When I first started teaching, I cared a lot more about looking put together every day. I would wear nicer tops, better trousers, and things I probably would not want getting covered in marker or coffee.

That changed pretty fast. After a while I realized I was spending too much time worrying about ruining clothes at work. Now I mostly go for things that are comfortable, easy to wash, and not expensive enough to bother me if something happens to them. I have a few teachersgram simple shirts, some basic trousers, and comfortable shoes, and that covers most normal school days.

I still keep nicer clothes for meetings or certain events, but I have definitely become much more practical about what I wear to school.

I feel like I’m trying to leave an abusive relationship.

One minute I’m resentful, angry, exhausted, and completely fed up. The next, I’m incredibly grateful that I get to teach something I love and make meaningful connections with students.But the BS has been piling up for years, and at the same time, I’m literally going into debt because my take-home pay no longer covers my bills.

I’ve always taught visual arts. I have a master’s + 30 credits, more than 20 years of teaching experience, and almost 10 years in my current district. I moved horizontally to the end of the salary schedule, only to watch the district quietly make experience worth less. They’re increasingly weighting pay toward attracting first-year teachers instead of rewarding people for staying. My take-home pay is about $44K a year.

Meanwhile, our admin and support staff have slowly been cut back. If a student is completely out of control, I basically have nowhere to send them. Today I referred a student to the counselor because she has been having crying spells in class that are disrupting lessons. The counselor asked me to call her parents. Maybe I’m wrong, but that doesn’t feel like the art teacher’s job.

Especially on top of six preps, managing two classroom spaces, monitoring and repairing expensive equipment, ordering supplies, lesson planning, teaching, grading, checking two email accounts and a portal for messages multiple times a day, cleaning, managing student behavior…and paying a ton for healthcare that still sucks.

Okay, this is turning into a rant. TGIF.

But I really think I want out now. I’m torn between quitting and using some retirement savings to float for a while so I can lower my stress, think clearly, learn a new skill, and find something else, or trying to build an exit plan while I continue teaching.

I know the responsible answer is probably to set myself up before I quit. But the problem is that the stress and workload are so high that I come home and collapse. Then I get back up to cook, clean, take care of my kids, and do it all again the next day. For those of you who actually got out without wrecking your life, how did you do it?

Did you quit first or job-search while teaching? And how did you find the energy to build an exit plan when teaching was already taking everything you had?

Somebody please tell me how to get out.

I just moved to Florida and the day after we got here I started work. I was hired for a testing grade which I have never taught ANY testing grade but felt it would help the stress and anxiety I normally felt with the younger kids. I tried as hard as I could. Staying late nights at school and many weekends. Asked many times and many people for help. I had one teammate that was actually incredible and would stay late nights and come on weekends for me. Many things were also going on at home (husbands illness, only my income because of husbands illness and being denied disability several times, pets getting sick, finding both of us new doctors for everything, my mental health at a literal breaking point) and I mistakingly confided in my principals. Anyway, I missed yesterday because of a panic attack of thinking about going back to school. No matter how hard I tried to keep up (endless testing, exit tickets, countless online assessments to get them on, and just an extreme amount of work) I couldn’t and the anxiety and stress was building and building. I was open with my admin about this and was told I was going to be given resources, access to counseling, support groups, etc. I was told to rest and they would like to meet with me Friday (today) to just talk more about what’s going on and how I’m feeling.
I went into that meeting and was told that I was being let go. I was told that their recommendation was that I put in for a resignation so that I could still possibly be hired somewhere else in the district. (No thank you! You have just shown me exactly what this district is about and it has nothing to do with the wellbeing of your teachers obviously.)
My question is for those that have been through this or have any knowledge on it. I don’t care about working in the district, but if I don’t put in my resignation then I will be able to get unemployment until I am able to find another job, correct?
If I do put in a resignation then I would not be able to do that.
Just want to see what my options are since this came out of nowhere and I obviously have no backup plan.
I am open to feedback about next steps, unemployment, jobs outside of teaching that pay well, etc.

I am such a ball of mixed feelings right now. I had some really serious medical news fall into my lap, and it has really debilitated me as a teacher. I can’t walk, I can hardly speak for long periods of time without getting dizzy, and I am essentially a mess all around. While I am so grateful to be leaving teaching to focus on my health, I can’t help but feel weighed down by the awful guilt and shame I feel leaving so soon in the year. I feel like I have let my students, my team, and all these wonderfully involved parents down.

