Discovering What Exists Beyond the Classroom

A teacher's guide to exploring new career paths

You know that moment when you catch yourself dreaming about doing something different than teaching?

Your heart soars with possibility for a whole three seconds – and then that familiar refrain brings you right back down: "But what else could I even do?"

This question is so big and so overwhelming that you probably just go back to prepping your lesson plans every time it crosses your mind.

Why "What else could I do besides teaching?" feels so paralyzing

There are several reasons why this question looms so large when you're considering a career change from teaching. The primary one we'll explore today is simple but profound:

You don't know much about what else exists.

There are approximately 1 bajillion jobs out there that aren't classroom teaching (trust me, I did the math on a napkin 😉), but you likely only know a very small fraction of them, primarily those still in the field of education.

But just because you don't know what else is out there beyond the classroom doesn't mean there's nothing out there for you!

It just means you aren't aware of many other possibilities...yet.

Your classroom is just one town in a vast world

Think of it like someone who's never traveled outside their hometown (a familiar, comfortable, known place—teaching!) assuming it's the only place in the world they could be.

Just as the world is vastly bigger than any single town, the career landscape is so much broader than what you can see from your classroom window.

You've seen, explored, and discovered places in the world you never knew about before. It's time to bring this same "explorer" mindset to finding jobs you don't even know exist yet.

Breaking out of the "teacher career alternatives" box

Here's how to start exploring a more vast world of careers:

1. Go beyond "career alternatives for teachers" lists

These lists are a great starting point, but think about it this way:

You're uniquely YOU. No other teacher has your exact combination of skills, interests, personality, and values.

So why would you limit yourself to the same career alternatives that every other teacher is considering?

Plus, these lists will keep pointing you toward careers like instructional design or corporate training. These are wonderful options if they excite you! But what if they don't? You might find yourself wondering, "Is this really all there is?"

No. It's not all there is.

2. Discover new career possibilities you've never heard of

Do an internet or AI search for "jobs for people who are good at/enjoy/love _____." Fill in this blank with any skill or interest you have, and be open to what comes up.

Curiosity is the name of the game here—not decision-making.

You're allowed to:

• Go farther afield and make bigger changes if the education-adjacent roles aren't creating a spark

• Explore completely different paths

• Surprise yourself with what sounds interesting or fun

3. Ask around—but differently

Talk to people about their work, but don't just ask what they do.

Ask them what other roles or jobs they interact with or know about. Each conversation is like opening a door that reveals five more doors you didn't even know existed.

And isn't this what you want...open doors?

Your Next Step: Become a Career Explorer

Right now, you can take a super simple but powerful step: Put on your "explorer" hat and hop onto ChatGPT, Claude, or Google. Do a quick search like I mentioned above.

Find just one occupation or career path that sounds interesting. You're not committing to anything; you're just exploring, one possibility at a time.

Remember: Just as you've discovered new places in the world that you never knew about before, there are career paths waiting for you that you've never imagined.

In my blog post Seeing Yourself In a New Career When Teaching is All You Know, I write about another major obstacle in teacher career transitions: the challenge of imagining yourself doing anything other than teaching and how to overcome it.

I'm Laura, a Career Clarity Coach for Teachers feeling stuck.

I help you explore career possibilities beyond the classroom so that you can make a confident choice about what's right for you, based on your strengths, values, personality, and what you want most for your life.