Those who can't teach, do what?
May 3, 2010 6:18 AM Subscribe
Burnt-out teachers: What did you do after you quit teaching?
I've been teaching high school and middle school for seven years, teaching in Chicago Public Schools for four. I think I'm done. The political climate in my school has gotten unbearable, and I can feel myself slowly crusting over, turning into one of those union dinosaurs that works for a pension rather than to educate students.
So my question is: if you left the teaching profession, what did you do next?
Some facts about me:
- I'm involved in the theater community in Chicago. I have no desire to become a table-waiting, temp-work actor waiting for his big break. Rather, I want a job that doesn't follow me home quite so much as teaching so that I can keep doing the kind of mostly-unpaid, rewarding theater work that I love.
- I have a BA in English and an MA in Teaching English.
- I want to stay in Chicago
- I love young people. I just find myself increasingly fatigued by the immense amount of time that teachers have to devote to their work while not in the classroom.
- I am applying to some jobs away from my current school, since the climate there is part of the problem. Given the apocalyptic budget scenarios for next year, with class sizes rising from 28 to 35 and many positions being cut, I think this is a long shot to say the least. Even if I were to get one of these jobs, it might not help my general teaching fatigue.
This is an admittedly amorphous question; I'm just looking for brainstorms, inspiring ideas, your stories. Thanks.
I've been teaching high school and middle school for seven years, teaching in Chicago Public Schools for four. I think I'm done. The political climate in my school has gotten unbearable, and I can feel myself slowly crusting over, turning into one of those union dinosaurs that works for a pension rather than to educate students.
So my question is: if you left the teaching profession, what did you do next?
Some facts about me:
- I'm involved in the theater community in Chicago. I have no desire to become a table-waiting, temp-work actor waiting for his big break. Rather, I want a job that doesn't follow me home quite so much as teaching so that I can keep doing the kind of mostly-unpaid, rewarding theater work that I love.
- I have a BA in English and an MA in Teaching English.
- I want to stay in Chicago
- I love young people. I just find myself increasingly fatigued by the immense amount of time that teachers have to devote to their work while not in the classroom.
- I am applying to some jobs away from my current school, since the climate there is part of the problem. Given the apocalyptic budget scenarios for next year, with class sizes rising from 28 to 35 and many positions being cut, I think this is a long shot to say the least. Even if I were to get one of these jobs, it might not help my general teaching fatigue.
This is an admittedly amorphous question; I'm just looking for brainstorms, inspiring ideas, your stories. Thanks.
I drove a cab in Chicago. Then I ran away and worked at a used bookstore for minimum wage. Then at an alternative newspaper. Phone sex worker for awhile. Then scoring SAT essays, and working as a itinerant/substitute teacher. All while writing fiction and poetry and traveling around the country/world.
I don't know that this trajectory is recommended, but I've had a lot more fun than if I'd stayed with teaching.
posted by RedEmma at 6:25 AM on May 3, 2010
I don't know that this trajectory is recommended, but I've had a lot more fun than if I'd stayed with teaching.
posted by RedEmma at 6:25 AM on May 3, 2010
I did not leave a teaching job, but I've been teaching college students for awhile and have worked the past 2 years in a middle school. Have you considered trying out a semester as an adjunct at a nearby community college? The difference might be enough for you to feel rejuvenated and you might even love it.
posted by monkeymadness at 6:30 AM on May 3, 2010
posted by monkeymadness at 6:30 AM on May 3, 2010
You can make very good money tutoring in the Chicago area -- college students at Northwestern can make $30/hour tutoring North Shore kids; ex-teachers with degrees can charge more. (Sometimes considerably more.)