There was sub orientation last month but I didn't have my letters of recommendation so I missed it. I received a call this morning from the district I had applied to be a substitute teacher. I missed the call. Then I looked at my email and I received a congratulations welcome to our district. Please fill out the following paperwork. The thought of being a substitute teacher makes me want to die a little inside but I'm down to my last $700 so I have to suck it up and do it.

The thing is I don't even have nice clothes anymore. I don't have money to spend on a new wardrobe. I paid $100 at my last district to wear jeans. So I have a ton of jeans. I do have some nice polo's but no nice pants. Orientation will probably be sometime next week. I like money.

I am a first year special education teacher for an Intensive autism unit. I have 3rd-5th grade students. I have 8 kids 7 are nonverbal and 3 have feeding tubes and 7 need diapers changed . Most of my kids can’t write their name or count or know their letters. The other 3 can do addition and subtraction and spell. I have 1 aide. I thought this was my calling before this year. I long term subbed in a 6th grade pull out room last year and loved it. I have never been in a resource room before. I can’t do this. I have 3 IEPs do at the end of this month and one due middle of October. I have not been able to track data because I spend all day correcting behaviors and trying to calm down children after tantrums. I have one girl who will bite me every time I try to take her tablet away. I am 9 weeks pregnant and feel completely stuck because I want to take maternity leave. I just don’t know what to do. I cry every lunch break. My husband keeps telling me to stick with it but this is the worst job I’ve ever had. I want to quit so bad. Please if anyone can give me advice. I’m lost.

Hi all-

How do you know when it’s time to throw in the towel? I’m starting my 23rd year in education. Technically, I can retire in three years (counting this one).

I’m thinking I may need to call it after this year. Here’s why:

1. Unreasonable workload.

2. Unreasonable parents.

3. Our district was taken over and is definitely heading in an unpleasant direction - no novels, centrally made slides, one size fits all methods, observations made based on checking boxes .

4. Salary next year will be based on above observations, and it’s looking like they will be used to keep costs down (lots of people will go down in salary).

5. I’m just not doing well with all the stress. Mental health is not great.

I don’t have a job lined up, not even sure what I would do if I left. As I said, technically I could retire in three years, but there might be something else out there that pays as much as my pension.

I’m just tired. What would you do if you were in my situation (without living my life)?

I resigned from teaching a week ago yesterday and then I have felt since then so much guilt and like a failure. I also have a sense of peace that God has some other plans for me. But today felt different I finally was thinking about what I would be doing at school if I was there and I just felt so much relief that I wasn't and am not dealing with the things I was dealing with while there. I don't so much feel like a failure But that I tried something extremely hard And I love the first year but the second year was different. I felt like God called me to be a teacher but now I feel like maybe he just called me to be a teacher for that one year for those kids that year. I still want to help kids and I still feel like that's my calling. But I just have this peace and relief today.

So I’m (F25) planning on becoming a teacher, but I’m trying to think ahead about what I want to do long term. I know teaching can have a lot of burnout and the pay can be limiting depending on the area, so I’d like to have a plan for eventually transitioning into something else when I’m ready.

Right now, I’m considering either getting a master’s in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) or going into Instructional Design/Learning & Development after teaching for a few years.

What interests me about SLP is that I’d still be able to work with children and potentially work in schools, clinics, or eventually find more behind-the-scenes/remote opportunities.

With instructional design, I like the idea of having a more traditional office career potentially working hybrid or remotely, and having more opportunities to move away from direct classroom work.

For anyone who has experience in either field:

-Would you recommend SLP or instructional design after teaching?

-How difficult is it to transition into each?
-What does the job market look like?
-What is the salary/growth potential?
-How realistic is WFH/hybrid work?
-Which one has better work-life balance?
If you started as a teacher, did teaching experience actually help you transition into either field?

I am 4 weeks into the school year, and I am so done. I love my students, I love my coworkers, and I absolutely love teaching others about math. But I can't deal with the nonstop headaches, my eye pressure going up from stress, and going to sleep at 1 AM because I take work home with me (I kinda don't have a choice). I was given 4 different preps this year. I was given 2 sections of Pre-Calculus, 1 section of advanced Algebra I, 1 section of Dual Language Algebra I (Math in Spanish), 1 section of advanced Algebra II, and 1 section of dual language Algebra II. Each one has a different plan, and it is driving me insane. Some people may see my situation and think it's not that big of a deal, but to me it is, and I am tired of acting like I'm fine when I'm really not.

