How to Quit Your Teaching Job
Teachers are known for their selflessness and dedication to their students. Most teachers begin their teaching careers because they’re truly passionate about helping kids along their lifelong learning journeys.
Unfortunately, the joys of working with children are coupled with stressors like demanding parents, unruly children, and long hours spent working on lesson plans and grading papers without adequate support from their administrators and school districts. The pandemic has only exacerbated the stress teachers were already under both in and out of the classroom.
Since the pandemic began, teachers have had to scramble to reformat their lesson plans and make them suitable for online teaching, move back and forth from in-person to online teaching with little warning, and do their best to keep themselves and their students safe from COVID-19 in the classroom—all while still dealing with the stress they faced before the pandemic started.
Considering the intense pressure they’re under, it’s no surprise that 1 in 4 teachers are considering quitting their job at the end of the year.
Many teachers are evaluating whether education is still the right career path for them. If you are considering leaving the classroom, it’s important to evaluate who you are, what you want in your future career, and where your skills can fit before you resign.
Here are some tips to help you figure out your next steps.
1. Take inventory of what you like and don’t like about your current position
One-third of the National Education Association’s members have said that the pandemic has made them think about leaving the education industry much earlier than they originally anticipated. Many of those teachers want to leave the industry behind for good because their schools offered little to no help with adjusting during the pandemic or because their schools simply don’t value teachers in general. However, not all schools are created equally. Some schools really do value their teachers and do their best to support their teachers.
While deciding whether or not to quit your teaching job, take some time to think about whether you want to quit your current job or leave the education industry entirely. If you’re still passionate about teaching, but you feel overwhelmed and undervalued at your current school, research schools in your area to see if their teachers’ job satisfaction is higher than your current school’s job satisfaction. If you’re acquainted with teachers at those schools, get in touch with them and ask what their life at work is like.
If you’re totally unsure whether you want to quit teaching or move to a new school, create a pros and cons list. Write the pros of teaching in one column and the cons of teaching in the other column. Taking the time to create a list can help you determine whether or not you’re still passionate about teaching. If your list of cons is much longer than your list of pros, it may be time to consider a new career path.
2. Start compiling your transferable skills
If you decide to quit your job at the end of the year, you can use the next few months to prepare for re-entering the job market. Even if you’re not currently searching for your next job, making a list of your transferable skills now can make revamping your résumé later much easier. Fifty-seven percent of job seekers don’t know how to identify their transferable skills, so identifying yours now can help you set yourself apart from the crowd when you do start applying for jobs. Taking the time to identify your transferable skills now will also help you determine which career paths you can transition to with the most ease.
As a former teacher, I know firsthand that classroom experience helps teachers develop many transferable skills. When you’re standing in front of the classroom, you’re using a number of high-value skills without realizing it. Here’s a look at some of the skills you may have gained from your teaching experience:
Problem-solving: As a teacher, you often have to evaluate situations and quickly develop solutions to improve your students’ learning experience.
Management: Teachers typically have excellent management skills due to managing their classrooms and finding ways to motivate their students. If you’ve ever served as the head of a committee of teachers, this leadership experience also translates into management skills.
Conflict resolution: During your time in the classroom, you’ve likely had to solve conflicts between students. As a teacher, you excel at making all the students involved in the conflict feel heard and coming up with a resolution that addresses all your students’ concerns.
Data analysis: As a teacher, you’re constantly reviewing data to see what’s working for your students, what isn’t working, and where there’s room for improvement in your teaching strategy. You review standardized test scores, writing samples, and assessment results to get an accurate picture of your students’ academic needs.
Communication: Every time you stand at the front of your classroom, you’re putting your communication skills to use. As a teacher, you’ve mastered the art of communicating ideas thoroughly and clearly, so all your students can understand the material you’re teaching them.
3. Start networking
Whether you plan to land a new teaching job or start a new career, networking is absolutely essential. Start reaching out to your network to let them know you’ll be looking for a new job soon. If you plan on teaching at a new school, reach out to the people you know at the schools in your area to find out if there are any open positions.
If you plan on switching to a new career, reach out to the members of your network who work in the industry you plan to enter. They may be able to alert you to open positions that you can apply for. Additionally, they may be able to connect you with mentors and other people who can make your career transition much easier.
While you’re reaching out to your existing network, add new members to your network, too. Use LinkedIn to reach out to people in the industry you’d like to move to. Once you connect with them, ask if they’d like to meet up for coffee or chat over Zoom to share tips with you and get to know each other. Whether you plan to continue teaching or not, reaching out to your network and building your network can help you learn about unlisted jobs and connect with people who can help you further your career.
4. Prepare your professional documents
Before you apply for a new job, make sure you update your professional documents. If you plan on teaching at a new school, update your résumé and cover letter with information about what you achieved at your current school. Use data to illustrate your achievements where applicable.
If you plan on transitioning to a new career, you should also update your résumé and cover letter with information about your teaching achievements. Pull up the job description of the position you’re eyeing and refer to it as you update your professional documents. Use keywords from the job description in your résumé when possible. While you shouldn’t stuff your résumé with keywords, you should use them strategically to show the hiring manager how your teaching experience will help you succeed in your new role.
Wrapping Up
As a former teacher, I know how intimidating it can be to leave teaching behind for good. However, I know that switching to a new career path can be just as fulfilling as teaching once was. If you’re ready to make the switch to a new career path, the From Burnout to Bliss: Helping Teachers Ditch Overwhelm & Land a Career They Love bundle can smooth your transition from teaching to your new career. In this 50+ page product bundle, you’ll learn how to:
elevate your professional brand
successfully navigate your job search without getting overwhelmed
nail your interviews to land your next job
This bundle also included ATS-friendly résumé and cover letter templates that you can use to revamp your professional documents. Too intimidated by the thought of updating your own résumé and cover letter? We’re here to help!
The Writique is the top-rated teacher résumé service, and our highly experienced staff would be happy to update your résumé and cover letter for you. Whether you plan to continue teaching or switch to a new career path, we can create customized professional documents targeted to the job you’re applying for.
Our teacher résumé packages also include a free DISC skills assessment. This assessment takes inventory of your current skills and your leadership style, so you can easily identify the ideal fit for your career pivot.