How to decide whether to leave teaching or stay
I know teachers who have spent years trying to decide if they should leave teaching and do something else for work.
But they just can't get enough clarity to make a choice.
Does this sound like you?!
How long have you been considering leaving the classroom?
How long have you been wavering back and forth between “I gotta get outta here” and “This work isn't so bad, it's even kinda great sometimes”?
Seriously, pause for a moment and add up the months or years you've spent asking yourself "Should I quit teaching?"
The exhaustion of not deciding
Consider the toll that this persistent (daily, weekly, monthly) questioning has on you and your experience of teaching.
All the back and forth between leave or stay is exhausting.
It sucks up a ton of your energy and can cause stress, confusion, overwhelm, and tension— on top of your actual work.
This cycle of indecision leaves you stuck in a no-mans-land: one foot in teaching and one foot out the door. You're not moving on but you're also not fully settling in.
Worst of all, all the energy you're expending trying to figure things might not even be leading you to an answer.
What NOT to do when deciding whether to leave teaching
Avoid the following ways of trying to get clarity about what's right for you:
👎 Don't think harder.
You've already overthought it. More thinking (in the same 'ol ways) won't lead to new insight.
👎 Don't discuss it to death with your teacher friends.
They're probably stuck in the same cycle as you— they are not a source of fresh ideas.
👎 Don't make a pros and cons list.
The question of whether to quit teaching is far too nuanced for this black-and-white decision-making approach. I share more about why a pros and cons list won't work in my blog post How to decide whether to leave teaching.
👎 Don't browse job postings just to "see what else is out there."
It's overwhelming and unproductive unless you know what you're looking for. In my blog post, Stop scrolling through job postings, I explain why.
👎 Don't wait for insight to strike.
You might be waiting a long time.
👎 Don't wait until you're 100% certain.
You're never going to be that certain about what you want...maybe about anything...but especially about whether to leave a career like teaching.
Ditch these strategies. They don't actually work!
How to know whether to leave teaching: Strategies what work
Ok, so if the strategies above aren't effective, what can you do to answer the question "Should I quit teaching?"
Try this instead:
👍 Start doing, stop overthinking
Take all the energy you're using to churn over your thoughts and channel it into action.
👍 Track your teaching experience
Observe trends over time. Log how you feel about teaching using a notebook or an app like How We Feel.
👍 Pinpoint the core issues about teaching
Ask yourself: What's the main reason I'm considering leaving teaching? What's at the heart of my discontent? Is this a problem that could potentially be solved without quitting?
👍 Name your fears
What are you most afraid of losing, doing, feeling, or experiencing if you leave (or if you stay)? Getting clear on this can help you see what's holding you back.
👍 Challenge your limiting beliefs
For example, "I can't do anything but teach," "Teaching is inherently stressful," "There's no way to make my teaching experience better, or "I won't ever be able to retire without my pension." Do you know that these beliefs are true or could they be challenged?
👍 Focus on what YOU want
Take a moment to tune out the needs of others. What feels right to you? What are you dreaming of?
👍 Research career alternatives to teaching
Dive into what other careers look like. Do online research and talk to people in those fields. Without this information, it's impossible to know if another job would be a better fit for you.
👍 Listen to your intuition
Your gut feelings can provide valuable insights— if you're willing to listen.
👍 Take my Should I Quit Teaching quiz
It offers you a fresh perspective on whether you should stay or go.
Heeey, don't just read this blog post and walk away!
This list of strategies for making a decision about teaching is not information you can just consume like another Instagram post, news article, podcast, or TikTok video.
If you really want to be able to decide whether to quit teaching, you've got to take action.
What's your next step?
Tracking your feelings about teaching on a daily basis?
Taking the Should I Quit Teaching quiz?
Reflecting on your biggest fears?
Pick one step and act today.
The alternative? Spending more months - or years - stuck in indecision. Life's too short for that, y'all.
What's your next step for deciding whether to quit teaching?
In the comments, share what you plan on doing next or what you've already done that helped you get clarity.
If you don't know what to do first, start by taking my Should I Quit Teaching quiz and go from there!
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.
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