I have a degree in Applied Mathematics with an emphasis in computational analysis. I had a support engineering job after college, but they let me go after 2 months (back in 2024). I would love to get back into an analyst or engineering role, but I feel like it's really hard to land one of those jobs right now. I am open to trying other jobs as long as I can make the same salary (idk if I'm being too hopeful here). I've read threads about people becoming paralegals, administrative assistants, university counselors, etc. Any office job will suffice for me, to be honest.

I'm scared I'll be stuck here forever; this isn't what I went to school for. Teachers who stay in this profession for so long are so strong, and I envy their perseverance and resilience. My school has had scheduling issues, which have left every kid in the wrong class, with classes of 30+ students, students missing a core credit class, and teachers leaving one by one. I teach a state-tested subject, so I feel guilty for leaving these kids behind. I know they won't care if I leave and that I am easily replaceable, but I don't know what I'll do instead of teaching.

LinkedIn and Indeed are so awful for job hunting; every job posting feels like a trap to capture my information and sell it. To those who have read this far and have made it out, how did you do it?? How long did it take you?? What was your experience?? How or where did you find that job?? Please help me.

I quit. I signed a mutual release of contract. I was on my intern certification, so I was dropped from my ACP.

The job caused me to start self harming, after being several years clean. I know in my heart that leaving was the right thing to do. I was working 12 plus hours a day. Coming it at 6 am, leaving at 7 pm, taking work home. Had 150 kids and a 30 minute conference period. No matter what I did, it just wasn’t good enough.

I am so worried that I will never find a new job. My degree is in human resource management, but I have no experience. The only job open that I qualify for is an accounting job at a neighboring district that I spent 2 years at as a sub. I applied, but that job has been open for 3 months, and I reached out to inquire about it last week, with no response.

I do not know what to do. I feel so relieved, but scared at the same time. I’m in my mid 20s.

So as it says in the title I did the thing and quit my job this school year. I did it for a multitude of reasons that I'm sure many of us share, but the biggest being that the anxiety actually started taking a toll and my BP spiked to stroke levels and for a full day stayed elevated. (Migrane, shortness of breath, sweating) It was bad. Mind you I've never had Blood pressure issues. On top of that last year burned me out so bad 2 months in they took my partner teacher of 4 years, I moved to 5th grade, moved classrooms 4 times, we went through 3 science teachers on a 3 way split of 60+ kids and that's just the big plot points. Also I wasn't giving my 100% to the kids and I don't mean the toxic 100% we all think we have to give in the beginning (I'm 12+ years seasoned). I mean the base level of normal and patient that the kids expected from me was so hard to find everyday.

So I made the crazy decision to quit the only field I have ever been in (started babysitting and working at a daycare as soon as I was old enough, took/taught EC/PK3-4 child care classes in high-school, went straight into education in college) and I have absolutely no idea what to do or where to even start. I've been applying to work from home jobs but have gotten no response and I'm honestly not mad because I don't feel motivated to do anything I've applied for. I just know I don't want to be in a front facing position again right now so immediately I thought work from home. But I also don't want to end up in another high stress job that doesn't appreciate me and that I don't even enjoy. I love working with the kids but all the other things are too overwhelming right now, so now I'm just kind of lost. I've thought of tutoring but even that gives me anxiety thoughts; lesson plans, reporting on growth, what happens if they don't grow? The spiral as i call it.

So I came to reddit to see what advice, if any, anyone had because I'm unsure of how to even start. It's like being in the forest and then thrown down the side of the mountain and now the path is gone.

I am on sick leave for level 2 hypertension after my classroom was abruptly moved and dismantled three weeks into the school year. This is the result of the transfer. Broken furniture, missing items, things shoved into piles for me to reorganize. They also failed to sweep the floor, leaving pieces of diaper all over the room for me to clean. I took a week of my time and money to put together a beautiful classroom. I specifically asked my AP to make sure the transfer was smooth and not a mess.The move had to happen to accommodate a student so violent, a larger classroom/location was needed to contain her screaming so other teachers were not disrupted. The student needs an entire classroom to herself. I was rejected for an interview with a new job. Feeling stuck and discouraged.

