The good news is that it is so , this is life after school. Indeed, there are many possibilities and opportunities outside the classroom. It can be scary to think about the changes, but leaving class was the best thing I could do.

You rarely give up on something you thought was your forever career or hoped was yours to enjoy. Hey, maybe this made you happy for a while. Things change. (And that's fine.)

I was pleasantly surprised with life on the other side. After all, she'd heard rumors about the corporate world and what a grueling and unforgiving place it was. I actually learned a lot about myself, my desires and life in general after leaving my teaching career. It was hard and scary. You take a leap of faith, but I'm so glad you did.

Perhaps you are here now, wondering what is behind the walls of the courtroom. I know they can get lonely when you're afraid your coworkers won't understand you or you're embarrassed to think of an alternative. "What happened to the children?" And you?

Life after school...a little history

When I started teaching in fifth grade, I was excited to have the opportunity to give something back to the community. I enjoyed working with students, but that wasn't enough. I didn't understand it then, but deep down I felt like I was drowning. In no other work have I felt that something was missing. There was something wrong. I convinced myself that it was just the nerves of the newcomers. would have disappeared

Spoiler alert: It hasn't disappeared. Freshman jitters turned into sophomore jitters, and freshman year, I was always wondering whether or not I was on the right career path. I thought I would like to teach, but I couldn't get rid of that feeling.

After going through a stressful first few years as a new teacher, I got a job in another county. I was hoping this new job would help me get it right. After all, it was my dream apprenticeship. I remember preparing my class with great anticipation for a fresh start.

Instead of a fresh start, I experienced a toxic work environment. Any emotions I used to feel disappeared and were replaced by overwhelming stress and exhaustion that impacted my life both in and out of work. During my senior year, I was torn between unrealistic expectations and the lack of autonomy I faced on a daily basis. Between partners and managers, I felt I could never do enough. Even when I did my best and even sacrificed the rest of my personal time, it wasn't good enough.

I started seeing my doctor more and more due to stress-related illnesses. Although a doctor expressed concern for my mental well-being, I felt guilty about my feelings. I felt guilty about the thoughts I had about leaving the class. Shit, he doubted that was a possibility. After all, what would I do if I weren't a teacher?

After finally making the decision to leave at the end of the year, I panicked. I realized that I had no idea where to start thinking about my next step. I could hardly imagine what life would be like after teaching. After all, I'd spent years of my life preparing to be a teacher, assuming everything would be fine. I thought you might like it. They don't prepare you for what to do if you don't.

I did what everyone does when they're in a crisis: I turned to the Internet. I spent whole days collecting advice and best practices. I developed an exit strategy, expanded my network, and applied for jobs that matched my skills and experience. I was pleasantly surprised how many works go well with the old masters.

Despite the ups and downs of the application process, this new approach has helped me emerge from the fog of burnout. I finally started to understand what life outside the classroom could be like. The more job descriptions I read, the more I realized I could use my skills elsewhere. Who knew?

After hundreds of applications (and many rejections), I finally got the yes I've been waiting for and landed a job as an educational consultant. Since then, I've also held positions in instructional design, freelanced, and even started my own business (this website) to help others navigate their teaching careers.

Here are ten things I've learned since leaving class that you should know.

1 . Life Is Short. Your Job Should Not Make You Possible.

This is the most important lesson I've learned since I stopped teaching. Teaching was not the right job for me. My physical and mental well-being was at stake and my personal relationships were suffering. I spent my nights and weekends working for little money and without the recognition of unsound management. Back then, I didn't have the energy to do anything most days of the week. And I could barely pay my rent in Los Angeles despite my master's degree. It felt like a tough fight and there was no winning.

At the end of my worst (and last) year as a teacher, it became a routine for me to start crying on my way to school. As soon as I arrived, I put on my makeup again, hoping to hide the truth. Eventually, I realized that I really needed a break. The truth is, he was unhappy.

heard. After years of a thankless job, my self-esteem was at an all-time low. Even though I had no idea what my next step would be, I knew I had to find out. No job was worth giving up my physical or mental health.

Life is short, and if your job is negatively impacting all aspects of your life, it's time to reevaluate it. Your life, your mental and physical health are worth more than showing up in a race.

