First Step: Finding Your Focus
It's summer! That means many teachers are now taking a well-deserved break to rest, rejuvenate, and - in many cases - reflect on whether or not they will be returning to the classroom in the fall.
The stress of teaching, even before Covid, was high. In 2019 - pre-Covid - 50% of teachers were considering leaving the profession according to a PDK International poll. Reasons cited at that time included inadequate pay/benefits, stress/pressure/burnout, and lack of respect or feeling valued. Since 2019, the percentage of teachers considering leaving the field has increased, sadly but not surprisingly.
For too many teachers, though, the thought of leaving induces its own set of fears. Where will they go? What are they qualified to do? How does the corporate world work? Will anyone give them a chance to try? How do they even start? And these fears can cause them to become immobile in their job search.
You see, too often in the education world, a professional growth plan only focuses on how teachers will improve the instruction they provide to students. In over a decade of teaching, I don't remember a single conversation with my supervisors about what I wanted to do in 5-10 years professionally until after I left the classroom. It was assumed that I would, of course, just stay a teacher. Any growth conversations I had were along the lines of switching grade levels, or getting ESOL or reading certified, or adding special education. They were additional ways to serve the school, but did not necessarily consider my own passions. Strangely, it felt unloyal to talk to my supervisor about my own professional growth. As if, somehow, mentioning that I might not want to stay in the classroom for 25 years would be seen as a detriment - and the principal would not invite me back the next year.
It was only after I started working as an instructional coach at the district level - a job another teacher suggested I consider applying for - that my new supervisor came to me and suggested that maybe I should consider advancing my career in other ways.
It should not be this way! Teachers should be encouraged to grow professionally - outside of "just" improving their craft as a teacher. They should be told what options they have and encouraged to apply for them. They should know that there are other opportunities besides becoming a principal or dean.
I think it is partly due to this that teachers considering a career change often feel so paralyzed with fear and uncertainty. They feel guilty for considering leaving their career, and they have lived in the world of education for so long that they often don't have the confidence to know what roles fit them in the corporate setting.
For this reason, teachers considering a job change should start with reflection. Start with what you know. What do you love about teaching? Why did you go into teaching in the first place? Don't think about the students. That sounds terrible, I know! But, what I mean is that almost every teacher will say they went into teaching because of their love for children or teens. So, that's a given. What else do you love about teaching? Is it that lightbulb moment when someone gets the concept you are teaching? Is it creating fantastic new units of instruction? Is it mentoring other teachers, or analyzing data to see progress over time, or learning effective new ways of teaching concepts and sharing them with others? Or was it that you needed to have summers off so you could be with your own children? What else, besides your love of students, excites (or excited) you about teaching?
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Tap into that first! Think of everything that you can about what you loved about teaching. Write those down!
Then think about what you look forward to leaving behind. What don't you want in your new career? Think about that too. The obvious ones, of course, are real stressors like disrespectful students, the politicization of your craft, and the fear of violence in your place of work - but what else? What do you not enjoy about teaching?
It is really important to identify these things before you begin your job hunt. If you start with your own needs, wants, passions, desires, and dislikes, it will help you hone in on the roles that will best suit you personally. Not every role will be a good fit for every teacher. Some teachers will make fantastic instructional designers. Others will truly dislike that role. Some will love being corporate trainers; others would rather do anything else but that. Some would love being a part of an implementation team (if they knew what that was), while others would find that exceedingly boring.
So, start your reflection this summer with what you know: you. Once you have identified these things about yourself - and have written them down (because putting ink on paper really does help with honest reflection) - then you can begin to explore roles that fit your passions.
Want help with this? Consider my Preparing for Change course . Or join my Facebook group for transitioning teachers .
But whatever you do, don't skip this step! It may seem like you better get started today if you are going to find that new role. But what you don't want to do is start looking before you know where you are going.