quitting teaching was the best thing i ever did

But if Im focused on helping other people, it doesnt matter if I mess up or say something incorrectly because the ultimate goal isnt in my perfectionits in serving others. Unless I wanted to move back in with my parents, it was clear that I couldnt cut costs any moreI needed more income. Voices Why I am quitting teaching after more than 12 years in the profession. I also worked closely with other Professional Development trainers and many other educational companies. I talk about this more in this post, but working hard on TPT pushed me to try new things, create more, and become a better teacher overall. Quitting Teaching Was The Best Thing I Ever Did. Life is short, and if your work impacts every component of your life negatively, its time to re-evaluate. 4. Signup for my newsletter The Lounge and be the first to hear about new teaching resources, blog posts, and oh, so much more! Something just didnt feel right. Thats why your reason for leaving needs to be bigger than the pull youll inevitably encounter to stay in your comfort zone or go back to when things get hard. If I never taught, I wouldnt be able to create resources for other teachers transitioning out of the classroom. I wanted to put it all out on the table, in case it helps anyone else. I can also recognize the value in the time I did spend in the classroom. I am not exaggerating when I tell you I had NO knowledge of what I was getting myself into. I first used the new income to pay off my credit card debt. Plus, my new TPT Profitability course is adding to my overall bottom line. She didnt understand that I needed the part-time job because I taught. But if I can do it, you can too and that is what todays episode is all about. I hoped this new job would help things click for me. The good news is there is life after teaching. I wont be able to contribute as much, but I hope that with time, my TpT earnings will far outpace what my teaching earnings would have ever done. What if districts banned TpT resources or the website disappeared? . Teachers are monitored, scrutinised and graded as though working a 55-hour week for 32 hours' pay is a special privilege Firstly, teaching just isnt a perfect match for me. No more stress, no more guilt, no more doubts. I didnt love my job, but I thought that I could grow to love it. So obviously, this seems like an ideal situation for someone who really likes security. . As a result, they place blame elsewhere. I invite you to be selfish and make the best decision for you. I also worked really hard on making a unit that I thought would engage my students. I get excited to blog, create products, and learn more about running a business. In a new interview with The New York Hardcore Chronicles LIVE!, Phil Demmel, who left MACHINE HEAD more than four years ago, reflected on his decision to exit the band, saying: "I think that it . I realized that there were so many others in the same position that I had been in. I shared in my stories th." Within a few years, I received an offer for an Instructional Designer position. I did what anyone does when they have a crisis moment I turned to the internet. And while this can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it, the world of education has enlarged itself over and over again producing so many unique job opportunities for teachers. My fading of energy. After all, I had heard rumors about the corporate world and the grueling, unforgiving place it was. I now realize it wasn't the teaching I hated. And Im so glad that I was able to leave on good terms because since that time Ive had the opportunity to fill in for a maternity leave and this year Im in a grant funded consultant position with the same school system. Ive used a Profit First system to manage my business finances and to decide how much to defer to taxes, how much to pay myself monthly, and how much to reinvest in my business. This essentially worked as extra prep time for me. (Only a few months later, of course, a global pandemic would begin.). This post could be what they need to make a change! And it is at that point that the very same job security that made us feel safe has become a prison. My colleagues and I panicked. After coming home from a long day at school, I sat down and worked on my own business for a few more hours. Talk about burning the candle at both ends! Now you might be thinking, Wait a secondif thats what God designed you to do, shouldnt you be doing that? Well, that is a very astute point. I was a late bloomer. I didnt understand it at the time, but I had this feeling deep down that I was drowning. Quitting teaching will also give me time to pursue other interests: marathon training, painting, writing, a new degree. I knew I could switch districts for a pay increase, but I didnt want to leave my school or take on a long commute. (Insert guilt here.) But leaning into my strengths gave me the gumption and fortitude to push through strengthening my weaknesses. You know yourself and your situation better than anyone else. I remember feeling like an absolute failure in my last year of teaching. After all, it was my dream teaching position. I could build additional income or start a passion project Id been putting off. However, I do have years of experience to draw on, and right now I have more ideas for resources than I have time for. Regardless of how they became strengths, they are an important part of our unique skill set. Even as a new parent, I knew that I was going to parent my children to understand how to use a growth mindset to be the best that they can be. I had several phone calls with colleagues. (We both know you work way more.) Many teachers complain about the behavior or attitude of their students as the main reason they hate their jobs. It didnt help that there were teachers making the same, if not more, yet did less work and put less effort into their job. I was thinking about possibly going back to school, but if Im still on a first-year salary, I dont think I can do that, I had said. Perhaps the thing that lights you up inside is the thought that you will make a more significant impact on the world of education. The majority of this the first year will definitely need to be put into an IRA for myself. Lastly, if I quit teaching, Ill have opportunities for other things in my life. This next section is just a quick outline of my quitting teaching plan. As I already mentioned, Ive always felt very comfortable working with kids and helping them be confident and capable learners. Now butchers, teachers and photographers, these former journalists say quitting the field was the best thing they ever did. Even better? I never came home and complained about my students. Fast forward a few years and I