5 Things To Do When You Are Ready To Leave Teaching
According to Forbes, almost half of all teachers have considered leaving their jobs in the last 30 days. Are you one of them? Then you are in good company.
Whether the pandemic has left you feeling burned out or you are simply ready to serve in education on a bigger scale, making the transition out of the classroom could be a smart and fulfilling career move.
5 Steps for Leaving Teaching
Before you jump into job searching outside your current school, however, there are a few things you need to get done. Here are 5 of the most important steps you need to take right now if you are thinking about leaving teaching, from an EdTech recruiter.
Give yourself permission to leave
When you leave teaching, you want to bring your skill, experience, and passion with you - not your guilt over leaving a career you probably thought you would spend your life pursuing.
No matter how many years you spent dreaming of teaching, and no matter how many years you have already spent investing in your students, leaving is nothing to be ashamed of.
Instead, if leaving teaching is a serious consideration for you, write yourself a permission slip. Then sign it. This slip should give you explicit freedom to pursue a career change that you find rewarding, fulfilling, and challenging. You are in control of your future, and you should feel confident in taking hold of it.
Once you sign that permission slip, take time to really reflect on whether exiting the teaching field is right for you. Journal. Reflect. Talk to friends and family. Explore your career options, dreams, desires, and goals. Once you are sure that a change is necessary, you can take the next step - Making sure you are ready to leave now.
Make sure you are in a place to leave teaching
If making a career change is the next best step for you, you will need to take steps to ensure that you are in a place financially to leave teaching.
The reality is that moving from a career in teaching to a new job in a nonprofit, university, education company, or EdTech job will probably involve accepting an entry level position - and possibly a pay cut.
Starting at entry-level is the perfect way to build skills you need to thrive in your new career. However, taking less pay can be difficult if your finances are not already stable. Here are a few signs that you may need to work on your financial health before you transition out of the classroom:
You consistently worry about your finances
You have significant, or growing, credit card debt
You face large amounts of other debt
If this is you, do not despair! Take time to create a plan for paying down your debt and stabilizing your finances over the next year. Then, follow that plan so you can continue your transition out of the classroom.
Create a LinkedIn profile
When it comes to networking on social media, teachers leaving the classroom NEED a LinkedIn profile. This is where you have the opportunity to connect with like minded educators, discover a supportive community, and pinpoint connections who can help you get your next job.
That is why your next step when leaving teaching is to create a LinkedIn profile. You could spend hours reading about LinkedIn branding, worrying about your messaging, and crafting a perfect image to put out there. But, we recommend simply getting your profile started.
The first month on LinkedIn is less about forging new connections with new people and more about creating connections with people you already know. So, set up your profile, and reach out to me, friends, family, friends of friends, and anyone else you are familiar with.
Connect with other teachers
Those many, many teachers who have considered leaving their jobs? Many of them have succeeded, and they can show you the way. Now is the time to start finding and connecting with educators who are a few steps ahead of you in the process of moving out of the classroom.
I’m always willing to help you find and connect with these individuals on LinkedIn. Reach out, comment on their content, ask them questions, and begin to get an idea of how the process works. You may be surprised at just how inspiring and encouraging they can be.
Find the right community
Finally, in order to move out of the classroom and thrive, you will want the support and insight of a community that can help you every step of the way. Look for a community that has the following characteristics:
Content and education
Ability to improve your skills and readiness
The ability to inspire you
A leader who has been through the transition themselves
This community should be a place that can help you improve your resume and interview skills, provide you with education and guidance, teach you about every type of EdTech job out there, and help you prepare to land those jobs using your teaching experience.
Most importantly, a community that inspires, encourages and connects with you should be led by someone who has been through the process themselves. I have 22 years of experience in education, including 10 years of teaching in the classroom and working with 2 different EdTech companies. I know the process firsthand, and that experience drives me to provide the resources, connections, and tools you need to thrive.
That is why I built the Classroom to Boardroom Community for teachers who want to transition out of the classroom.
If you are ready to transition from the classroom to the boardroom, this is the course and the community you need. Rich content, inspiring stories, meaningful professional connections, and a leader who understands the ins and outs of the process because she has been there herself - Thinking about leaving teaching? Start taking these steps today, and discover the support available in a community that exists for teachers just like you!