I don't know if you can build a 40-hour week out of tutoring, and much tutoring falls on nights and weekends which may interfere with theater, but you can earn enough to support yourself, particularly with frantic North Shore SAT/ACT prep parents.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:31 AM on May 3, 2010
I don't know if you can build a 40-hour week out of tutoring, and much tutoring falls on nights and weekends which may interfere with theater, but you can earn enough to support yourself, particularly with frantic North Shore SAT/ACT prep parents.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:31 AM on May 3, 2010
re monkeymadness' comment, I feel obligated to point out that post-secondary teaching jobs are Hard To Get. (In other words, don't count on getting one.)
posted by madcaptenor at 6:52 AM on May 3, 2010
posted by madcaptenor at 6:52 AM on May 3, 2010
When my mother quit teaching after 7 years, she taught a couple classes at a community college and really liked it. The problem with that is that the pay is very low, like a few thousand a semester. Didn't matter for her, probably will for you. She also did a little tutoring, and I agree that you can make good money doing that.
Alternatively, you could spend some time doing odd jobs while thinking about what new career might suit you, and if possible/ needed, you could return to school for them. For example, as a teacher, you might like one of the therapy disciplnes (Occupational, Physical, or Speech), which all have good employment outlooks. They would of course require more schooling though. Bottomline, I believe teaching gives you a great skill set; it really is the hardest job out there in my opinion. Good luck!
posted by afton at 7:03 AM on May 3, 2010
Alternatively, you could spend some time doing odd jobs while thinking about what new career might suit you, and if possible/ needed, you could return to school for them. For example, as a teacher, you might like one of the therapy disciplnes (Occupational, Physical, or Speech), which all have good employment outlooks. They would of course require more schooling though. Bottomline, I believe teaching gives you a great skill set; it really is the hardest job out there in my opinion. Good luck!
posted by afton at 7:03 AM on May 3, 2010
Some ex-teachers find themselves in the training departments of companies, though you may find you prefer small children over large ones.
posted by Breav at 7:20 AM on May 3, 2010
posted by Breav at 7:20 AM on May 3, 2010
I became an editor then a writer. I get my kid fix, which I really need and love, from SAT coaching and helping seniors write their college application essays.
Some transitional things you could explore while you sweat out your job:
--Work as aforementioned SAT coach, Sylvan Learning Centers, etc.
--Get certified in teaching English as a second language then teaching foreigners in one of the commercial outfits that offer such courses. Students are usually motivated due to employment where they need more English.
--Start an afterschool/summer drama program.
--Write great little classroom plays kids can perform in a short period of time. Set up a web site with a couple freebies, then offer to sell the others to teachers and schools.
--Serve as a part-time drama teacher in budget-strapped communities.
posted by Elsie at 7:39 AM on May 3, 2010
Some transitional things you could explore while you sweat out your job:
--Work as aforementioned SAT coach, Sylvan Learning Centers, etc.
--Get certified in teaching English as a second language then teaching foreigners in one of the commercial outfits that offer such courses. Students are usually motivated due to employment where they need more English.
--Start an afterschool/summer drama program.
--Write great little classroom plays kids can perform in a short period of time. Set up a web site with a couple freebies, then offer to sell the others to teachers and schools.
--Serve as a part-time drama teacher in budget-strapped communities.
posted by Elsie at 7:39 AM on May 3, 2010
re monkeymadness--If you go this route, concentrate on schools with lower tuition that have seen increases in enrollment the past year or so. Schools like UIC have benefited from the economy in that people who can't get jobs are back in school, and people who would have gone to more expensive private schools are instead choosing to stay with state schools. I don't know about Chicago specifically, but some of those schools are in fact facing adjunct shortages in English since everyone has to take composition classes and there's no budget for hiring full time faculty. You have an even better shot if you can find a state school without a graduate program in English. The pay is bad and there are no benefits, normally, but it could be a way to see if college-level teaching is for you. There may even be online options if you're willing to try that.
posted by BlooPen at 7:42 AM on May 3, 2010
posted by BlooPen at 7:42 AM on May 3, 2010
I work with a lot of ex-teachers who go into corporate human resources or technical training. If you get in the right company, you could end up with significantly less work to take home.
posted by mjcon at 8:59 AM on May 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by mjcon at 8:59 AM on May 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
Mr. Anitanita went to medical school - he was about 34ish at the time.
