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Episode 12: Why We Left the Classroom

Anyone who has spent time in a classroom as a teacher has probably thought about what it would be like to leave teaching. It’s a hard, frustrating job and in challenging moments it’s easy to think about what it would be like to have a job that would enable us to do things like use the restroom as and when we need it, complete our work during working hours, and engage with adults on a daily basis. These thoughts, though, are rarely what motivate teachers to leave the profession.

The decision to leave teaching is not an easy one.

Education was headed into a time of struggle prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-pandemic education is a hot mess. Teachers are being asked to do more with less than ever before. Stress levels are at an all-time high, behavior issues with students have spiked but teachers don’t feel supported by administrators and parents, and, in many states, teachers have become the unfair target of political attacks that seriously limit their ability to do their jobs. These circumstances will make even the most dedicated, enthusiastic among us consider whether now is the time to leave teaching.

The decision to leave the classroom is never an easy one. It’s not a job you just fall into. A lot of time, education, and money are required to get you into that classroom in the first place. But when your mental and physical health are continually telling you your body cannot sustain this job, there comes a time when you have to put your needs first.

Whether you’re wondering if you should leave teaching or you’re curious as to why so many teachers are saying, “Enough. I’m done,” we hope our stories resonate with you.

Related Content

Are you on the fence as to whether or not this is your time to leave teaching? In this YouTube video, we talk about how you can know it’s actually time, not just a bad day, bad month, or even bad year.

For both of us, the decision to leave teaching was the ultimate act of self-care. If you’re not quite at your breaking point, but you do need to prioritize taking care of you, check these resources out:

  • Teacher Self-Care: The Payoff of Taking Time for Yourself is Stephanie’s reflection on how practicing self-care enables her to recharge creatively.
  • In Episode 11: Being Proactive About Teacher Self-Care, we talk about the reasons why we need to prioritize self-care and suggest small steps you can take toward prioritizing you.
  • You’ll want to listen to Episode 35: Long Time, No Break, if you have not had a day off in a while (or if you don’t have a day off coming for a while). We have some suggestions as to how you can make those oh, so long months (we’re looking at you March, April, and October) a little more bearable.
  • We know anecdotally that expectations for teachers are totally unreasonable, but we decided to take a look at job descriptions from several districts to see just how bad the situation is. We also offer some ideas for ways you can create expectations for yourself that are both realistic and achievable, allowing you to feel good about the job you’re doing in the classroom.