Comments on: How to Know If You Should Quit Teaching

By: PC

PC — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:55:01 +0000

Today is Tuesday. I resigned on Friday after realizing that I could not be an online teacher. It is frustrating that after 25 1/2 years of teaching I am walking away from my career. I tried to change to a leave of absence as a safety net, but it did not go through. I think God is telling me it is time. I have had more hard years than good years recently. When I started teaching and saw “those done” teachers I used to say when I get to that point it is time to leave. The kids deserve better. Last year, I felt like I was there but I’m only a couple of years from being able to retire. I literally felt like I was a prisoner unable to get out until a certain age. I had thoughts of leaving because I was not able to give it all to these kids, but I really wanted to go to full retirement at this point. As I type this I am feeling better about my decision even though it is extremely scary. I am not yet 50. I have no idea what to do with my life now. Is God using COVID, online teaching, and my lack of technology skills to direct me in a new path? Is God using the lack of my leave of absence safety net as a complete push out of the nest? I have no idea. I really need to learn how to listen to God. I feel like I make mistakes all the time and this might be a very big one. I do not know if this is the path he wants me on or if he wanted me to stay and work through my insecurities in that situation. School started yesterday without me. They are now telling me since the leave did not go through, I can rescind the resignation and report back to work. Is this God telling me to go back or is this a test of faith and going back would not be trusting God’s new direction for my life? I do not have a desire to go back except for the financial and medical insurance security. I have to believe those are worldly things and not what God would be pushing on me. Thank you for listening and helping me try to figure it out.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:57:38 +0000

In reply to Anonymous. It's very hard.... I quit and feel guilty. I want to try again in the future at a private school (after COVID)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:56:16 +0000

In reply to ARTy.

Your family is so much more important. Your new baby is important – especially during COVID when the baby’s health can be put at risk because you’re surrounded by students all day. Can you stay home and be a stay at home mom for now? Then look for a job at a private school?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:53:54 +0000

In reply to Carolyn. Can you teach at a Christian school? (Private school)?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:53:03 +0000

In reply to Anonymous.

I was going to quiet mid year last year. I kept putting it off because I wanted to make it till May. I was suicidal and depressed.
Then, COVID happened. While a pandemic is not a good thing, the fact that i didn’t physically have to go to school and endure what I did every day made me feel so much better. Two weeks into online teaching, I felt better mentally. I was strong enough to now be able to make it to May and quit the profession without quitting mid year.
It’s just a job… and now with online teaching being the norm, it’s not my problem anymore.

By: ARTy

ARTy — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 00:49:32 +0000

Sorry in advance for the book.
I think I was called to teaching but I am seeking counsel after reading your article on How to Know if You Should Quit Teaching. I just completed my 5th year teaching, the second at my alma mater school (aka. the school I thought I wanted to end up because I wanted to help build a better art program than I experienced as a student) in a split position teaching 9 different curriculum in 2 levels/buildings, including k-5 elementary, 2 levels of 9-12 adapted art, and 9-12 Intro to Computer Art (most of which I have had to figure out what/how to teach on my own). Before that I taught 3 years at a very differently cultured public jr/sr high school and even though I was greatly appreciated there, my position was furloughed due to district budget cuts.
My department head and previous art teacher doesn’t want me there because I guess I rubbed her the wrong way as a student. I was not given a mentor when I got here, and have struggled to assimilate because I “expect students to do things that are too difficult”, grade too hard and need to increase engagement while decreasing time spent on procedures (teaching art is totally different than regular class instruction in this area especially). My passion for kids and art and expertise as well as the already large amount of time I spend working outside school hours don’t count for anything -I have even been told that I am inefficient. Because I have struggled to adapt to the expectations of my new position, and have not fully complied with administrators directives despite trying, I have been constantly in trouble, and increasingly put under microscopic scrutiny, and it sucks the joy and creative spark I originally had for teaching here. I’ve been on an improvement plan for a year and a half, but it’s hard to improve and grow when you are depressed, fearful, and constantly questioned/corrected. Enough bad data has been collected to get rid of me because my creative brain is less good at the logistical side of teaching (aka. keeping track of meetings, grades and ever changing schedules), that bad things will likely happen if I don’t turn things around in the near future. Having my first child in the middle of this whole situation has made getting out of it harder and I hate that school sucks so much of my home time and energy away from my family. I have been given the ultimatum, learn and apply faster, find somewhere else that is a better fit, or get the boot.
I have been through your management course and the 40hr workweek course once when I was at my other school and am working towards earning credits toward my permanent PA license and an online masters degree with The Art of Education University now. I feel like I haven’t had much chance to apply what I have been learning because of the many life transitions that have happened in the past couple years. I am stressed, frustrated, and have been burnt out for a long time, but I want to make a wise decision.
If I leave to go to a new district now I can start with a clean slate but I will be taking on the large financial burden of 8 graduate courses that I have completed within the past 2 years, and I don’t want to put that kind of stress on my family either. But if I stay and still struggle to meet expectations, I will be let go and that could close the door to teaching for me altogether… Many students have told me they have come to love art because of me and enjoy me as a creative, energetic art teacher. If I stay and do well and get good data on observations, specifically on the areas of timeliness (especially in elementary land), student engagement and procedures, and regular assessment, then things could start looking up. Like I said, much of their data suggests I am a bad teacher (even though I haven’t done anything bad), but I work so hard and have never been a quitter, but I am struggling to fit here, and don’t know when to quit. What would you do?
Praying for guidance to make the right decision!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 00:42:02 +0000

