Teachers tend to be passionate about contributing to young people’s education and growth and many may hear the lessons they have learned from their teacher years later. However, even multiple positive character traits and hard work don’t always keep a good teacher at school. The reasons behind teacher attrition vary from burnout, poor job satisfaction, and reduced accomplishment to an unsafe work environment, until reaching a certain point when a person makes a decision to leave.These people who used to work in schools shared the turning point that made them change their jobs, answeringone Redditor’s question: “Teachers who quit, when was the moment you realized it wasn’t for you?”More info:RedditThis post may includeaffiliate links.
Teachers tend to be passionate about contributing to young people’s education and growth and many may hear the lessons they have learned from their teacher years later. However, even multiple positive character traits and hard work don’t always keep a good teacher at school. The reasons behind teacher attrition vary from burnout, poor job satisfaction, and reduced accomplishment to an unsafe work environment, until reaching a certain point when a person makes a decision to leave.
These people who used to work in schools shared the turning point that made them change their jobs, answeringone Redditor’s question: “Teachers who quit, when was the moment you realized it wasn’t for you?”
More info:Reddit
This post may includeaffiliate links.
In a meeting with other English teachers, an admin said:“6th grade will no longer be reading novels. It’s not statistically proven to improve test scores.“If reading doesn’t improve testing, your testing is wrong.
I had a student, maybe 11 or 12, sitting with me and having pizza. I asked how her life was going and she says “Well, my dad’s a [substance] dealer so he’s always got people coming over to sell or buy [substances] or play cards so I can’t sleep. My mom’s dying because she has a hole in her heart and they can’t fix it. And I have a boyfriend but I’m afraid to tell my mom because she’ll tell my dad and he’ll beat me.” Just normal, like this was everyday stuff.So, as a mandatory reporter I go to my Dean of Students and tell him all this, and he just gets irritated and goes “Yeah, but that doesn’t excuse her behavior.“That’s when I knew I was done.
When the corporate job offered me three times the salary AND a 12% annual bonus.Now, my kids can afford to go to the college where dad used to teach.
I stopped when my annual review with the new program dean focused on the 10% of student reviews that were negative rather than the 90% that were positive. There are too many aggravations working against teachers. At the least, the administration has to have your back.
First I’ll tell you the moments when I nearly quit.When a kid with serious mental health issues stabbed another kid with a pencil and I was told to just keep a better eye on him.When a parent complained about me but I wasn’t told the nature of the complaint; just reprimanded, generally.When 16-year-old boys hit on me and I actually considered going out drinking with them because I had no social life.But the MOMENT, looking back, was when I was hospitalised with exhaustion, and my amazing boyfriend, who had been coming over, marking tests and proofing papers every evening for months, lay down on the cold hard hospital floor and slept beside me in case I was upset overnight.I realised that I wanted a life with him, not a dull existence where I poured all of myself into my job and had nothing left for us.I loved teaching but it wanted all of me. Dawn til midnight, seven days a week prepping, marking, planning.I quit. I got a better job. I married that amazing guy and we have an amazing daughter. On weekends we go to the park and play.
I worked in a high needs behavior class. I got hit, punched, scratched and spat on daily, but every day I went back and did my best for those kids. I was so battered and bruised that my husband wouldn’t shop with me anymore because people would stare and sometimes even comment to him about his mistreating me. It was sickening, but I loved my job and every one of those kids.One day was called to the office to talk. It was Christmas time and things weren’t great at home and as anyone with kids knows the holidays makes children especially high strung so things were also wild in the classroom. My boss said “you seem awfully stressed” and I thought how nice of her to notice so I agreed that yes I was struggling. She said “you have 6 weeks to sort it out or I’ll have to let you go”.I was crushed. It literally broke me. 6 weeks to get less stressed…how does that even work? I found myself just showing up to show up and I realized that wasn’t fair for me or for the kids.6 weeks later I get a call back to the office. I am congratulated on the amazing turn around and sent back to class. I was baffled. I was more upset and stressed than ever and they congratulate me??More and more I showed up to work just for the paycheck. One day I just decided screw it, I wasn’t a teacher anymore I was a robot fearful of showing any negativity . I quit that week. Never went back to teaching.
When it would have taken 43 years to pay off my degree at a teachers salary.
(taught at a juvenile delinquent school) when the accusations of children required no proof or consistency, and to be exonerated took divine intervention. When a kid with a violent history a mile wrong swings a stapler at you, gashing your forehead (because he was dared to) then as you restrain him, until help arrives, you “hurt his wrist”, then your school believes his story that I dropped the N-bomb to him, which caused the outburst. EVEN THOUGH TWO OTHER STAFF MEMBERS SAW THE ENTIRE THING. And the school called the police and tried to have me charged for assault.
Late to the party but I was a teacher that taught a class that would be tested on the state level and the result of the test (as well as some others) would dictate our funding.The principal gave me the exam in advance and asked that I quiz the students directly on the questions in the packet.I was no longer teaching for knowledge but for memorization and it really deflated me. I walked away that winter.
