10 Uncomfortable Truths About Quitting Teaching

You may be at the point where you're thinking, I want to quit teaching. Is it time for me to quit teaching and leave the teaching profession? In today's video, I'm discussing the pros and cons of quitting your teaching job mid-year so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to leave your job. I talk about the benefits of leaving early in the school year versus continuing to work through the end, as well as the potential drawbacks of leaving before a break.

Whether teachers should quit during the school year depends on your individual circumstances and if teaching is right for you, but you can be confident in taking action if it is after watching this video.

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[TMeyer-gepj]

Just for everyone who wants to quit....I quit and now work for a corporation. It is 10000% better. Teaching was literally torture. Kids in my school would run around threatening to stab people with knives. Maybe this woman has had an easy experience, but for some people teaching is literally like living in a war zone. People at my school were jumped, sexually assaulted, had their property destroyed, etc. If you've been there then you understand. Nothing can be worse. Don't let these reasons hold you back, there are better things out there ❤️

[mandomtz]

I encourage any public school teacher that is feeling burnout to take paid medical leave of absence due to mental reasons. Get the paperwork filled out by a doctor or therapist. Use the time to re-center yourself or plan an exit.. It's your right. Remember you are a civil servant NOT a martyr. Don't feel bad about colleague or admin picking up the slack.. They'll manage. Always put your self and health first. Don't worry about references or petty grudges. These schools are desperate for teachers. they can not afford to be picky and they know it.

[davejohnson]

We need Administrators who aren't afraid of kids and back their teachers. Teachers send behavior problems to the office only to see kids return with a piece of candy.

[minombre]

I cannot thank you enough for not saying that it’s not about the students as I have heard so many former teachers say. It is about the students. As you say, they are rude, uncooperative and mostly lazy. Times have changed. I am a big, buff guy, and I imposed discipline in my classroom during my one year teaching French in a public school. I imposed discipline where students are no longer used to being held to rigorous standards and being told to stop interrupting. THANK YOU again. It is all about the students, at least many of them. I got tired of having to impose discipline and got out at the end of the school year. I earn more money working for a great company and don’t have any work on the weekends. I should add that the few kind, hard-working and respectful students are to be commended. In the schools, the problem and mediocre students have won the day. Never again.

[rc]

I am too the point they can have my teaching license. I am tired of being responsible for some else’s kids. Plus the pay is terrible and education has no room for career growth. You got school superintendents making triple figures while they give teachers the table scraps and they lecture you about not doing enough to help the children. Pull your kids out of public school! The system is collapsing.

[hillcatrogers]

I am so excited to leave teaching either this year or next year. I still want to work in education, but as an academic counselor, advisor or in admissions. I want to help students discover what they want to do, give them the tools to navigate the process and support them in their journey. This job fits my personality way better than working in general education.

[Happybunnyyy]

I’m a public school teacher. This is just my second year of teaching but I’m already considering to quit… I went into teaching because of passion but now my passion has all gone due to heavy workload and extreme work life unbalance. Teaching has left me broken and it is starting to affect my mental and physical health. I cry a lot during the weekends and evening times but I have to put up a smile when I’m with my students. I turn into a very grumpy person who get madly at any tiny things easily. I also get chest pain frequently but my doctor said my heart is functioning well with no problems detected. And you know what? After all the time, hard work, and tears that I have put in, I’m still not granted a cleared license and I still have a couple exams and the TPA to be done.

[chixwithstix]

I am quitting but I am finishing my contract. I want to be completely removed from the classroom. This year has destroyed every aspect of my health and I need to heal.

[nelizadrew]

I took a leave of absence mid-year and never went back because the environment had become so toxic I was depressed but my medication was giving me hives, I didn't have any leave available to deal with it, we were constantly being micromanaged and lectured about things outside our control, and I wasn't allowed to use any of the innovative teaching strategies that had worked in the past with out students.

[Sundaymike]

I retired and now sub 2-3 days a week. I only work the jobs and schools I want. If a job sucks, I just don't go back there.
My life is now being lived instead of being crushed by stress and a 200/100 BP on the daily.
Quitting was the best thing I ever did.

[annaburns]

Yep. It’s affecting us substitutes as well. I was subbing a half day for a teacher in an emotionally handicapped (aka behavioral unit) I waited all morning for her to come in because I had plans in the afternoon and then when it was time she just waltzed in a said, ”I’m not staying” and left. She totally expected me to stay the whole day which I did, and we never heard from her again. About an hour after she left they brought a long term sub in to start the next day and about ever two weeks I now sub for the other sub. It’s madness! 🤪

[RspbyLmn]

I have taught second grade for 28 years in a public elementary school. I've seen almost anything. This year has been the absolute worst. I've been exasperated and stressed. Even our raise seened to be burned off by inflation. My mental and physical health are frazzled. I have been dying to retire and never look back. Then something happened last week. It's like someone said a prayer and a glimmer of calm fell upon the entire classroom. This week, same. Today, they're remembering stuff. It's the lightbulb effect. Oh God how I love the sweet spots that start to show after that 100th day. Like the early blossoms in spring gives you hope, their little light bulbs are starting to flicker. I will make it! I still want to retire but go to work somewhere that's not education.