discovered a love for scrapbooking. There were no negative experiences or toxic culture situations. Schools were wholly unprepared to close due to a global health pandemic. No other career will challenge you to grow in the ways that this one does; no other career will teach you the empathy that this one can. Thats 2,340 hours annually. However, I have saved a personal emergency fund for myself for six months. I have my community through my email and Instagram that I can poll for ideas, also. And this is just a short listing of what all is available. I was stuck in this career. I think it will be awhile before I run out of much-needed resources to create. It was a risk, I figured, but I hoped that it was a calculated one. In reality, I learned a lot about myself, my desires, and life in general once I let go of my teaching career. And most importantly, I will be around during all of the precious, irreplaceable moments at home. Whether we intend to or not, by default, education teaches students: I loved helping students learn about growth mindset and how they can see challenges as opportunities for growth. At my local technical college, its much cheaper than a masters in education would be, plus, thanks to the pandemic, I can do the whole program online and asynchronously. I also started working on the Teacher Career Coach course and website to support teachers looking to transition out of the classroom. Hey, maybe it did make you happy for some time. You never know when or how it will come in handy. Quitting Teaching Was The Best Thing I Ever Did. Plus, if I sub for one or two days a week, the extra income can help fill in any financial gaps or help me add to my retirement. In some cases, that is what I believe teaching has become. My mortgage was my only debt and I tracked my expenses. I want to travel more, and it would be nice to be able to book tickets during non-peak seasons and to not have to write lesson plans for while Im gone. My role in education isnt disappearing; its just going to look a little different. Here are the ten things I learned since leaving the classroom that you need to know. I want to help you get some clarity in the options available to you. For about eight months, I was working two full-time jobs. In year four of teaching for me, the district finally took steps to address the pay freeze. When youre on salary and expected to work long hours, it doesnt add up. The Profit First model of accounting allows for quarterly bonuses, which I dont factor into my salary from my business. It's too easy to point out the trying nat." Leah Gervais on Instagram: "What's the best thing that happened to you in 2020? I hit my stride, found some work-life balance, and counted down to summers. My experience with education is what introduced me to the concept of a growth mindset. Every year, I thought about quitting. I realized I had no idea where to even start with figuring out my next move. Now, family aside, teaching has many, many challenges that make it a struggle to sustain. Ill take the guesswork out of designing a fast & mobile-friendly website, so you can spend your time creating amazing content for your clients. But I was a completely unprepared first-year teacher, thrown into a room of at-risk students with no curriculum, no support. Thats what inspired me to create the Teacher Career Coach resources in the first place. I started over several times. At this point, I had made peace with my job. It took a lot of work, but I soon had my students actually living and breathing growth mindset. Do you want to take your dogs for a long hike? I was simply a girl who loved reading, did well in English class, wanted a stable career with benefits, and who didnt mind the sound of summers off. Honestly, I think my retirement will just take a hit for a year. While its true I was able to impact up to 85 students my last year, now as a coach, TpT author, course creator, website designer, blogger, and podcaster, Im able to reach thousands of people. For more on growth mindset, check out our top 5 takeaways from Carol Dwecks Mindset. Now I use that same creativity to design websites (or online scrapbooks as I like to think of them) that are unique and customized to the person for which I am designing. I started seeing my doctor for stress-related illnesses more and more often. I would be able to buy myself a coffee occasionally on Fridays (I had stopped going out for lunch or coffee with my coworkers by this point because I couldnt afford it). You're rushing to your car as fast as your wobbly knees can take you. If I want to go back to teaching, I can. I will apply the lessons I learned about growth mindset and parenting in my own family. The companies I work for all value those skills and experiences I gained as a teacher. I learned how to relate to my students better. W. With an MBA from . Knowing that the door is still open to go back into the classroom because I didnt burn any bridges allows me to feel confident as I pursue ventures outside the classroom and now back in the classroom. I believe this to be a result of a fixed mindset problem in education. Before I share why quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did as well as the ten things Ive learned after quitting teaching twice, I want to share my heart. While it made planning for the future easy, I felt like I was chasing a salary that I wouldnt reach until 10 or 15 years down the road no ifs, ands, or buts. I felt guilty for the thoughts I had about leaving the classroom. You might want to use your previous principal or admin as a reference at some point. Or that I was just giving up. Rioters smashed nearly every window on the first floor. And I could barely make my rent in Los Angeles, despite having my Masters degree. The types of parents who react this way when their children perform poorly are the ones who have praised their children for being smart from day one. That was a major (albeit slow) turning point for me. Id reapply my makeup once I got there in hopes of covering up the truth. Im already planning on making some resources for my current colleagues over the summer that Ill also sell. That meant starting the school year unable to open boarded-up windows. Ive had so many great products and blog posts created that I never released into the world because they werent good enough by my standards. It seems that every student who fails or performs poorly (or doesnt score perfect!) Im also working on an associates degree. COVID-19. They dont prepare you for what to do if you dont. Strength to serve and help others on a grander scale. It's an unusual circumstance, no doubt, but the transition for teachers was particularly tough. This allowed me to reach more students each day. I used the extra time at home to