I had a 6-year old pull a knife on me while screaming “I will [end] you”. This was the culmination of a lot of various incidents with the same kid. What was most infuriating was the parents claiming they had the sweetest little boy and that we (the school) must be liars for saying otherwise. Eventually he was transferred to a special school after we filed a report on the various incidents. I felt really bad for the kid because when he wasn’t freaking out over something he would be the sweetest guy asking a ton of questions and participating in the activities, but he was highly prone to snapping into hysteria. The incident with the knife happened in this afterschool setting where the kids go to play and have fun. Apparently another kid had done something he disliked so he was kicking and spitting on him when I pulled him away. He ran straight to the drawer and found a little kitchen knife. Due to his size it was pretty easy to wrestle out of his hands though so no harm done. I guess dealing with s****y parents was what made me change my career.
The wasn’t one defining moment that made me decide to quit. But after the decision was made, there was a moment that solidified it.There was this kid. To say he wasn’t bright is an understatement. He probably should have been diagnosed at some point as special education, but never was. He was also an a***e. I taught 8th grade math, and he literally couldn’t even multiply. So I would give him the same tests I gave my special education students. He’d usually fail anyway, but not as bad. Anyhow, he never figured out he was given a different test. When I made the different versions, they were essentially the same questions, just with much easier numbers to work with. Well one day, I was grading his test, and he missed every single question. Weird thing was, he had all the correct answers to the normal test. However he showed no work. So there was literally no way with the numbers he had, he could get the answers he got.So I called his mom in (I had to stay like an hour later than normal to meet with her). I presented her the evidence, which most people would find pretty convincing. She just turned to him and said “Did you cheat?” He of course denies it. Then she looks at me and says “You say he cheated, he says he didn’t, I don’t know who to believe”.I got up and left right then.Parents are the reason most teachers leave the profession. They tend to make the teacher the enemy quite often. Plus, they don’t want to acknowledge that their child can be a little st.
When I realized getting drunk and cooking epic meals was way more enjoyable.
When I realized that I was being more micromanaged every year. I expected a lot of oversight when I was a new teacher. I actually had more people watching my every move & every word after a Master’s Degree & fifteen years experience. I never had a single complaint. Parents & students loved me (even requested me). Administrators needing to justify their jobs were constantly in my classroom or calling pointless meetings to discuss pointless things. I spent less & less time teaching and more & more time filing out meaningless forms, responding to emails, and sitting through meetings.
I taught high school for 10 years. I was an amazing teacher. I received perfect evaluations and was teacher of the district twice in that time. I was a class sponsor, sponsored clubs, took kids to Europe, and on overnight field trips. I loved teaching and I was good at it and passionate about it.I left teaching when I learned that my colleague, also a great teacher, who was 20 years into her career, 2 Masters degree and topped out the systems pay scale at $58K a year. Starting at 22 years old at $39K is awesome, retiring at $58K is bt.I realized that despite my degrees and my hard work, I’d never make enough to keep my head above water. It wasn’t enough to pay my student loans or put my kids through college. At one point I was working 3 jobs at the same time to make my bills work.I have 2 Master degrees and a slew of impressive endorsements. I was never going to be promoted, or get a raise. Even if I was sy teacher who did sub-par work, I’d make the same amount I did as a stellar above and beyond teacher.TL;DR: Teacher pay is b****t.
So many thingsFigured I got payed 9/hr to handle special needs AND the future of our country and other teachers didn’t have it that much better.Watched an entire class plagiarize an easy essay because they couldn’t fathom how to write something original.Turned in a girl for skipping class only to have to write a police report on why I didn’t call her a stupid b*h and hit her. (She never got punished for that)Observed a kid who I KNEW had to be a psychopath convince a freshman to steal a phone. Freshman got caught and 10 days in Juvie. Psychopath walked free.You’re gonna have to pay teachers a lot more to deal with that cp.
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No me but my wife. She was an engineer at a good company on the east coast. Left because she wanted more rewarding work. Soon after she is doing clinicals at a school on the rough side of our home town. She was the kind of student teacher who showed up early, ate lunch with the kids, stayed late, and followed up with parents. Anyway….Some months in she has repeatedly had trouble with some students (they came from troubled homes and brought a lot with them into the class each day). She tried working with them one on one, working with the administration, and the parents. More than one set of parents said “Stop calling.” And the administration told her to send them to the principal’s office (where they could sit all day) and focus on the “good” kids.Eventually, the futility set in…. She was the only one who cared. Not the kids, administration, other teachers, or even their parents. She finally wore herself out after a couple years with no support at work and no one appreciating her efforts (except me of course!).She’s back in aerospace now.
Currently teaching- just the sheer amount of lesson planning during the evenings and weekends definitely encroaches on your free time. Man I wish I had just stayed at the corporate gig.
My aunt used to teach, planned a whole years worth of lessons over the summer and then two weeks before term started said she was actually teaching completely different classes.She told them to do one and quit.