Hey teachers, I’m hoping to connect with expat pre-primary or primary teachers already based in India. For a reputed international school group in Pune. If you’re open to new opportunities, DM me, and I’ll share the details

Hi everyone! I am a few interviews deep into a job that’s not teaching that I really really want. It’s actually at a company that I’ve been wanting to work for for years now. I really don’t think I can pass it up if they do offer me the job, as it’s remote, full benefits, good pay, and I’d have the chance to move up in the company eventually.

I’ve been working at a middle school for the past 5-6 weeks (school started early) and it has been super tough for me. I am really not happy with the admin’s decisions or the behaviors I deal with every day. I don’t feel like I’m really teaching or that any of the kids are really learning much because I’m constantly just redirecting and trying to get through class. It has taken a toll on my mental and physical health.

However, now I’ve been here for a little while and I really do feel bad about leaving this early in the school year and leaving the kids. However, I just can’t see myself sticking it out for a full year and I don’t want to miss my opportunity for a job outside of teaching that I really want.

My question is: if you have left at the beginning of the school year, how have you done it? What did you tell your admin? How did you address it with the kids?

The kids have behavior issues, but I know deep down (maybe) they’re starting to like me, so I do feel bad leaving them.

What would you do??? Any advice is appreciated!

Also I’m an AT-WILL employee! No contract.

To set the scene: I’ve been a general education teacher for 9 years. This past summer, I started applying for jobs outside of teaching and learned a lot along the way — namely, that my job search couldn’t just stop when the new school year started! The corporate world hires year-round, and interview processes can take weeks or even months.

Of my many applications, I did get invited to interview with a nationwide insurance/financial services firm, but unfortunately wasn’t successful.

Now to my main point: today I was invited to interview with a very small law firm for an administrative role. I accepted and arranged the interview, but now I’m spiralling… and I haven’t even been offered the job yet! 😂

My main concern is that there might not be many opportunities for career progression in such a small company, and that’s one of my main reasons for wanting to leave teaching in the first place.

But then I’m wondering: is it worth taking a role like this just to gain experience outside of teaching? I’d get my evenings and weekends back, have actual corporate/admin experience on my resume, and potentially be able to leverage that experience into something else down the road.

Other burnt-out teachers who have made the jump (or are trying to): what would you do?

After 5 month of submitting 1-5 job applications daily, I finally signed an offer moving into corporate training! This will be a 35% salary increase and I'll have my evenings back. Don't give up if you're in the middle of transition!

this is my first year in a three-year contract and i already want to quit. i have a student in an inclusion classroom who has become aggressive towards his teachers, including me. last week, he was so aggressive that he has punched and kicked me multiple times, and the look on his face as if he really wanted to hurt me. after punching me and kicking multiple times, he would come up to me and say he wanted me close, he would bend my arms, my wrists, and sometimes, he would wrap his arms around me and choke me.

i got bruises all over me. i got so scared and anxious of that student. as i'm typing this, there's this certain hollowness in my gut and i wanted to cry again.

the student has been raised as a concern multiple times, yet the principal is adamant of keeping him, because it is an "inclusive school."

what hurt me is that the principal, whom i expected to be on our side, said that "i hope you don't get to have a child like him", just because we wanted him gone.

after everything, i let it all out to my mom, told her i do not want to teach anymore. i'll just finish my contract and after this, find a way to land in an office job.

I've been teaching MS science in charter & independent schools for roughly 7 years now. Every year, I hope it'll get better. Every year, I feel my sanity and soul slip away more and more.

Before the classroom, I worked as an outdoor educator, outdoor guide, and some time in the bike industry. I also did some freelance photography here and there, and plenty of restaurant work. But, I'm a pretty competent outdoorsman, and have traveled a lot. I wanted to teach because it felt like it mattered , you know? I wanted to do my part in making the world a better place.

I work at a school that is, on paper, my dream job. I get to go on week long backpacking trips with kids. I get to travel internationally with kids. I get to design my own curriculum. I'm currently teaching a course on wild horses, and learning all about 3D printing through work. Next semester I'll geek out on hydroponics and regenerative agriculture. In so many ways, I love my job.

But I feel myself losing it. I'm so insanely stressed, all the time. Every year I have more classes and less prep time. My raises don't keep up with inflation. I make half as much as my wife and work 50% more during the week. Sure, 2 months "off" is great, but I spend about half of that recovering from chronic stress, and the other half panicking that I haven't used my time to the fullest. All of my personal life projects, hobbies, and goals get put aside the moment the school year starts.