add a digital course to my business. Meet JenniferShop ResourcesDisclaimerPrivacy PolicyTerms of Use, Private CoachingWebsite DesignStart a TpT ShopTeach ESLSide Hustling, Math + LiteracyBooks for KidsLife SkillsEnvironmentTeacher Life, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." The truth was I was miserable. During my fifth year of teaching, I made two big decisions that would dramatically change my situation: The latter was mostly on a whim. Start building that network! You just have to find the courage to take the leap. 1 Corinthians 10:31 , 10 Things I Learned After Quitting Teaching Twice, 6. Like I said before, the first time I left the classroom, my husband and I had a plan. Things change. When I looked at job postings, I didnt have ANY idea what to expect for a starting wage. After finally deciding to leave at the end of that year, I remember panicking. Its important to note that not all companies are like this. The first-year jitters became the second-year jitters, and by year three, I was constantly questioning whether or not I had pursued the right career path. Quitting Teaching: The Financial Tipping Point (2016) As I said, I was hired during the first year of a district-wide pay . This was not the first time that I had felt unappreciated by my district. is able to lay out exactly why they should have gotten a better mark. This means that if I submit dates and my manager agrees, I receive paid time off for vacations or personal reasons. We hadnt planned this outwe simply felt the Lord impressing on our hearts that we needed to pull our kids from the public school system to homeschool them. 30. There are a lot of unknowns ahead of me. Talk about scary!!! Obviously, I didnt run. This is a pretty big deal for someone who has always been a perfectionist. Then, I began to use some of it to start a retirement account external to my job. It may be scary to consider change, but leaving the classroom was the best thing that I could have done. Teaching has shown me the world through hundreds of different perspectives; its changed me fundamentally. Seth Godin once said, "Winners quit all the time, they just quit the right things at the right time.". Virtual teaching felt the safest and most common-sense option when there were so many unknowns. Life is short. Were suddenly selfish, weak, or selling out. Up to 50% of new teachers are leaving the profession within the first five years. (My district also was not paying for our tuition, aside from a small credit.). It would ease my worries and provide an alternative route to making money that isnt going back to teaching. This doesnt mean you wont be missed by students, other teachers and faculty members, or your principal; but if you wont be there to do the job, you have to be replaced by someone who will. I know those can feel like lonely thoughts, worrying that your co-workers wont understand or will shame you for considering an alternative. One thing I learned in my life after teaching is that many salaries can be negotiated upon hiring. In Texas you are risking your teaching license being suspended. And while talking incessantly about your never-ending list of strengths is definitely a source of annoyance to anyone stuck listening, acknowledging specific strengths you possess is actually a good thing. Are you asked to stay late for Back-to-School nights, carnivals, parent-teacher conferences? I knew it had to . I knew that in a heartbeat, I could be replaced by a sub or an even cheaper first-year teacher, and the loss would not bother the district. Now that Im on the other side of my decision, I know that quitting teaching in the traditional classroom was the best thing for me. The nonsensical testing and the collection of data is such a waste of time. During school, I made the easy choices without ever thinking about what being a teacher would actually be like. Teaching seemed like a good backup, but I thought I would figure it out in college. I will always be grateful and glad for the time I spent teaching. Capacity to lean into my strengths and strengthen my areas of weakness. My only option was to leave or accept poor pay forever. If I can take this leap, I think well be better off financially for it in the long run. Using positive affirmations to start your day will help you take control of your day from the first minute to the last. Since I planned on Teachers Pay Teachers replacing my salarynot adding to itI have not allowed myself to use my profits for bills or new expenses. Im not saying its all about money, but it does feel good to have more opportunities for financial stability. There are many, many TpT sellers who sell full-time and have been out of the classroom for a long time. They are also one of the main reasons why quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did. Oh, and no sub plans required. This isnt common in teaching, and its still underutilized in other industries (especially amongst female job candidates). The first time I left the classroom was to be a stay at home mom to my two boys until my youngest started kindergarten. And here I was againlocked into a contract with an employer who didnt care about me or my colleagues. This podcast episode is not intended to knock teaching or anyone who chooses to continue teaching. (If only they knew.) Its weird to leave something you thought would be your forever career, or something you hoped would bring you joy. I began researching how other Teachers Pay Teachers sellers created their resources and packaged their material. I dont want to give up all of my working years to a job I kind of like, even if it helps others. As soon as I had a clear strategy for quitting teachingusing Teaches Pay Teachers to replace my salaryI worked on growing my business religiously. It was frightening losing full time pay, but it has given me fulltime peace of mind. Without further education, I couldnt really switch roles in education or pursue the career path further. I was absolutely sure that I could learn these new skills if I had the opportunity to practice them, and I was determined to be successful. This podcast episode is not intended to knock teaching or anyone who chooses to continue teaching. Unfortunately, I wasnt very successful; but at that point in my life, I didnt really have the time, knowledge, or capacity to be successful. During this time, Blake and I also got engaged, which might be helpful information later. Here is the truthto our families and friends we are irreplaceable, but as employees, we are all expendable. My current career is a combination of the things I love and the things I am good at. It was an extra $200 a month, which maybe isnt much to many, but it helped me at the time.

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