During school, I made the easy choices without ever thinking about what being a teacher would actually be like. While teaching can be an incredibly rewarding profession, all of these demands made it difficult to be present at home. The majority of this the first year will definitely need to be put into an IRA for myself. You just have to do your research. If youve realized you do want to leave teaching, there are plenty of resources to help find that next job for you. Even if my fears are irrational, having a backup plan seems like a good idea. If you ever choose to return after quitting teaching, you have the ability to do so without any black marks on your record. You're rushing to your car as fast as your wobbly knees can take you. Not everyone has a spouse or a spouse whose job will provide such benefits. I uploaded pieces of my new unit as I finished them. 243 likes, 27 comments - Leah Gervais (@leahgervais_) on Instagram: "What's the best thing that happened to you in 2020? You might want to use your previous principal or admin as a reference at some point. We can do so many things outside of teaching in a traditional classroom setting! I talk about my unit overhaul in more depth over here, but as I created all new materials from scratch, I decided I might as well make them Teachers Pay Teachers worthy. After all, if I needed these resources, someone else might too. (My district also was not paying for our tuition, aside from a small credit.). It seemed like the only move I could try to make was in administration, but even that usually required additional degrees. If youd like the shorter version, click here, I talk about my unit overhaul in more depth over here, By September of the next school year, I had hit my first $1000 month, 4 Tips for Any High School Teacher with Social Anxiety, I started selling on Teachers Pay Teachers. That leaves just two months for me to figure out. Quitting was the best thing I ever did. To avoid lifestyle creep, I created a rule for myself. But the world we live in now is so different from the world the previous generation knew. This podcast episode is not intended to knock teaching or anyone who chooses to continue teaching. It became clear that the path I had mapped out for myself was NOT the best path for my life. I absolutely loved teaching; in fact, spoiler alertI am working with kids this . As a new parent, I really wanted to be at home and focusing on my family. Quitting with no plan was terrifying. Many high-risk teachers only agreed to return because we were virtual. So the most important part of my plan for quitting teaching is to continue expanding my Teachers Pay Teachers business. During my time on the committee, I conducted research into how to use a growth mindset to transform student learning. Plus, quitting teaching will allow me to pour more time into my business. My colleagues and I panicked. If they can do it, I must believe that I can too. Right now, I cant look at the numbers and honestly say that my Teachers Pay Teachers business will completely replace my teachers salary next year. (Only a few months later, of course, a global pandemic would begin.). I learned to plan lessons more efficiently. But I couldnt do it anymore. Worst of all, my efforts to introduce the power of the growth mindset to the school and its students was being tarnished by the complex relationship between parents, students, and the school administration. But I want to mention a truly sobering thought. I bought a foreclosed condo (the mortgage was cheaper than the rent I had been paying) and moved into it with a roommate to split the bills. Hold yourself together for ten more feet. It's time to think of teachers as expert learners, who can grow students as learners capable of adapting in the modern world. I realized I had no idea where to even start with figuring out my next move. I was used to working long hours. It would ease my worries and provide an alternative route to making money that isnt going back to teaching. This podcast episode is not intended to knock teaching or anyone who chooses to continue teaching. Teachers do their best to challenge students to apply themselves, but end up taking the blame when students dont perform. My fading of energy. There were no negative experiences or toxic culture situations. As a kid, I did not play school. I didnt study teaching books for fun, and I never volunteered to babysit growing up. As I mentioned at the beginning of this podcast, I was blessed with a great ability to connect with young children. But what I didnt realize until after quitting teaching was just how many more people I could help outside the classroom. It was the best thing I ever did and now I have the life I should have had. 