Were you once a teacher and now you're not?

Question

I have been a middle school teacher for nearly six years. I find the classroom to be tedious and overwhelming with the needs of an unrealistic bureaucracy and out-of-control students. If you are/were a teacher who left, or thought about leaving, the profession, into which new field did you move? I am mostly interested in knowing about new jobs you can get without going back to school and earning a new degree. I have thought about teaching education at the collegiate/community college level, considering I have a master's degree and real-life experience.

Answer 1

It is very common to feel this way.... it's commonly known as the 7 year itch of teaching ..... between the 6-8 year of teaching you tend to question your own existence in the profession ( the highest turn over... time when teachers call it quits).... high demands ( no child left behind), never ending paper work, students that try your patience. They say that once you survive this time period you tend to feel better about your situation... but don't know if this means you just live with it or have a different out look on it. As for myself, was a classroom teacher for 7 years and was looking around for other options.... felt exactly like you are now. Then moved out of state and become a reading specialist.... one extra class that came along with my master's. I believe it was my saving grace.... was looking into other professions before this opportunity came up. But I believe that every teacher needs a break from the classroom. At times I long to return to the classroom but now I have the best of both worlds small group instruction, more time to reflect on individual cases rather feeling like you have save the whole world.

My advice to you is to find something in the field of education but maybe not in the classroom. Look over the classes you have already taken and see what pops out. Have you thought of maybe administration (yes a different kind of headache but you are still making an impact in a profession that desperately needs great people), Title 1 teachers (not sure where you teach but a great way of understanding your community and working in position that isn't as stressful as a VP or Principal. Also have you put any thought in working for one of these big education publishing companies (hartcourt brace, Houghton Mifflin, Scholastic). Just recently I attended a conferences for the new science and reading edition that our district had adopted and can i say that it was a job fair. Most companies offer the same (CA,NY,TX) or better benefits and salaries than most districts. Hope this helps... As a fellow educator I understand your frustration but if someone hasn't told you lately you are definitely an asset to the educational profession and people with heart are hard to find. Good luck! : )

Answer 2

I am also a middle school teacher in my third year. I am considering whether or not I want to return to teaching next year. Even if I do teach for a fourth year, I'm fairly certain it will be my last.

Like you, I'm thinking about what other line of work I could do with my education and experience, without going back to school. There are many jobs in the field of education other than being a classroom teacher. Companies like Princeton Review and Kaplan often hire curricular planners and other administrative roles. There's also Sylvan and those other tutoring programs.

There are also companies that do professional development for public schools. They basically sell their own curriculum to schools or districts. In addition to the actual materials, the schools get professional training in how to implement the curriculum. Those companies need people to actually do the teacher training. They also need curriculum writers. And of course they need staff to run the company.

There are also publishers of textbooks and other educational materials. They need researchers, writers and administrative staff. I would recommend doing a websearch using the titles of the textbooks or professional books you use now, or using the name of the publisher. If you keep clicking around, eventually you'll find the publisher's HR page. I linked to McGraw-Hill's site below.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm not sure you're going to find much difference at the college level, especially community college. I think the main difference is that the "kids" will be older but still whiny.

What about being a counselor, or a resource teacher in your county? Is there anything that you're really good at, that you could become a district trainer?

Depending on your degree, you might also consider being a librarian, or going into administration. There are many different jobs in that category.

Textbook companies also hire teachers to attend conferences and sell books, make presentations about their products, and help develop new materials and presentations.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I've been a middle school teacher for almost eight years, and I know exactly how you feel! the problem is that other than teaching, there isn't a high demand for people like us in the workplace, so unfortunately we're stuck.. I have toyed with the idea of buying a pizza place or two, but it'd be a big risk and now that I have a kid I'm not sure I'm willing to take the risk..

Answer 5

I already left college, yet confident I form of omit a number of them. My cutting-component study and wood paintings instructors have been incredible and had a great experience of humour. no longer the form of adult adult males that'd take you much less heavily merely because of the fact they are older than you.

Answer 6

I've heard that you could try corporate training. They could use someone with teaching experience. Human resource.