I read through the article and I think that it is a hard decision to quit. I work in a high school in the biggest district in the state. My first year teaching a couple of years ago didn’t go perfectly, but my administrator really loved my lessons and was excited for my teaching skills. That compensated for behavioral issues with the students. My contract ended and the number of students registering for my class and I had to search for another school. Everyone has a lot of connections and it was hard to find a job. Eventually I did in September when school already started. I was excited to start teaching higher level classes, but wasn’t good emotionally due to two deaths in my family. I moved on with teaching feeling the burnout with SLO data, observations that I suddenly received low scores on, parent and student complaints, and way too much work for me. I am an extremely hardworking person and I feel like I know my subject well. Yet I have been told numerous times that this school is not a good fit for you, you don’t know how to teach, kids bullying me, writing notes, finding my social media and writing bad things about me, and yet I persevered. Mostly for the money and the stability of actually going to work. The second year now, in January, I want to quit. There are so many teachers quitting in the school, or they have been taken out for leave of absence and no one knows what happened to them, but in the end, my health is important. I am too good for them. I am even considering going in for therapy. I hate teaching, when before even as as kid, I loved teaching. I love my subject. But I teach minimally now. Most of my time is spent on data of student perceptions and how they dislike me because I give them a lot of work. I teach grammar and although we do games, I am not a person who invents a story of an elephant and makes a clown of yourself.
The administration obviously hates me because there are a lot of failing grades and complaints. Although I completely understand that the achievement gap really exists, I am not a person to give grades as gifts. Kids have to earn grade. I will be completely honest: I have manipulated grades per administration request, change grades to show everyone has a higher grade and passing, and I am still bad. I have lost the heart of a teacher: kid bullying is REAL. I don’t want to go there anymore.

By: Alexx Seipp

Alexx Seipp — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 05:10:57 +0000

In reply to Brett Holgate.

I’m sorry, we don’t have any resources about this, but you may want to join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChristianTeachersTalk/ and ask your question there. I bet there are other teachers who have been in your situation!

By: Brett Holgate

Brett Holgate — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 13:27:11 +0000

Hi Linda
Thank you for this post. I have been a teacher in a Distance Education campus of our Christian College (in Australia) for 12 years and with all the changes in procedures and policies, accountabilities etc, the list goes on, I have been informed today that (in essence), I do not fit into what the future of the department is heading to become – I am not a clinical teacher and have had a very hard time fitting into the many constant deadlines and rigidity.
I am not looking at quitting teaching, but whether going back into a physical classroom – which is a big difference from my current role. One thing I have not missed is behaviour issues. This is something that would have to overcome, going back into a classroom. I would like to consider staying in the school I am in as my children attend there.
Have you ever had conversations with teachers who have been away from the classroom for such a long time. What is some advice you can give on this?
Thank you.
I have used your website for a couple of years to find inspiration – thank you.
Brett.

By: Linda Kardamis

Linda Kardamis — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 16:01:58 +0000

In reply to Firstgrade.

I personally stepped away from teaching when I had a baby & we started our family. I always knew, Lord willing, I’d step away and stay home with our kids when we had them. I loved teaching and often miss it. I also love supporting teachers in this way. Neither is better than the other – they are just different. And for many of us, we will experience seasons of both. I imagine I’ll be back in the classroom in some capacity one day 🙂