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. Creating TPT-ready resources was more of a personal challenge to keep away boredom during those computer classes. I invite you to help me rewrite the script. I enjoyed working with the students, but it wasnt quite enough. <br /><br />Working with children . But Im ready to take a leap and take a chance on myself. After two years, I was approached about taking a job as an Instructional Designer. To my surprise, the educational companies Ive worked for mimic a teachers schedule. And I could barely make my rent in Los Angeles, despite having my Masters degree. However, I knew there was something else out there that was a better fit for me, my strengths, and my desire for a work/life balance. I was totally lost when looking for employment opportunities outside the classroom. I did everything I could to help myself financially. This was not the first time that I had felt unappreciated by my district. It was a stepping stone. I hit my stride, found some work-life balance, and counted down to summers. I began my own TPT store. Have I always been creative? Seth Godin once said, "Winners quit all the time, they just quit the right things at the right time.". I wanted to ensure their teachers and staff had access to amazing resources. You should never make a career change without carefully researching all your options. Plus, if I do sub once a week, I can use some of that income for additional retirement contributions. All of the demands and stresses of the job were at least somewhat manageable prior to having children, however, things changed when I became a parent. Teachers Pay Teachers changed me. Happy Teacher Mama is a website dedicated to helping teachers love teaching or leave the classroom with graceand a plan! I began researching how other Teachers Pay Teachers sellers created their resources and packaged their material. ( I had no desire for that role regardless.) It's been a bad day. I think its important in understanding my story to know that I did not go into teaching with a burning desire to teach. My partner noticed the changes over the five years. I had envisioned the teaching positions I had seen throughout my lifeexperienced honors and AP teachers working with high-achieving students. e-mail; 36. shares. We taught at a higher level and far more than . Its led to nothing but personal and professional growth. After all, I had heard rumors about the corporate world and the grueling, unforgiving place it was. If I fall a little short, I have a personal and business emergency fund to cover costs. She didnt understand that I needed the part-time job because I taught. 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. At that moment, any ideas I had ever had about pursuing teaching further was put to rest. Something just didnt feel right. My teaching take-home is about $2000 a month, which means my business will need to generate about $48,000 a year to match that after taxes and expenses. Subbing would allow me to stay connected with my colleagues and the teaching community in general. After all, what would I do if I wasnt a teacher? I first used the new income to pay off my credit card debt. Put me in front of a room full of adults and I start sweating profusely. There are many, many TpT sellers who sell full-time and have been out of the classroom for a long time. Even worse, some parents believed that adequate was nothing less then perfect. 37 likes, 6 comments - Julianne Condia (@juliannecondia) on Instagram: "Hello . I dont want to give up all of my working years to a job I kind of like, even if it helps others. I made the decision when I was 19. It was a risk, I figured, but I hoped that it was a calculated one. My first resource was an ambitious 40-page workbook. Would your days be filled with joy and sunshine if you could travel the world while making the income you deserve? 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 knew some people did Teachers Pay Teachers full time, but seeing $1000 on my dashboard convinced me that I could do that too. I never came home and complained about my students. Absolutely not!! After leaving the classroom, I quickly learned an entire new world of upward mobility. Would you make more money per hour in a different position? When youre on salary and expected to work long hours, it doesnt add up. Often, they put off researching until the very last minute. But these people said it led to their best successes. We become a statistic. Meanwhile, the shooting of Jacob Blake turned our city into a riot zone. (He told me to quit that minute, but I wasnt that brave.) I told myself that the job only sucked because I was inexperienced and unprepared. The truth was I was miserable. But theres a point in which you just cant cut any further. Ive made this comment on the podcast multiple times in reference to what most of us thought when we went into the field of education. High School English and TPT Seller Resources. I know that this might sound like teaching for most. I was all-in. Sometimes the water doesnt get hot, our air ventilation systems are ancient, some of our staff was pregnant or otherwise vulnerable. The freelancing work plus teaching was consuming my every minute. If youd like the shorter version, click here. Upon leaving the classroom the second time to homeschool my boys, I was more determined than ever to make money from home. I am not exaggerating when I tell you I had NO knowledge of what I was getting myself into. Without further education, I couldnt really switch roles in education or pursue the career path further. When I look back, I am able to see how much I have grown since I started teaching. Ive received a raise every year, much larger than any teacher salary step. If you were like me, when you got your teaching degree, you figured you would be a classroom teacher until retirement. But they expected every staff member to be physically present. Kayse