I just want to point out that it's also common for people to go in an entirely different direction after teaching, so don't just limit yourself to the next 'obvious' step, but perhaps also think of what else might make you happy in the long term.
posted by anitanita at 9:06 AM on May 3, 2010
I just want to point out that it's also common for people to go in an entirely different direction after teaching, so don't just limit yourself to the next 'obvious' step, but perhaps also think of what else might make you happy in the long term.
posted by anitanita at 9:06 AM on May 3, 2010
Try teaching a different subject where the non-classroom workload is lower. Or re-engineer your teaching style to reduce non classroom workload.
When I was in school, the happiest teachers, and the ones I got the best education from, were the ones who were walking into the building with us and leaving with us at the end of the schoolday. These were the teachers that might have seemed "lazy", doing things like having the students grade their own papers, but those exercises could be just as instructional as regular instruction. Learning from mistakes and whatnot.
posted by gjc at 9:08 AM on May 3, 2010
When I was in school, the happiest teachers, and the ones I got the best education from, were the ones who were walking into the building with us and leaving with us at the end of the schoolday. These were the teachers that might have seemed "lazy", doing things like having the students grade their own papers, but those exercises could be just as instructional as regular instruction. Learning from mistakes and whatnot.
posted by gjc at 9:08 AM on May 3, 2010
Can you try to adjust your approach to your job until it becomes more bearable?
Just start doing less - carve out a life for yourself outside of the classroom. Are you involved in school extracurriculars? Try to limit your exposure to outside of classroom things - you will be asked and asked until you say no.
Make sure that you are giving it your all within the classroom, but see how much of the outside stuff you can shed and still fulfill the requirements of your job (think less marking, a different approach to assignments so they are faster/easier to mark)
Not sure what your teaching style is, but try to move to a lecture/class discussion type so you students aren't generating massive piles of material for you to mark.
At the end of the day, it is a job, and you need to control its impact on the rest of your life.
posted by davey_darling at 9:17 AM on May 3, 2010
Just start doing less - carve out a life for yourself outside of the classroom. Are you involved in school extracurriculars? Try to limit your exposure to outside of classroom things - you will be asked and asked until you say no.
Make sure that you are giving it your all within the classroom, but see how much of the outside stuff you can shed and still fulfill the requirements of your job (think less marking, a different approach to assignments so they are faster/easier to mark)
Not sure what your teaching style is, but try to move to a lecture/class discussion type so you students aren't generating massive piles of material for you to mark.
At the end of the day, it is a job, and you need to control its impact on the rest of your life.
posted by davey_darling at 9:17 AM on May 3, 2010
I left Special Ed about 25 years ago so this may not be useful but I looked around to see what professions would have skills I could transfer. I came up with "computers" and have had a successful career since starting at the ground level. I was facinated by the field and just kept working my way up and asking a million questions of the people in the field.
So look at both what you enjoy being involved in and what is hot for careers right now. I do not know what these fields are right now but I am now looking for career number 3 doing something in hospice. There are plenty of resources available to find out the hot careers - much more now than when I was looking. See if what is hot will match any of your skills and then see where an entry point may be for you to begin working in the field.
posted by shaarog at 9:59 AM on May 3, 2010
So look at both what you enjoy being involved in and what is hot for careers right now. I do not know what these fields are right now but I am now looking for career number 3 doing something in hospice. There are plenty of resources available to find out the hot careers - much more now than when I was looking. See if what is hot will match any of your skills and then see where an entry point may be for you to begin working in the field.
posted by shaarog at 9:59 AM on May 3, 2010
I worked as a corporate English instructor and trainer in Japan, and I decided I liked teaching, and went back to school and got my BEd. There were no teaching jobs where I was living in Canada at the time, so I went back to Japan on JET. I really enjoyed it.
