No More K-12 Education For Me
I was a public educator for just under 23 years. I taught middle school, elementary school, and even community college as an adjunct instructor. When I could no longer tolerate the stress of being a public school classroom teacher, I became a media coordinator. I loved working in the library, especially as a high school librarian. But even that became unsustainable for me in the world of public education, especially in a post-Covid world.
Why I Made the Change
My story is really no different from those of other teachers who have left education. It just became too much to bear: excessive testing, excessive meetings about testing, administrators who refuse to hold students accountable for their disruptive behaviors, rude parents insulting me, and state politicians blaming teachers for the state of education that they've underfunded for years. I couldn't teach effectively because I had so many tests to administer when I should have been teaching, and meetings to attend when I should have been planning and grading student assignments, in addition to increasingly worse behaviors from students and parents. As a school librarian, there was less stress than being a classroom teacher, but I still had to manage parent complaints, administrative requirements, student requests, lack of funding, and still teach students, troubleshoot technology issues, check out books, and manage some really challenging student behaviors.
I was already looking for a new job, but when I found myself crying at work every day I knew I had to make a change immediately, job or no job. I don't take that lightly, and I'm well aware that many people don't have that option. For me, the solution was to retire early and take the partial pension I had earned, so I did that this spring. Although it's not nearly enough for me to retire completely, it has allowed me the luxury of taking my time to figure out my next step, professionally speaking. I decided to try what I've wanted to do for years, but never had the courage, time, or energy to do - writing.
Beginning My Career Transition Journey
The first thing I did was take off a few weeks to decompress from the toxic environment I had been working in for years. That may sound strange to people who have never experienced a toxic work environment, but it was necessary for my mental health. When I first retired, I couldn't focus my thoughts and I even struggled to read a book for any length of time. I needed a mental break and I gave myself that time to heal.
Little by little, I began to feel more like myself again. I also began to form a plan; I met with friends who had started their own businesses, and I researched freelance writing. I set up an LLC. And I started writing because, in order to be a writer, you have to show people you can write. So that's pretty much where I am right now; I'm reinventing myself as a writer. And, believe me, it is SO MUCH easier to do without a toxic job sucking up all my mental bandwidth. For anyone out there who is reading this (thank you!) and hoping to follow a similar path, I will say that my research has led me to freelance sites like Fiverr, Toptal, Upwork, Flexjobs, and Freelancer.com. There is a ton of information about this topic, and a surprising amount of information for teachers who want to transition out of education. LinkedIn has a group under the hashtag #transitioningteachers with information about career paths that work well for teachers who want to change careers. I'm still learning about the resources available, and I'm still trying to figure it all out. But in the meantime, I'm already so much happier.
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