Morris, How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome As Ceo Teacher. Those of us with this tendency find ourselves always making something better and never finishing things whether its TpT resources, blog posts, or courses, etc. I could have lived with this1500 a year would still have been a huge help to mebut they were not giving us credit for time served under the pay freeze. But there are many things I dont like about the job, too. I started classes this semester (spring) and should finish by spring or summer of next year. I spent my evenings and weekends working for little pay and zero recognition from a toxic administration. How much more I could help and serve others, 10. This gives me a sense of purpose and meaning in my work. A fixed mindset believes that being smart is something that happens naturally, rather than the result of hard work and practice. It was frightening losing full time pay, but it has given me fulltime peace of mind. However, I serve so many more people than I ever did before. So we need to be keenly aware of the pitfall of finding all of our lifes meaning and our sole identity in a job that we complete because if (or when) we leave that position, we will be replaced as though we were never even there. Youll have to look into if these benefits are listed in the job description or on the careers page of the companys website. Tap the button below to learn more. And now? The companies I work for all value those skills and experiences I gained as a teacher. Fast forward to 2018: where I left the classroom, went all in, launched my first course, and made $445,000 (most of which was made in the week of my course launch). Now before I go any farther here, I want you to hear what I am about to say. Pretty easy, right? For whatever reason, theres a stigma around teachers who choose to leave the profession. Curious if anyone has ever resigned from their job within a month of a new school year starting. Thats equivalent to $26 an hour, plus you get your time back. The crazy thing is its actually more frustrating to stand at the precipice contemplating all of the what if scenarios than it is to just take the leap. While I had no idea what my next step would be, I knew I had to figure it out. Theres actually a lot of possibility and opportunity outside of the classroom. This means that if I submit dates and my manager agrees, I receive paid time off for vacations or personal reasons. I was worried that after I left teaching, I would miss having the summers and holidays off. Good question. The only other issue with quitting teaching is insurance. Plus, my new TPT Profitability course is adding to my overall bottom line. After working as an Educational Consultant, I began meeting people at districts throughout the area. Quitting teaching was the best thing I ever did because it allowed me to be true to my family values. Plus, Im not losing my community. I decided to just work as hard as I could to make the numbers work out as soon as I could. . I couldnt wrap my brain around how someone could put D+ work out into the worldbut in that same moment I realized the A+ work I was still working on after a year of tweaking had made no impact whatsoever. You are not giving up you are opening yourself up to new opportunities. Within a few years, I received an offer for an Instructional Designer position. We know teachers dont make much, and as Im getting older, my priorities are changing. I wanted to walk out the door and redo the last five years of my life. If we haven't met, I'd love to get to know you! Schools were wholly unprepared to close due to a global health pandemic. Some months I was just a little shy of paying for my expenses, so I had started accruing some credit card debt. It felt like an uphill battle, and there was no way for me to win. After this school year, however, Teachers Pay Teachers will be my full-time job. I plan on looking into the Affordable Care Act marketplace when the time comes to see if I can get coverage for those three months, even if it might be more expensive than I would like. I realized this was the hardest thing Id ever tried to do because I was utterly clueless. And most importantly, I will be around during all of the precious, irreplaceable moments at home. In some cases, that is what I believe teaching has become. Ill take the guesswork out of designing a fast & mobile-friendly website, so you can spend your time creating amazing content for your clients. For me, this meant pinpointing strengths and weaknesses in order to achieve the growth I wanted. 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 homeschooled my son from pre-school through HS. I could barely picture what life after teaching would look like. Whether we intend to or not, by default, education teaches students: that they are 'smart' if they get questions right. W. With an MBA from . Colleagues with aging parents spend hundreds of dollars of their own money to erect plexiglass shields around their desks. But for me, personally, it is not a forever career, and Im ready for the next phase of my life. 142 views, 5 likes, 4 loves, 11 comments, 7 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from E-Free Church - Gaylord Campus: Good morning and welcome to church online! I tried to quit so many times, but for some reason, Id get back up the next morning and push through the struggle while climbing that learning curve one more time. That meant starting the school year unable to open boarded-up windows. Looking at my phone again, I couldnt believe it. If you're worried about making that jump or are wondering what life could look like for you outside of the classroom, keep reading. 