2. You Don't Get Paid What You Think.

If you have a job and have to work late, that doesn't make sense. It's easy to settle in and accept it as part of the job, but that doesn't make it right. it's your moment i calculated how much i was making per hour and was amazed. I earned more in my first year as a school counselor than in the classroom.

Think about how many hours you work a week. Arriving early, staying late for the bus, correcting homework or decorating the classroom for the weekend? Are you being asked to stay longer to go back to school, carnivals or parent-teacher reunions? Need to catch up on work or try to pay bills over the summer and holidays?

Let's say you work 39 weeks a year, what's an average of 60 hours per week. That's 2,340 hours a year. If your salary is $55,000, that equates to $23 an hour. Would you make more money per hour in any other position? Even with the same salary and 8 hour shifts, 5 days a week, that's 2,080 hours. It costs $26 an hour and you get your time back.

This is what really impressed me about life after teaching: I was able to accomplish a lot with the 260 hours I earned. I could finally do the things I didn't have time for before, like reading a book or meeting friends for a drink. You can generate additional income or start a passionate project that you have been putting off. Which brings me to my next point:

This is what really got me about life after school: I am I was able to do a lot with the 260 hours I was given. You can generate additional income or start a passionate project that you have been putting off. Which brings me to my next point:

3. It's Easier To Supplement Your Income With Other Opportunities When You Have A Work-life Balance.

After leaving the classroom to work as an educational consultant, I went a little crazy. He worked long hours. This particular job gave me SO MUCH free time that within a few months I felt comfortable branching out and starting passion projects. I opened my own TPT shop.

I currently make a few thousand dollars a month from my shop's passive income, although I don't work there, not at the moment. or upgrade features. I also started working on the course and Teacher Career Coach website to help teachers get out of the classroom.

I would never have the time or energy to work on these projects if I were still in class. And I'm no longer burdened. I can leave whenever I want.

4. You Can Support Education After The Course Into Your Life.

Many teachers enter the field because they want to help others. I remember thinking it was my way of giving something back to the community. (insert fault here). I quickly realized that just because I'm out of the classroom doesn't mean I can't make a positive impact on education. There are many ways to support education, children and teachers in your life after school.

During my newfound free time, I started working as a volunteer at a student creative atelier. Working as an education consultant, I have made contact with many local school districts in my area. I wanted to make sure your faculty and staff had access to amazing resources. Through my work, I've sought grants and technology giveaways to unite districts with great opportunities.

You know if you're thinking about leaving the classroom, that's not the case . This doesn't mean you should drop out of school altogether. Your options include volunteering, accepting education jobs, creating lesson plans or other resources for teachers, working with children in another capacity, and much more. Don't be fooled into thinking that teaching is your only option. (It is not).

5. Other Teachers Will Ask You For Help To Quit.

I was surprised by this. I remember feeling so alone during my career transition. I was annoyed by the stigma teachers face when they want to leave. But just a few weeks after my new job was announced, I received a few text messages from professors I'd worked with before, asking me for advice. how I did it When I spoke at school or at business conferences, professors would come up to me and ask me for career advice.

To my surprise, a manager even contacted me to find out if my company was hiring! I realized that there were many others in the same situation as me. They wanted more support and resources. This is what inspired me to develop career coaching resources for teachers in the first place.

If you feel stuck at work, know that you are not alone. Many teachers feel guilty, isolated and powerless when they decide to leave the profession. But trust me, once you start your new career, you'll be amazed at how many people you'll meet who will want to follow in your footsteps.

6. After Teaching You Can Integrate "Teaching Hours" Into Your Life.

I was worried that after I finished teaching I would miss out on summers and vacations. To be honest, I thought he was in a 9-5 position and not sure how to approach the new trade. Even though I was working way beyond my contractual hours, people always reminded me how lucky I was to get the job done by 3pm. (If they only knew). However, like many teachers, especially mothers, I was afraid of losing this "luxury".

To my surprise, the educational companies I've worked for mimic a teacher's programming. When schools aren't in class, there really isn't much to do, so you're on vacation too. In addition, I have flexible and unlimited paid holidays. In other words, if I send appointments and my manager agrees, I get paid time off for vacation or personal reasons. Oh, and no secondary plan is required.

