Any ex-teachers on here?

[alexisemma31]

I've been teaching 15 years and although I work at a lovely school with great children and staff, I'm just fed up of the work load and unrealistic demands from parents, so it's time to move on.

I just wondered if anyone has moved on from teaching and what you went on to do?

Any ideas?

[tspill]

My OH is giving up next year. Cuts and entitled parents have destroyed it making it miserable for teachers. Parents just treat teachers like door mats nowadays.

[katnav]

Ex primary school teacher here. Stopped teaching after I had my 2nd child and went back to work once both children were at full time school. I'm now a HR manager in my childrens primary school. Really landed on my feet I must admit. Couldn't have been luckier, love HR work, much less pressure, school hours, all the holidays off so no child care needed. Salary isnt much but lots to be said for less work stress.

[Th1nkT1nk]

Yup! I taught in a primary school for 15 years (12 full time then moved to part time) It was just so depressingly unmanageable and was affecting my health so I left. That was 5 years ago and I’ve been enjoying being a stay at home mom since. I so miss the children and getting that ‘buzz’ when learning is going well, but now I’ve stepped away I can’t bear the thought of going back into the stress. I like to think I will go back to work at some stage - the sorts of things I consider doing when I do go back are: exam invigilator, working as a HLTA, doing extra training in order to become an assessor for adult learning.
I do think many teachers have many transferable skills... we are definitely used to organising (my husband swears I’d be a great PA ... that’s probably because I behave like his most of the time ) and we are certainly used to communicating well! It’s just such a shame that so many teachers are having to leave the profession as they can’t make it work with a home life. I’ll be following your post as it will be interesting to see what suggestions others make.

[Posiesmum]

I’ve retired at 61 from FE/HE sectors after 30 years, just couldn’t do it any more. I now supplement my pension by working for several exam boards as a principal examiner, assistant examiner, trainer, setter and reviser. I can work from home at my own pace. I do miss the students though.

[caro]

I gave up when they changed my role overnight with no training. I was an ICT teacher one year, the next I was a computing teacher and expected to teach coding...I've never done that before. With that on top of the ridiculous amount of paperwork, marking, late nights etc, I knew it was time to go.

I'm now a Marketing and HR manager for a local firm of bookkeepers. It's the ideal job whilst my kids are little because I can work from home when I need to. Pay isn't as good, but not having to commute and the flexibility of being able to go to the kids school plays/sports days and the like, more than make up for it.

[Twin mummy]

I taught in a secondary for 15 years, took a couple of years off to be a SAHM (but still worked freelance educating, exam invigilating and exam marking). I then became a HLTA in a primary school, which was basically teaching without some of the stress (but for much less money).
I now have gone back to teaching but in a private prep school. It is still really hard work but (in my school at least) you are trusted as a professional, given the resources you need to do your job, have a fair amount of non contact time and don't have the same level of accountability.

I feel as though I'm in an environment where I can do my job (though the hours are long and we work Saturday mornings) holidays are even longer than state, I've broken up for Christmas and don't go back until 8th January.

Edited to add, it's the most family friendly school I've ever worked in, if you need time off for family commitments that's fine.

[Pjamas]

So many teachers are going self employed as the role is increasingly more unbearable. What’s your subject? Lots of work tutoring/home Ed communities etc.

I took a break for a short time and found work writing courses, tutoring and creating resources.

[BabyM]

I quit teaching last year and now work as an aseptic pharmacy assistant. I love my new job, I get to make chemotherapy, have set hours and feel like I'm doing my little bit to help the patients.

[alexisemma31]

Originally Posted by katnav

Ex primary school teacher here. Stopped teaching after I had my 2nd child and went back to work once both children were at full time school. I'm now a HR manager in my childrens primary school. Really landed on my feet I must admit. Couldn't have been luckier, love HR work, much less pressure, school hours, all the holidays off so no child care needed. Salary isnt much but lots to be said for less work stress.

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How did you get into this? Did you need to do additional qualifications?