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. This was incredibly draining and led me to quit. 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). Ive already made it clear that my plan for quitting teaching relied heavily on my Teachers Pay Teachers business. 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. This is a very precarious situation because it forces you to reevaluate what you know and believe about yourself. Teaching was not the right career for me. Yet, within weeks of announcing my new position, I had a few text messages from teachers that I used to work with asking for advice. In fact, I continued my Premier Designs business journey until I went back to the classroom. Last year I was completely convinced that I actually hated teaching and had made the wrong choice in profession. How the security of my job could have kept me trapped, acknowledging specific strengths you possess, Became an online English teacher with VIPKid, Started coaching teachers who want to leave the classroom and pursue other options, its easier to stay in a position you know. because we continue to tweak things. 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. In year four of teaching for me, the district finally took steps to address the pay freeze. I felt guilty for the thoughts I had about leaving the classroom. Im a full-time high school English teacher, caffeine addict, greyhound mom, and wife-to-be! I remember feeling like it was my way to give back to the community. 4. I wanted to be able to do what I love, apply my strengths, and make a difference in the world. Life keeps me busy but I LOVE helping other teachers! And even though we ended up moving to a different city by the time I was ready to return to the classroom, I was able to use my previous principal and superintendent as references because I hadnt burned any bridges. I started over several times. If I didnt have the same struggle, it wouldnt have pushed me to support those going through it now. what career ouside the classroom is right for you? Remember, you are vital to your family and your friends, but you are just another employee at your job. I assumed I would love it. Quitting Teaching Was The Best Thing I Ever Did. As soon as I had a clear strategy for quitting teachingusing Teaches Pay Teachers to replace my salaryI worked on growing my business religiously. One of the biggest mistakes that we see teachers make is that they try tonavigate this process alone. Do you come in early, stay late for bus duty, grade papers or decorate the classroom on the weekends? Its weird to leave something you thought would be your forever career, or something you hoped would bring you joy. All of my hard work trying to teach students to find growth in struggle was constantly being undermined by their parents. Our curriculum was short on both. Worse, my district hired me during the first year of a district-wide pay freeze, after Act 10 (leaving unions in Wisconsin with little power), and with no chance of ever receiving tenure or a bump in benefits. The second time, on the other hand, was a total shock to both me and my husband! This step-by-step guide has helped thousands with a transition from teaching. However, because I was confident in why I was quitting teaching, that why kept me grounded even when I questioned my decision. I hate repeating myself and having to hold my bladder. To my surprise, I even had a principal reach out to see if my company was hiring! However, I do have years of experience to draw on, and right now I have more ideas for resources than I have time for. For some, its a far better life. 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 able to make money through hosting parties and also through growing a downline. I found myself missing important moments and not being around for special memories. Something Ive always thought about, but never really wanted to talk about was my strengths. I realized just how crippled I was by perfectionism and I dont believe I wouldve ever discovered this without quitting teaching. I felt like a fool for believing my district cared at all for our well-being. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I was equal parts horrified and in awe!! Why is it that education is so fixed mindset oriented? This led me down the path to finding my ikigai (the Japanese word for passion, purpose, and a reason for being). But I was a completely unprepared first-year teacher, thrown into a room of at-risk students with no curriculum, no support. My mortgage was my only debt and I tracked my expenses. Do you want to take your dogs for a long hike? No more stress, no more guilt, no more doubts. Teaching did become less stressful year over year as I gained experience, grew my collection of quality lessons, and learned classroom management. I did the math to figure out my hourly earnings and was utterly dumbfounded. Quitting Teaching: The Financial Tipping Point (2016) As I said, I was hired during the first year of a district-wide pay . Thats quite the mental picture!