Grass is greener? Job edition.
April 5, 2015 11:29 AM Subscribe
Considering leaving a teaching career for something completely different.
I've been a teacher for five years, since I graduated from college. Most days, I enjoy it overall and I'm good at it, especially in my current role as a high school English teacher (I taught middle school for 4 years). I like interacting with kids and find lots of joy in their "a-ha!" moments through out the day.
However, there are some aspects of the job that I find frustrating, including lack of autonomy in my daily life, lack of leadership and professional development, and lack of support with challenging students.
I'm in the final interview process for a full-time position at an education nonprofit (that I love and have worked for "on the side" for years). In this new position, I would work remotely from my home and visit an office about 2 hours away 1-2 days a week. I would make the same salary I do now and start the job at the end of the current school year.
My concerns are:
1) going from interacting with literally hundreds of people a day, to possibly none at all.
2) Staying disciplined while working from home.
3) Missing interacting with students
My questions are:
1) If you work at home, how do you maintain your schedule/sanity while working alone? Any tips to make the transition easier?
2) If you were once a teacher and left the profession, do you miss it? How does your new position compare? Anything to consider?
Any tips/tricks/anecdotes/advice? Anything I'm not considering?
I've been a teacher for five years, since I graduated from college. Most days, I enjoy it overall and I'm good at it, especially in my current role as a high school English teacher (I taught middle school for 4 years). I like interacting with kids and find lots of joy in their "a-ha!" moments through out the day.
However, there are some aspects of the job that I find frustrating, including lack of autonomy in my daily life, lack of leadership and professional development, and lack of support with challenging students.
I'm in the final interview process for a full-time position at an education nonprofit (that I love and have worked for "on the side" for years). In this new position, I would work remotely from my home and visit an office about 2 hours away 1-2 days a week. I would make the same salary I do now and start the job at the end of the current school year.
My concerns are:
1) going from interacting with literally hundreds of people a day, to possibly none at all.
2) Staying disciplined while working from home.
3) Missing interacting with students
My questions are:
1) If you work at home, how do you maintain your schedule/sanity while working alone? Any tips to make the transition easier?
2) If you were once a teacher and left the profession, do you miss it? How does your new position compare? Anything to consider?
Any tips/tricks/anecdotes/advice? Anything I'm not considering?
I left teaching after 9 years of teaching in a HS special ed program. I LOVED the kids but there was so much political stuff going on that I just had to get out. I worked in a bookstore for the next 7 years and then moved into educational publishing and have been with this company for the past 15 years. I do miss working with the kids and I miss those "lightbulb moments" when you can see a new skill or concept click. I've also been known to cry uncontrollably at movies about teaching since I left (Mr Holland's Opus really hit me!). However I love the fact that my time is my own when I leave work, and the nature of my job lets me keep my hand in the field. The decision to leave was a tough one, but the right one for me. Good luck to you with whatever you decide!
posted by bookmammal at 6:21 PM on April 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by bookmammal at 6:21 PM on April 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
I work from home, and personally I love the personal freedom. When I had an office job where people expected me to be there, I always stressed about certain errands that would pop up. Now, I can pretty much take care of what I need to and no one knows the difference. I also sometimes take my laptop and an air card and go work from a coffee shop or a park, which helps combat the feeling of being cooped up all alone inside. When I sit in an office, the distractions of unnecessary questions and idle chit chat seem endless. At home, the only distractions are ones I've created. (I will admit to having used LeechBlock to limit my pointless web surfing.) I also expect to eventually save on clothes because I don't need five nice unique outfits per week (that can't repeat the next week also), on gas, and on buying takeout lunches. I'm working my way up to going to the gym during lunch time -- like I said, no one will know where I am, and I can go back home sweaty whereas I can't go back to the office sweaty.
That being said, I am an introvert and I do well with being by myself for long stretches of time. I enjoy communicating with my co-workers mostly through email and chat because I find it easier to manage. Personally, I think verbally people lose the "bottom line" of a conversation and I like committing all the details to writing, but I do find some other people like to talk things out and feel limited in written communications. I also think it is harder to be part of the team -- I call into several meetings per week, and I can't always hear everyone very well, and I don't always know who is speaking, etc. The meetings I call into where most other participants are physically in a room together are a bit awkward for me. And yes, I do miss having trusted work buddies who I could joke around with and gossip a little bit with -- because I don't see anyone anymore and my some of my closest work friends have left, I don't have an "in" with the grapevine where a lot of office news gets whispered back channel. Blame that on my shitty organization for not being transparent, but it is what it is.