[TeacherKellyTag]

My district won’t EVER hire someone again if they quick mid-year. It’s what’s made me hang on. 5 more weeks!

[joytimmerman]

Thanks for this! I have been a special educator for 18 years and have experienced all of the highs and the lows, including seriously considering quitting or leaving the profession. I am grateful that I could rally, put up boundaries, find a good fit, and enjoy my calling again!

[Dingo]

I worked as a teacher for 6 years, and gave my resignation one year ago. Did I regret it? No. Do I miss teaching? Yes. Would I go back to teaching? I don't know.
The problem with quitting as a teacher is that the ones who quit are usually good teachers. Teachers spending all nights and weekends working are good teachers but they usually burn out. Also you work with a lot of kids and the kids have their problems which effect you through their behaviour (being inpolite, offensive, sad ...). Also the injustice of school system and society gives you anxiety because you care about those kids. Bad teachers usually work minimum and have time for hobbies because they list their priorities differently, get the same pay as you and teaching for them is good.

[sarahhumphreys]

Teachers here in Australia have quit too. In my state there is a teacher shortage. There was one teacher that quit because he was being bullied by a parent. This was on either A Current Affair or 60 Minutes.

[deirdredunbar]

As a substitute I was able to vet the schools that I was interested in prior to becoming a certified teacher. I have now attained my teaching certification and the first job I got was wonderful. I began to dissect why this school was a better fit than all the schools I had subbed at. The reason was that the cell phone policy- "no phones out at any time" was actually enforced. Having a "no phone out" policy took away the communication between classes and students.which took away much of the drama. The school is also small and in a small community, which is also a good fit for me. Due to my husband's cancer diagnosis, I have had to put my teaching on hold. I may never make it back to the teaching world, but my experience at the small school was great.

[byeteaching]

It's so important for educators transitioning into new careers to be aware of these pitfalls.

[mercherolvaag]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to break my teaching contract. I have a particularly bad situation where I'm being harassed by students for being Jewish and gay. The biggest problem and ongoing theme is the anti-Semitism. They have repeatedly spoken anti-Semitic slurs to my face and have brought up controversial LGBTQIA+ topics in class that I have refused to discuss (I teach a computer tech course that has nothing to do with any of this!), and refused to cooperate in class. I have also received a homophobic death threat from one student in the class who simply suspected that I am gay. Additionally, a hate crime was committed in my classroom where a school computer was destroyed and a swastika drawn on the desk while I was teaching. These problem students are active neo-Nazis and belong to Nazi organizations that send them literature in the mail at the private military school where I work. I reported all of these incidents to admin, and the private school where I work sided with the anti-Semitic students against me for the hate crime!!!! Additionally, several students from other classes have come to my class to disrupt and harass me. I have documented these incidents in writing and via audio and video tape, and shared them with administration. In the past week, I have lost three days of instruction due to disruption. I literally had to physically leave class twice, and admin gave me one day off while they addressed student issues. What in the heck should I do? I've been teaching for 30 years, and I've worked in my current school for 10 years. There has been a great deal of staff turnover at all levels, and they are desperate for enrollment at any cost! I'm trying to hang in there until May 2024 when my contract ends. However, I actually don't know if it is safe for me physically to do so. I'm also required to do night and weekend duties with these students, and I don't feel safe physically or legally from a liability perspective either. Should I report this to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or try to quietly leave and find another job? I don't know what to do, and I hate having to start looking for other employment at 50 years old when I have done absolutely nothing wrong. Also, I'd hate to have my teaching license revoked for leaving early. Under those circumstances, I'd have absolutely no choice but to file a discrimination lawsuit, etc. I simply exist, and that bothers some students evidently to the point that I can't teach them. I've also had some problems that started earlier about three years ago when new conservative and sexist administrators were hired as others left and retired. This situation has been building for a while now, and seems to be getting worse. Every time that I think it is resolved, it comes back with a vengeance! What advice can you give me in my current circumstances?

[Leistung]

As a teacher I’ve made it my mission to game the system. Quite quitting, sure that’s just the beginning. Pitting admin against each other, a critical component. Lastly, having a seven page syllabus and an overwhelming amount of forms, to do anything, that students need to complete and have parents sign.