It is important to note that not all companies are like this. You should check if these benefits are listed in the job description or careers page of the company's website. And if the desire to work long hours as a teacher is holding you back, remember the reality. (We both know it runs much longer.) Don't forget that there are other options with great opening hours too. Just do your research.

7. There Is More Mobility To Other Areas Of The Race.

As a teacher, I can imagine the salary scale with its modest annual increases. While it made planning for the future easier, I felt like I was chasing a salary I wouldn't hit for another 10-15 years, no ifs, ands, or buts. It didn't help that there were teachers who did the same, if not more, but worked less and tried less.

(I didn't want the role yet.) I felt trapped, which left me uninspired.

After leaving the classroom, I quickly entered a new world of Ascension. As an education consultant, I was able to identify the roles above me that interested me and create a clear game plan to position myself in higher paying roles. Even better? Often he was able to acquire the necessary skills on the job. A few years later, I received an offer for the instructional designer position.

I no longer feel bound by teacher contracts or shitty salaries. I get a raise every year that is far higher than any raise for a teacher. I saw another former teacher quadruple her salary in three years after she left teaching, which would have been impossible for her in the classroom. I'm not saying it's all about the money, but it's nice to have more options for financial stability.

8. Connection Is The Key To Getting Your Dream Job.

There's a reason people say, "It's not what you know." It depends on who you know. While it was easy for me to find internships, it's a completely different network than other industries. I was totally at a loss looking for job opportunities outside of the classroom.

In retrospect, it would have been much easier if I had made more contacts in the industries that I they interested me. In. After working as a school counselor, I started meeting people in the surrounding counties. I have also worked closely with other professional development instructors and many other teaching companies.

Surprisingly, I was constantly offered for other jobs. My LinkedIn grew with genuine connections that I could turn to when needed. After two years, I was asked to accept the position of instructional designer. Although I was not qualified for this position, I almost got it because my network could guarantee the work ethic and value.

If I ever look for a job in the future, I know it will be 500 times easier than before to start networking! My advice? Start building that network! You never know when or how much it will come in handy.

9. Salaries Can Be Negotiated In Almost Any Other Industry.

I was impressed. I had no idea how it all worked when I started transitioning from teaching. When I looked at the job postings, I had NO idea of the starting salary. One thing I've learned in my life after teaching is that many salaries can be negotiated upon hiring.

This is not common in education and is not it is still quite used in other sectors (especially for female candidates). It's best to start by researching and understanding the average salary for work in your field. It's hard to compare the salary of a job in rural Oklahoma to the same job in a big city like New York or Chicago. You should always keep in mind that different companies have different budgets, so even after your research, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. After learning more about salary negotiations, I negotiated my starting salary 16% more than the company's original offer.

10. Don't Fail. They Grow.

People should repeat this lesson over and over. I remember feeling like a total failure my last year of apprenticeship. I always wanted to be a teacher and it was easy to feel guilty when the job didn't suit me. Whatever the reason, there is a stigma attached to teachers who decide to leave the profession. Suddenly we are selfish, weak or sold out. We become a statistic. We belong to "those" who can't take it anymore.

The truth is that after teaching, my life has improved a lot. It was as if a cloud had lifted from my head and a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I know I made the right decision when I walked away. I also recognize the vale of the time I spend in class. I was able to use my experience invaluable in other areas. Without my teaching experience, I would never be in the position I hold today. All the companies I work for appreciate the skills and experience I have gained as a teacher. It wasn't a failed attempt. It was a trampoline. I have grown personally and professionally during this transition and am improving.

Leaving teaching was the best thing that ever happened to me. Remember that every experience shapes who we are and who we will become. If I'd never taught, I wouldn't have been able to create resources for other teachers walking out of the classroom. If I didn't have the same struggle, I wouldn't have been motivated to support those who are going through it. That wouldn't have brought me here to you.

There is life after high school!

Looking back, I don't understand why I thought the career change failed. Only personal and professional growth resulted from it. In other industries and professions, people change jobs an average of 12 to 15 times in their lifetime. I quit my job as an instructional consultant to work as an instructional designer and saw that as a growth, not a failure. However, as soon as the teachers consider leaving the classroom, they are overwhelmed by shame and guilt.