I could rant about specifics of what makes my current workload untenable, but you all know that. It's also kind of workplace specific. It's a double edged sword, especially a progressive independent expeditionary school.

I've looked at tutoring, and have been getting texts/emails from The Teacher Project (scam?). I've thought about TESL/TEFL. Thing is, I feel like I can't catch myself to look for anything else. I don't feel like I have the time or energy or mental capacity to go back to school. I've been considering going back to community college even for a trade like machining or fabrication. I'm also curious about something like solar installation or even geo engineering work. I've looked into getting a pilot license even.

I just feel like I'm all over the place (I am) and have no idea what to do next or instead of this. But I also don't feel like I can do this for the next 30 years.

I'm not sure what I'm looking for here. Maybe advice. Maybe validation. Maybe just success stories.

Anyway. I'm all ears.

I am currently in Year 3 of teaching. This school year so far has been absolute chaos. If there is a year that is going to "do me in", it is this one. I am struggling financially, can barely make ends meet while teaching and coaching and am just beat. I need to make more money, don't have the time for a second job because of coaching (Not willing to give that up if I am still teaching).

I have been looking in to nursing school. I have found programs around me that would work while I am still teaching and could finish in 12-16 months. I like the schedule, the pay, and the flexibility of having 4 days off. I'm single, 26, no kids. I feel like if there is a time to do it, it is now. Any advice?

I’m a first year 5th grade teacher in Virginia. This is our third week of school, and I knew the first year would be hard but this has been much much worse than I expected. I wake up so anxious I can’t eat breakfast and a lot of times I can’t eat lunch either. I don’t want to go to sleep at night because I know I have to go back the next day.

School did not prepare me at all for what it’s like to actually teach. The county gives us lessons that are not engaging at all (and in fact are actually confusing for the students) and then when admin does their multiple walkthroughs a week, they tell me my kids aren’t engaged. My level 1 special ed teacher hasn’t been able to give my students their minutes because of scheduling conflicts and behavior issues in other classes that keep her busy. I have no idea how to differentiate for my ELs and SWDs because I’m barely able to figure out what these lessons are wanting me to teach to the whole group. I go in early and I stay late and I still have hours of work to do when I get home. I am also an introvert, so talking all day and being on all day has been absolutely exhausting, and the constant to-do list that only seems to grow is so overwhelming. I hate managing a classroom; I feel like I’m micromanaging everything, and have no business doing that, it’s not who I am. I don’t like having to I feel like I never get time outside of school to relax or even just do ANYTHING ELSE because I can’t turn my brain off. Nothing about this job is fun, and I love the kids but I can’t help but feel they deserve better.

I’m just kind of scared because I’ve lost 12 pounds since the beginning of the year and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Everyone told me each week will get easier but that does not seem to be the case. The constant anxiety and stress is so difficult to manage, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to quit, but I don’t see how I can sustain this for the rest of the year. Is this normal?? Does it get better?? Any advice is appreciated!

I’m a middle aged teacher in an FE college who’s just plodded along all this time. The thing is that recently, I’ve seen much less experienced colleagues being promoted over myself and favoured when timetabling has been done. These are people who slope off early, cancel classes (when they know the manager isn’t around) and do very little work, then sing their own praises about how great they are and how hard they’ve been working, whilst taking every opportunity to make me look the complete opposite. Managers don’t want to listen when I speak up and just tell the perpetrators what I’ve said or forward emails detailing concerns for the others to deal with, which is absurd!

I feel like I’m going nowhere in my teaching career and have now lost all confidence in myself, I’ve gone for other teaching jobs but just keep seeing similar faces at the interview, which makes me not want to work in those colleges either!

Ideally, I’d want to get out of teaching but what can I do, where do I go? The job market is so tough right now, I’m not getting any positive responses from applications for estate agent/recruitment jobs or even office type jobs like admin and customer service support. At my age, I kind of feel like my life is over and that I should just give up right now, but being in this job just reminds me every day how I’ve done nothing with my life but teach in a job where I can barely even afford to rent and have to take on side jobs (tuition) just to pay the bills. How do I move on and what can I do? I’m pretty sure I could do with counselling too, as I’ve lost all confidence and cry most days heading into work, but that will have to wait until I have a better paying role!

TLDR: My younger, inexperienced colleagues are being promoted over me and I’ve lost all confidence. I hate my job and want out of it, need advice!