I would probably think a bit more about the commute. Even at twice a week, a two-hour commute is pretty rough. That is 8 hours, or an entire work day, spent sitting in your car. Also, based on your location, if the commute is to say, San Francisco, that is going to be an annoying drive.
posted by AppleTurnover at 8:43 PM on April 5, 2015
That being said, I am an introvert and I do well with being by myself for long stretches of time. I enjoy communicating with my co-workers mostly through email and chat because I find it easier to manage. Personally, I think verbally people lose the "bottom line" of a conversation and I like committing all the details to writing, but I do find some other people like to talk things out and feel limited in written communications. I also think it is harder to be part of the team -- I call into several meetings per week, and I can't always hear everyone very well, and I don't always know who is speaking, etc. The meetings I call into where most other participants are physically in a room together are a bit awkward for me. And yes, I do miss having trusted work buddies who I could joke around with and gossip a little bit with -- because I don't see anyone anymore and my some of my closest work friends have left, I don't have an "in" with the grapevine where a lot of office news gets whispered back channel. Blame that on my shitty organization for not being transparent, but it is what it is.
I would probably think a bit more about the commute. Even at twice a week, a two-hour commute is pretty rough. That is 8 hours, or an entire work day, spent sitting in your car. Also, based on your location, if the commute is to say, San Francisco, that is going to be an annoying drive.
posted by AppleTurnover at 8:43 PM on April 5, 2015
I've been in your position (I actually teach English and History to 6th graders now, but spent the previous decade in HS) and I know how exhausting this job can be. It will wear you down pretty easily.
HOWEVER...you said that you love the moments in class where a kid GETS something for the first time. That to me is enough for me to believe that if you leave teaching, you may regret it, and you'll definitely miss it.
A problem I see with many of my colleagues is that they expect to get all of their professional growth and fulfillment from the school, and that's just not realistic anymore. Unless you are lucky (and frankly, unusual, given the current state of California education), your school probably does not have a professional development plan or program, and probably wastes a lot of your time in meetings every week. You probably also have a dysfunctional department full of people who complain about anything.
I've taught at 8 schools, and that describes almost all of them.
So here's what I did.
I started applying to speak at conferences. You are fortunate to be in the Bay Area, because CUE, especially CapCUE (the Sacramento branch of CUE, a teacher-run organisation that offers amazing professional development) is awesome. They do TONS of events, and even if you don't speak, they are cheap enough for you to pay your own way. I've attended lots of CUE events, and they are always worth the money. There you will not only find new ideas to keep you excited about teaching, but you'll also meet people who are doing the same thing.
CUE Rock Star camps are also the best PD out there right now. You'll meet the best educators in the area, and get hands-on instruction in something YOU choose.
Or there's EdCamps! Those are FREE teacher-organised events where there is no agenda - participants show up and SET the agenda, either by offering to present, or lead a conversation, or just have a hands-on workshop setting. And you can get up and leave and choose a different session if the one you're in doesn't do it for you. It's a long way from where you are, but if you can go to the EdCamp in San Jose on April 25th, that's a great way to get energised (also, I'm going so I can introduce you to people if you want!).
I also recommend that ALL educators join Twitter. I met nearly all of my closest friends (and my current partner) on Twitter. There are millions of teachers using Twitter to connect, support, engage and share ideas. It's scary at first, especially if you're not on Twitter, but it has changed my practice and my life. No hyperbole. I also love Voxer, and have tons of groups on Voxer dedicated to talking about teaching. It's amazing.
All that to say, I would try and get your needs met outside of your school before deciding to change careers. There will always be bad leadership and a lack of PD offered by schools that is useful. There will always be levels of insanity and rules that make no sense.
But there will also always be students who need good, passionate teachers. But most teachers don't build passion for teaching in an after-school staff meeting. You need to go out and find it, and find people who will help you re-discover it.
The biggest issue you mention really is the lack of support for challenging students. That's a universal thing, I've found, and the one with the fewest answers. The problem really is that we don't know what to do with kids who struggle in mainstream education. We have a system created to make compliant factory workers, but now a world that needs curious problem-finders and critical thinkers who can collaborate and communicate effectively. That is a fundamental disconnect that education is struggling to deal with.
I've found that relationship is the most important factor in dealing with these students. That doesn't mean I don't have them step outside when they are really being disruptive; rather, it means that I have them step out, and then instead of lecturing, I listen to what is going on for them. I've also found that teaching them about growth mindset and how their brains work helps a ton. Then you can frame things as choices, and help them deal with poor choices.
Also, never get in a power struggle with a teenager. You can't win that one, because even when you win, you lose.
**
I really do hear you that you're frustrated and ready to leave the classroom. But I am urging you to reconsider, especially considering you're going from a job where you are good at it and you find a lot of joy to a job with an awful commute (even if it is only a few days a week/month, that's miserable) and very little interaction with anyone, but especially students. I also know I'm biased and want all good teachers to stay teachers because our students NEED good teachers, and they are surprisingly hard to find.
Also, I've found that non-profits tend to have similar issues to the ones you described - poor leadership, little professional development, and lack of ability to deal with challenges. But you deal with all of that without the joy that comes from teaching students and seeing them GET it for the first time.
