Leaving Teaching: Essential Steps

Thinking of leaving teaching?

#UKEdChat Session 379 – Thursday 9th November 2017

Despite being a teacher often being the most rewarding and joyous job, the drudgery of internal school politics, bureaucracy and a lack of time to enjoy family life can make even the most resolute teacher consider leaving their vocation and consider other career avenues.

But what are the options, and how can teachers who feel trapped in their careers refresh or update skills to be utilised in different roles?

Therefore, following the #UKEdChat online poll, this session will explore why teachers might often feel like changing careers; explore the other opportunities out there, and; consider ways of re-energising the love for the job to make it more fulfilling and worthwhile.

The questions for the session are below, but if you have any experiences (either yourself or colleagues you work with) of people who have left the teaching profession, or took steps to improve their teaching role, please scroll down to the foot of this page and add your comments. Additionally, join this conversation from 8pm on Thursday evening via the #UKEdChat Twitter hashtag.

Questions:

If you are thinking about leaving, what would persuade you to stay?
What are the main reasons that make you consider leaving the teaching profession?
Before you entered teaching, what were your career aspirations?
How can you support colleagues thinking about leaving the profession? Should you even try?
If you know colleagues who left teaching, what were there main reasons for leaving?
What professions or careers did previous colleagues move onto once they left teaching?
What do you think school leaders (or policymakers) could do to keep teachers in their jobs?
What options or choices do you think that you could pursue if you left teaching?

Click to view archive: 379-Leaving Teaching Essential Steps