During this second stint in Japan, my wife and I also ran a small school. We had 70 students and employed four instructors. We helped D junior high school students become C students, so they could get into a technical high school and eventually go on to solid blue-collar careers (instead of entering the "minimum essentials" stream and wind up working in the service industry).
After 9/11 and the invasion and occupation of Iraq, we made plans to return to Canada, where I thought I would return to teaching.
However, declining enrollment, plus a large cohort of boomer teachers who were not quite ready to quit meant there were fewer and fewer teaching jobs. So I changed careers.
I worked for a while as a speechwriter in government. Then I worked as a technical writer for a government ISP. I got the speechwriter gig by figuring out who the hiring manager was; I got the tech writer gig by networking and broadcasting my availability.
After that, I worked for an industry association developing and managing projects and programs, mostly research related (I had already been writing communications work for a Japan-based industry association for a few years). I got this position by volunteering and developing a relationship with the decision maker.
While working for the industry association I continued to network, and connected with a creative agency in Tokyo. They gave me a lot of work rewriting tv scripts (Japanese to English), as well as rewriting corporate communications for blue chip companies.
Back in Canada, I managed to secure government funding for a network of industry associations, and their government patron agency offered me a job. Most of the skills in that job were social. I had to help communicate strategic initiatives, and implement change. I also started developing partnerships with other organizations.
So my work has become more and more complex since leaving the classroom. I've had to break things down, figure out my core competencies, and then figure out a market for them. I've also tried to build a reputation as a reliable, values-based professional who can get things done.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:03 AM on May 3, 2010
During this second stint in Japan, my wife and I also ran a small school. We had 70 students and employed four instructors. We helped D junior high school students become C students, so they could get into a technical high school and eventually go on to solid blue-collar careers (instead of entering the "minimum essentials" stream and wind up working in the service industry).
After 9/11 and the invasion and occupation of Iraq, we made plans to return to Canada, where I thought I would return to teaching.
However, declining enrollment, plus a large cohort of boomer teachers who were not quite ready to quit meant there were fewer and fewer teaching jobs. So I changed careers.
I worked for a while as a speechwriter in government. Then I worked as a technical writer for a government ISP. I got the speechwriter gig by figuring out who the hiring manager was; I got the tech writer gig by networking and broadcasting my availability.
After that, I worked for an industry association developing and managing projects and programs, mostly research related (I had already been writing communications work for a Japan-based industry association for a few years). I got this position by volunteering and developing a relationship with the decision maker.
While working for the industry association I continued to network, and connected with a creative agency in Tokyo. They gave me a lot of work rewriting tv scripts (Japanese to English), as well as rewriting corporate communications for blue chip companies.
Back in Canada, I managed to secure government funding for a network of industry associations, and their government patron agency offered me a job. Most of the skills in that job were social. I had to help communicate strategic initiatives, and implement change. I also started developing partnerships with other organizations.
So my work has become more and more complex since leaving the classroom. I've had to break things down, figure out my core competencies, and then figure out a market for them. I've also tried to build a reputation as a reliable, values-based professional who can get things done.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:03 AM on May 3, 2010
When I left teaching, I got work through a temp agency. My position was at an outbound call center for a major telecommunications company, researching excessive usage on telephone cards for just over minimum wage. Because I was educated and could read well, the research part was very easy for me to excel in. I quickly worked my way up through lower levels of management and training positions. And I learned how to use computers, including complex macros and queries. Which led to a job in the IT department after my department relocated. 22 years later, I am a senior Software Engineer and I make way more money than all my friends who are still teaching.
So my advice is: don't be afraid to take a downgrade in position if you can see that you might eventually rise back up through the ranks at a large company.
posted by CathyG at 11:08 AM on May 3, 2010
So my advice is: don't be afraid to take a downgrade in position if you can see that you might eventually rise back up through the ranks at a large company.
posted by CathyG at 11:08 AM on May 3, 2010
Former HS English/Journalism teacher. I left after 4.5 years because I just wasn't happy teaching, despite being at a very good school. No regrets about leaving -- absolutely the right decision for me, and that decision looks even better in retrospect.