So I guess my advice boils down to this: try EVERYTHING before leaving the classroom. Get involved with passionate teachers through CUE and social media. Send me a memail if you want the names of people to connect with (I know TONS, especially in the Bay Area!) or you want blogs to read, or videos to watch. There is just SO SO much out there that will help you reignite your passion for teaching without having to leave the classroom in less-than-ideal circumstances.
I hope that was helpful. Please memail me if there's anything you'd like to know more about, or even just to talk through this in more specific detail.
posted by guster4lovers at 10:32 AM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
HOWEVER...you said that you love the moments in class where a kid GETS something for the first time. That to me is enough for me to believe that if you leave teaching, you may regret it, and you'll definitely miss it.
A problem I see with many of my colleagues is that they expect to get all of their professional growth and fulfillment from the school, and that's just not realistic anymore. Unless you are lucky (and frankly, unusual, given the current state of California education), your school probably does not have a professional development plan or program, and probably wastes a lot of your time in meetings every week. You probably also have a dysfunctional department full of people who complain about anything.
I've taught at 8 schools, and that describes almost all of them.
So here's what I did.
I started applying to speak at conferences. You are fortunate to be in the Bay Area, because CUE, especially CapCUE (the Sacramento branch of CUE, a teacher-run organisation that offers amazing professional development) is awesome. They do TONS of events, and even if you don't speak, they are cheap enough for you to pay your own way. I've attended lots of CUE events, and they are always worth the money. There you will not only find new ideas to keep you excited about teaching, but you'll also meet people who are doing the same thing.
CUE Rock Star camps are also the best PD out there right now. You'll meet the best educators in the area, and get hands-on instruction in something YOU choose.
Or there's EdCamps! Those are FREE teacher-organised events where there is no agenda - participants show up and SET the agenda, either by offering to present, or lead a conversation, or just have a hands-on workshop setting. And you can get up and leave and choose a different session if the one you're in doesn't do it for you. It's a long way from where you are, but if you can go to the EdCamp in San Jose on April 25th, that's a great way to get energised (also, I'm going so I can introduce you to people if you want!).
I also recommend that ALL educators join Twitter. I met nearly all of my closest friends (and my current partner) on Twitter. There are millions of teachers using Twitter to connect, support, engage and share ideas. It's scary at first, especially if you're not on Twitter, but it has changed my practice and my life. No hyperbole. I also love Voxer, and have tons of groups on Voxer dedicated to talking about teaching. It's amazing.
All that to say, I would try and get your needs met outside of your school before deciding to change careers. There will always be bad leadership and a lack of PD offered by schools that is useful. There will always be levels of insanity and rules that make no sense.
But there will also always be students who need good, passionate teachers. But most teachers don't build passion for teaching in an after-school staff meeting. You need to go out and find it, and find people who will help you re-discover it.
The biggest issue you mention really is the lack of support for challenging students. That's a universal thing, I've found, and the one with the fewest answers. The problem really is that we don't know what to do with kids who struggle in mainstream education. We have a system created to make compliant factory workers, but now a world that needs curious problem-finders and critical thinkers who can collaborate and communicate effectively. That is a fundamental disconnect that education is struggling to deal with.
I've found that relationship is the most important factor in dealing with these students. That doesn't mean I don't have them step outside when they are really being disruptive; rather, it means that I have them step out, and then instead of lecturing, I listen to what is going on for them. I've also found that teaching them about growth mindset and how their brains work helps a ton. Then you can frame things as choices, and help them deal with poor choices.
Also, never get in a power struggle with a teenager. You can't win that one, because even when you win, you lose.
**
I really do hear you that you're frustrated and ready to leave the classroom. But I am urging you to reconsider, especially considering you're going from a job where you are good at it and you find a lot of joy to a job with an awful commute (even if it is only a few days a week/month, that's miserable) and very little interaction with anyone, but especially students. I also know I'm biased and want all good teachers to stay teachers because our students NEED good teachers, and they are surprisingly hard to find.
Also, I've found that non-profits tend to have similar issues to the ones you described - poor leadership, little professional development, and lack of ability to deal with challenges. But you deal with all of that without the joy that comes from teaching students and seeing them GET it for the first time.
So I guess my advice boils down to this: try EVERYTHING before leaving the classroom. Get involved with passionate teachers through CUE and social media. Send me a memail if you want the names of people to connect with (I know TONS, especially in the Bay Area!) or you want blogs to read, or videos to watch. There is just SO SO much out there that will help you reignite your passion for teaching without having to leave the classroom in less-than-ideal circumstances.
I hope that was helpful. Please memail me if there's anything you'd like to know more about, or even just to talk through this in more specific detail.
posted by guster4lovers at 10:32 AM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
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-discipline while working from home may be a skill that you can learn - try googling for tips on this (i'm thinking of articles that give suggestions like, "designate an office area that you only use for work," and "maintain 9 to 5 hours" etc). see if you find anything that helps you feel out if it's a good option for you.
-if you end up missing interaction with students, maybe part-time freelance tutoring would be an option?
hope these help - good luck!
posted by carlypennylane at 4:42 PM on April 5, 2015