage my time a lot better and don't take nearly as much work home.  Can you use peer assessment to help cut down on marking?  How about sharing resources/schemes of work with colleagues.  That should really cut down on your time spent planning and marking.  But if you don't want to teach anymore of course it's not too late to find a new career.  Think about changing schools first though as this may be the solution.

good luck

xx

Answer 12

No, it's no to late to start a new career.  I taught school for 7 years and then started a new career.  I completely understand your frustrations with teaching.  I have been away from it for 4 years and I'm a much less stressed and much happier person than I was when I was a teacher.

Answer 13

i was going to enroll in the teaching program in my local college this month. but ya'll de-motivated me. i shall try nursing.

Answer 14

You're working much too hard, my friend.  Work shouldn't be taking up all your time.  It's very possible to do an outstanding job without allowing your teaching to consume your life.

Before you change careers, think through the ways you could change your approach to your current career.  Think carefully and thoroughly about how you could work *smarter*.  This may require a very deep conversation with a trusted, honest colleague or friend (or a career counselor).

Believe me:  It IS possible to teach excellently and have a happy, full life outside school.  The very best teachers I know do it all the time!