Immediately after leaving, I did some general computer maintenance work for a friend's company computer maintenance/networking company for about a year, then went into tech support at a software company, which I did for about 5 years. An OK job but stressful. That job lead to a tech writing position at the same company, which I did for about 4 years. That was OK but ultimately not very satisfying. I am now doing database/application development for a biotech company and enjoying the work more than any other job I've held.
posted by mosk at 11:49 AM on May 3, 2010
Immediately after leaving, I did some general computer maintenance work for a friend's company computer maintenance/networking company for about a year, then went into tech support at a software company, which I did for about 5 years. An OK job but stressful. That job lead to a tech writing position at the same company, which I did for about 4 years. That was OK but ultimately not very satisfying. I am now doing database/application development for a biotech company and enjoying the work more than any other job I've held.
posted by mosk at 11:49 AM on May 3, 2010
I was a special ed teacher for several years, worked with teenagers who had behavior issues. I got totally burned out.
I'm now an academic librarian and I love it.
posted by mareli at 12:05 PM on May 3, 2010
I'm now an academic librarian and I love it.
posted by mareli at 12:05 PM on May 3, 2010
Since a couple people responded to my post I guess I should clarify.
My experience is in mathematics, and higher-ed jobs are easier to get in my field than in many others. As low as the pay is for an adjunct, though, it's a good way to test things out and see if you like doing it before devoting yourself to a full-on job search, contract, etc. Not a lot of careers have that option, so I think it's a good one to take. I stand by my recommendation.
posted by monkeymadness at 1:39 PM on May 3, 2010
My experience is in mathematics, and higher-ed jobs are easier to get in my field than in many others. As low as the pay is for an adjunct, though, it's a good way to test things out and see if you like doing it before devoting yourself to a full-on job search, contract, etc. Not a lot of careers have that option, so I think it's a good one to take. I stand by my recommendation.
posted by monkeymadness at 1:39 PM on May 3, 2010
This is my first year as an elementary school librarian and I love it. I get to work with the kids but I don't have to grade papers or tests. Since the library is one of the only places in the school that doesn't focus on testing and grades, the kids are actually excited about coming in and getting books, which means you don't have to force them to do anything. I teach the occasional lesson on poetry or research or whatnot, but the lessons are really relaxed, at least in my school. I don't take home work after school or on the weekends.
I never taught after getting my education degree--my student teaching experience was enough to make me want to go an extra year to get my masters in library science/school library certification.
posted by Junie Bloom at 4:05 PM on May 3, 2010
I never taught after getting my education degree--my student teaching experience was enough to make me want to go an extra year to get my masters in library science/school library certification.
posted by Junie Bloom at 4:05 PM on May 3, 2010
I taught special ed for nine years. Left for a variety of reasons and went to work retail for a bookstore chain. There were many former teachers working at my store.
I then left retail to work as a sales rep for an educational publishing company. Again, many former teachers worked in my office.
Three years ago I shifted to a marketing position within the same publishing company. Three of the five people I directly work with have a teaching background. For me, this position is the best of all worlds--I'm out of the pressure-cooker of the classroom, but still stay abreast of current educational issues and trends, and get the chance to put my educational background to use when planning marketing campaigns aimed at educators. I love my job and have never been happier!
posted by bookmammal at 6:54 PM on May 3, 2010
I then left retail to work as a sales rep for an educational publishing company. Again, many former teachers worked in my office.
Three years ago I shifted to a marketing position within the same publishing company. Three of the five people I directly work with have a teaching background. For me, this position is the best of all worlds--I'm out of the pressure-cooker of the classroom, but still stay abreast of current educational issues and trends, and get the chance to put my educational background to use when planning marketing campaigns aimed at educators. I love my job and have never been happier!
posted by bookmammal at 6:54 PM on May 3, 2010
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posted by HeroZero at 6:19 AM on May 3, 2010