I want to leave teaching! What now?

January is an emotive time. The start of a new year always invites reflection, as we are encouraged to think about where we are and what we want to achieve going forward. For teachers who are already feeling pressure or dissatisfaction in their job, it can be a catalyst for seeking change. This can be as extreme as wanting to leave the profession altogether and seek an alternative career.

I often get asked how I ‘escaped’ teaching!

It’s an interesting question and to be completely honest, there were many times in my sixteen years in the classroom that I did look for a different path, but in the end, I left because of a number of factors, none of which were to do with the job itself. I would love to be back in my classroom, teaching literature. I really miss it.

After leaving teaching, I learned that it wasn’t really a burning desire to escape teaching that had motivated me to research other jobs back in the days when things were tough (Educational psychologist? Law conversion course? University administration?). It was the set of circumstances I kept finding myself in that weren’t working for me.

At this point, I want to fully acknowledge that teaching is a tough job. It requires a lot of you as a professional because no two days are the same. You are having to exert control over so many factors that you have very little influence over, and that can be frustrating and difficult. Yet, it is also incredibly rewarding and exciting: the variety you experience combined with the constant change means that you never stand still. Also, the pupils will provide you with endless glorious moments that you will still recall many, many years later.

In hindsight, there were elements of myself that I could have understood better in my early career. Had I taken the time to think about my approach to my job and my values, things may have been different. This is why I now work in teacher training: I am passionate about empowering teachers to feel in control of their professional lives so they don’t end up as I did, unable to continue whether they want to or not.

So if you are reading this, seeking that change in your career, please consider the following points:

Remember why you chose teaching in the first place

It can be good to regroup and think about where it all started. What motivated you to get into the classroom in the beginning? Are these factors still relevant to you now? Ultimately, there is a huge teacher shortage across the globe, so it is a very secure job. If you can reconnect with your initial motivation and correct your path so that you are working in alignment with what matters to you, it is better than trying to start from the beginning elsewhere.

Reconnect with your values

There are many fantastic exercises online to help you to think about your core values. We often talk about upholding values, but the truth is that many people have never really defined what these are for themselves. Working in a way that supports your values is fundamentally important to your overall wellbeing, so taking some time to consider what they are will then enable you to identify how well these are operating in practice.

Reflection is important

Taking time to reflect on your professional life is vital so that you can be intentional with what you choose to do. If you are feeling like things are out of control, reflection can help you to start consciously deciding your path forward. Across the professional world, many people pay money to be coached or mentored: reflection is at the heart of this - it’s simply formalising time to think about what’s happened and where next. You can draw on a colleague and support each other if having that coaching relationship is important to you.

Looking after yourself is essential

You can’t be a good teacher if you are run-down or unwell. You must rest when sick – struggling into school will not benefit anyone. I use the aeroplane analogy when I train teachers: we put on our oxygen masks first before we try to help others. Your wellbeing is an absolute priority. Learn to say no to things: I find many teachers were good students themselves, happy to put up their hands and volunteer. You simply can’t sustain this in teaching: the expectation for teachers to do extra will always be there and there will always be things to do. Decide your limits and stick to them. You have to make space for rest, family, friends, hobbies and a life outside your job. If you’ve taken on too much, start to hand things back and feel no shame in that. It’s a common problem for teachers and better you get yourself a manageable workload that keeps you in the role, than be overburdened with no time for yourself and wanting to leave.

Drop the idea of outstanding practice

If something stands out, it’s because it’s beyond the norm. Good is good enough: there is no place for perfectionism. Good teachers get the job done in a sustainable way and that is the key to success.

It takes time to feel confident

We encourage pupils to have a growth mindset and understand learning is not a linear path, so why should it be any different for teachers? It takes time to really feel confident as a teacher, even then, there will always be new policies, new pedagogies, new things to learn and implement. If you feel out of your depth, be honest and have some professional conversations with colleagues. We are here to support each other, and you can learn: be open and seek solutions. You will not be the first teacher to find something difficult. We all have strengths and weaknesses, regardless of length of service.

‘A change is as good as a rest’

Think about whether a move to another school would provide fresh challenge. As in any professional role, being in the same place for a long time can make you feel stagnant. There are problems and politics in every job, as you will find as you move around, but that initial period in a new place can help to enthuse you as you try new things and navigate a new context. This could also be a change in role in your current school.

Brush up your teaching C.V.

Making the decision to move will prompt you to reflect and review what you have done in order to make a strong application elsewhere. It can be helpful to confide in a trusted colleague if you are finding it hard to identify professional strengths: sometimes when we are run-down, we lose perspective on what we have and focus more on what we lack. You will have many strengths to draw on, you just need a little space and maybe a little help to remember what these are. You are a teacher: you motivate and inspire people every day, it will come!

Do you really want that leadership role?

It seems to be an expectation that people want promotion, that if you have a professional life, you must seek to climb a ladder and gain the higher salary and the higher status. This can result in people accepting managerial roles when actually they don’t want to manage a team or be a leader. Leadership is only one way to make steps forward in your career. You can develop your expertise in the classroom. You might want to pursue further study. You might blog or publish about teaching. We are a profession that revolves around the research and ideas of other teachers so there is a lot of opportunity to cultivate your career without managing, unless you want that for yourself.

Could you step back?

If you are in a senior role already, consider a back step. If you enjoyed teaching before you took promotion, it is highly likely you will enjoy it again. It seems a shame to move away from the profession if it’s the managerial aspects you don’t enjoy, rather than teaching itself. You will make up lost salary in time by exploring other avenues, such as research and publication. Consider working as an affiliate in teacher training around your main role. Develop your expertise in aspects of the job that actually matter to you. Move school if you need a fresh start. There are many regions offering high salaries for experienced teachers at the moment, so have a look at what is out there for you.

Have you really explored the problem?

It can often feel like leaving is the solution, but it will actually create a lot of uncertainty and work in its own right. You might have to retrain or take a drop in salary to make a change that big. Some issues aren’t industry-specific and you will find they exist in other professions too. Start by really identifying what the problems are – what is driving you to want to leave – and do some research on this. Read around it. There will be other people out there who have found solutions. You might still want to leave, but at least you will be making that decision with full understanding.

Still want to leave?

What can you do? Anything you want. It is unlikely you leave a difficult situation feeling highly motivated for the next challenge, but you really can do whatever captures your interest. The issue is usually financial, so I would suggest having something in the bank to create some space for yourself. If you have dependents and financial obligations, of course this becomes much more difficult for you. That is why I always suggest a complete review of where you are in teaching before you choose to walk away from it. Often a change in school and/or a change in role can really refresh your enthusiasm for the job. There’s nothing stopping you setting an end-point and then working on other routes around your current role. I understand time can be limited, but if you really want to make that change, it’s the best way forward. You can retrain, build a business, learn anything you want remotely and at a time to suit you.

Never say never

If you do leave, always remember, you can come back. Having a break, experiencing the pressures of a different working environment and different working conditions may well leave you wanting to return. The door will always be open as we need great, experienced teachers in classrooms.

Finally, there are always options

However difficult it might seem, however big the problems, there is always a solution and it will work out in the end. We can lose perspective when times are hard. Seek help from others, use the support you have, take any time you need. Above all, reflect carefully on where you are and what you want. Get intentional and things will start to fall into line for you.

Joanne Robinson, BA, MA, PGCE, FCCT, is an education consultant with significant experience leading teacher training programmes.

Before entering teacher training, she taught in secondary education for 16 years. She now delivers postgraduate courses and advises on programmes of professional development for schools. She is keen to promote inclusive education that centres upon the wellbeing and autonomy of teachers as well as pupils.

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