The "Should I Quit Teaching" Rollercoaster
- lauralitwiller
- Apr 10
- 4 min read
Transforming the Whiplash of Teaching Ups and Downs into Career Clarity
The "Should I quit teaching" rollercoaster 🎢
Have you ever found yourself updating your resume at midnight after an especially brutal day of teaching...only to wake up to an email from a former student saying they got into their dream college "because of you"?
Or one moment you're scrolling LinkedIn job listings on your five second lunch break, and the next you're tearing up at a handmade card from a student who "finally understands fractions!" thanks to your creative lesson.
Just when you think "I'm definitely leaving," a magical classroom moment pulls you back in.
Welcome to the teaching rollercoaster! Where the moments of total certainty that you want to get the hell out of the classroom are quickly called into question by the sudden clarity that you're doing what you're meant to do.
The emotional whiplash of the good and bad of teaching
This rollercoaster—swinging from teaching being the source of your deepest personal fulfillment to being the root cause of your exhaustion and burnout—creates serious emotional whiplash.
Like, what is happening here? How can it be both?! 😵💫
To add to the confusion, these extreme ups and downs can happen within weeks, hours, or even minutes of each other. How confusing is that?!
I see these contradictions really jam up a lot of teachers I work with who are considering a career change, so I want you to know that it's totally normal (but yes, also very uncomfortable).
Beyond the rollercoaster: Finding clarity when you're wondering "Should I quit teaching?"
So what do you do with all these contradictory feelings?
"GET OUT, this sucks!"
"STAY, nothing could be more rewarding!"
How do you decide once and for all whether it's time to leave teaching or not?
Well, to get more clarity about what's right for you, you have to become a very mindful roller coaster rider. You can't just throw your hands in the air and ride it; you have to become aware of the ride. Investigate it. Get curious about it.
Here are some ways to mindfully pay attention to your rollercoaster of teaching experiences when trying to figure out how to know when to leave teaching:
1. Start tracking the extremes
When you experience either a teaching high or low, jot it down. They are valuable data points. What exactly happened? How long did the feeling last? What need was either met or violated in that moment? Patterns will emerge that tell you way more than the isolated incidents themselves.
2. Pay attention to the middle
Those extreme moments? They make up maybe 10% of your teaching life. The other 90%—the "average" days—actually reveal more about your sustainable happiness in the profession. How do you feel on a typical Tuesday in March? That's your real teaching life.
3. Investigate what the highs are giving you
That rush when a student has a breakthrough or thanks you for changing their life? It's powerful stuff. But ask yourself: What need is being met in those moments? Recognition? Purpose? Impact? Are there other ways to meet those same needs outside the classroom?
4. Be honest about the trade-offs
Every career has downsides. The question isn't "Does teaching have lows?" but rather "Am I willing to endure these specific lows for these specific highs?" What's your personal calculus here?
5. Consider that you can love it and leave it
You can deeply value those magical teaching moments and decide the profession isn't right for you anymore. The highs don't obligate you to endure the lows forever.
Mining your highs and lows for other career insights
Just like in my post about teacher grief and career transitions, understanding your emotional responses can be a powerful tool in your career journey.
Those magical moments that pull you back from the brink of quitting? They're not just nice memories—they're clues about what fulfills you professionally. It can help you identify what you'll want or need in your next career chapter if you decide to move on from teaching.
Similarly, the lows aren't just bad days to endure—they're important signals about what's draining your energy in your current experience of teaching; so that you don't do more of that kind of work in your next job.
More "Should I quit teaching" resources
My Teachers at a Crossroads course and community can help you confidently navigate this decision and explore alternatives to classroom teaching that leverage your transferable teaching skills.
This "Should I quit teaching?" blog post gives you other strategies for making a choice.
This "Should I quit teaching?" QUIZ gives you another perspective on the question, plus offers your own personalized strategy for what to do next to get more clarity.
Food for thought
What was your most recent teaching "high" and what specific need did it fulfill for you? Share in the comments!
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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