So a while back I was a permanent sub for a German teacher in the area I lived (she went on maternity leave). And in this German class I’d also talk about geography and what not. So anyway, near the end of the school year, I was talking about how Berlin…“Wait wait wait… Berlin’s in Germany?! I thought it was in Europe!“It was at that moment, that I realized I failed as a teacher.
I’m 16 and my mum is a 4th grade teacher. She’s been struggling with mental health issues for a long time and this year has been particularly rough on her. Her school has a new principal and he’s been a s**t head so the union and administration have been duking it out. He class is apparently the worst, and she’s afraid to send kids to the office for fear she will be seen as incapable.If she didn’t have 2 dependables (me and my sister) she’s probably either be dead or working minimum wageI don’t know why I’m sharing but I hope that helps someone
I’ve aways had this fantasy that I’d teach college after I “retired” or got sick of corporate life..I’ve done a lot of public speaking and am comfortable speaking in front of large crowds so when a Dean of a local university invited me to teach a class I was like “cool”..Did all class prep and whatnot and enjoyed the class.. but I hated having the next class hanging over my head.. I’m more of a bursty project person.. Go all out.. Accomplish goals.. Clear your desk… Take a break.. rinse and repeat but this teaching gig felt like a grind and , as I was adjunct, def wasn’t worth the time and energy for the s**t pay.. So after the semester I quit..The university invited me back to speak and asked what my speaking fee was..My single night of speaking paid the same as being an adjunct for 1 semester..
I have a real passion to teach social studies. I graduated from one of the best teaching schools in my state with a 4.0 and great letters of recommendation from my student teaching supervisor, my cooperating teacher, and the head of the history department. What no one told me was that since social studies aren’t on standardized tests those jobs are seen as nice “cushy” jobs for people who don’t really want to teach and instead want to coach. I’m a small nonathletic woman who has never played sports. Every school I applied at ended up hiring a coach, not a teacher.Now, while those students have wonderful coaches, they go on hating history and social studies because they have c**p teachers who drone on and on and then give tests.I substitute taught for about two years and really loved my school: the students, faculty, and staff. Subbing was awesome there, I had great relationships with the kids, they loved to have me as a sub in any subject. But it didn’t pay the bills and with student loans I had to quit. I basically gave up on ever working in that school that I loved or any school really.Now I work in private education. I meet with students after school and help them catch up on things they’re behind on. It’s solid pay and great benefits but I really miss being in a classroom.Edit: Most every school (thankfully) tends to have at least one really awesome Social Studies teacher. I’m really happy so many of you had a positive experience! I myself had one teacher like that in 12 years; she inspired my course of study.
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I went to a national teaching conference and nearly every single speaker was an excellent and passionate educator. AND nearly every single speaker talked about how their administration impeded progress, innovation, and generally sucked. I had been hoping it was only my school.I also realized that I think grades are stupid. I had liked them as a student because I was good at things, but watching students struggle when they lacked the aptitude to excel in the same way some of their peers could, but still busted their butts hoping for that A made me sad.I think learning should be more student led than test driven, and more interdisciplinary in nature. Basically, I think our educational system goes against research and kills intrinsic motivation and curiosity.
Saw someone mentioned teaching abroad, I can speak to that.I’m currently teaching at an international school that pays well and has a decent reputation, so I’m pretty happy. I do see many teachers, however, leave the profession due to a combination of the students, parents, and administration. The students are rich and entitled, the parents blame the teachers if their kids don’t perform well, and the administration automatically sides with the parents due to the money the students bring in.So it usually goes like this: student acts out (maybe due to not caring, bad home life, or any number of reasons), teacher disciplines, student gets angry and complains to parents, parents get angry with teacher and complain to administration, administration automatically blames teacher. This can result in disciplinary action to the teacher or outright dismissal. No small wonder teachers can become disillusioned.I’m in no way saying this happens at all schools, but I’ve seen it happen frequently enough to know what schools to avoid.
My administrator and instructional coach providing me with absolutely no curriculum or guidance, nor observational feedback, and then having the gall to tell me that I had a mediocre first year, that I didn’t try hard enough nor did I show ownership of my classroom, and that my 110 students are unprepared for the next grade level.I worked no less than 13 hours a day teaching, grading, and preparing. They had been in my classroom perhaps twice that year and had never assessed any of my student data. They wanted what was “best for me” but never provided it. I realized then that I wasn’t cut out for politicking, nor was I cut out to accept the failures of another person as my own.Also, it’s mandatory that we assign no student a grade lowered than 60, so.
I taught high school for 14 years, and I really enjoyed teaching the students. I got good at it, and I figured out how to have a productive, enjoyable classroom most of the time.I quit because it became a routine - the same things every year. The fun of learning the students didn’t continue to counterbalance the committees, the backstabbing fellow teachers, the hours of evening work, and the unappreciative administration. Administrators: talk to your teachers often, and give them constructive feedback! We need to feel like our efforts are noticed and appreciated!
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