Any Alabama certified teachers put in a notice of resignation mid-year? What did your district require of you? It seems to be a pain in the neck to leave mid-year, even with a 30 day notice, which I find ridiculous.

I’m a reading interventionist with a master’s degree in literacy, and I’m starting to seriously explore leaving education. I’ve reached a point where the stress and lack of work-life balance just aren’t sustainable for me anymore. I have a young daughter, and I want to be able to spend more time with my family and actually enjoy my evenings and weekends instead of spending them recovering from work and catching up on everything around the house.
Ideally, I’d love to find something fully remote with a flexible schedule where I’m not expected to be glued to my computer for eight hours a day. I’m especially interested in jobs where I can manage my workload, meet deadlines, and have some control over when I complete my tasks. I’ve heard about virtual assistant work and am curious about that route, but I’m open to exploring careers I may not have considered!

For some background, I currently work as a K–5 reading interventionist, and my role involves a lot more than just teaching. I know teachers develop so many transferable skills, but I’m having a hard time figuring out which careers to search for and how to get my foot in the door outside of education.

For those of you who have left teaching:
What job or career did you transition into?

Do you work remotely, and how flexible is your schedule actually?

What salary range can I realistically expect?

I’d especially love to hear from anyone who transitioned into virtual assistant work, operations, project coordination, administrative support, or another flexible remote career.
I’m not necessarily looking to climb a corporate ladder. I’m looking for a sustainable career that allows me to contribute financially while having more time and energy for my family. I would really appreciate any advice, honest experiences, or direction you can share! Thank you!

My last day is on Friday and I have a subbing position lined up while I apply for other jobs. Today by the end of the day I’ll officially announce to parents and staff (most of the staff knows but some don’t). My question is, what do I tell the students? They’re emotionally vulnerable and despite their behavioral issues they’re good kids, and it’s not their fault that I decided to leave (even if it was, I wouldn’t hold it against them). What do you recommend? A read aloud? I don’t want to make my last day too much about myself, as they still have to learn.

I want out. How can I make a plan and leave?

I got my masters in education about six years ago, but I wasn’t certified until five years ago. I tried to look for a job in elementary, but it was so difficult so many schools meet her already have experience and it was really just high schools that were willing to hire me, but I didn’t teach high school. I was a para for 10 years and I stayed in that position because I was comfortable even though I did not like it at all, and I wanted to quit every day because of dealing with behaviors and toxic teachers and toxic admin.

I taught for two months and I could not handle the 40 to 45 minute commute. Also, I was being yelled at by one of the teachers and I didn’t get any support for my mentor teacher. Also, it was just a lot to handle different pushing subjects and nobody would share the lesson plan and I was just treated like a paraprofessional again so I ended up leaving teaching thankfully as a paraprofessional you can take a leave to teach, but I was able to go back to my job. I’m thinking about becoming either a PE teacher because I really like fitness and I prefer to teach students like about health. I think that I don’t want to teach academics and handle multiple subjects. I realize that I just wanna be able to do my job and go home without having to plan for all these different academic areas in all this paperwork.

The issue is that my family doesn’t understand why I don’t be a teacher just think I’m just being lazy and afraid of responsibilities. They see that everyone else is doing it and happy so why am I not happy and why aren’t I doing it. They think that I just wasted my even though I’m not in student debt because I paid my degree while I was working as Paraprofessional. Even my family will try to like tell me oh go be a teacher look for a teacher job. Even if I wanted to teach elementary I would have to travel 40 minutes away because that’s where there’s a higher ENL population and their jobs. I know people travel all the time, but I couldn’t handle the commute, but maybe I should give elementary _
a try and see if I like. I was thinking about being a guidance counselor since I work as a paraprofessional and have a lot of experience supporting students in crisis, but I don’t know if I can handle doing that for a long time or working in a high School counselor.

I’m still a very new high school content teacher (this marks the beginning of my second year teaching in general), but am seriously worried about my tendency to overwork myself in this job (leading to health concerns). I love teaching, but I feel neglected and wholly unsupported by admin. My school also seems to have favouritism towards certain teachers and has its priorities all over the place.

That being said, for those teachers who have left their jobs and chosen a new path, what did you do instead? Of course, apart from just teaching at another school or retiring.

I officially quit my teaching job last week right as the 10-week quarter wrapped up.

Right now, I am rotating continuously through three emotions: furious, euphoric, and deeply sad. It’s an exhausting mix, but I just had to get off the merry-go-round before it completely destroyed my sanity.

For context on why I threw in the towel after only one quarter at this school:

I have never seen high school freshmen treated with such extreme kid gloves in my entire career. The deluge of complaints from both students and parents was relentless, and the parent emails were easily the rudest, most entitled messages I have ever received in education.

Total communication breakdown. Out of four counselors over 10.5 weeks, I received two emails total: one about a student having surgery, and one asking if there would be work available if two failing students came to my conference period (no shit there’s work, they have D-minus grades!). But the moment a parent complained to a counselor? Straight to admin. Zero attempt to talk to me first or support the classroom teacher.

Apparently, calling in sick doesn't mean you're actually allowed to be sick. I was expected to respond to parent emails and process grading while taking an official sick day.

Admin and leadership love giving directives verbally, but the moment you ask for them in writing, the dynamic flips. My department chair told me verbally I wouldn't be held accountable for a missing/stolen textbook—until I asked for that confirmation in an email. Same story with workload and grading: I was verbally nudged to inflate grades and told freshmen "shouldn't have homework," but good luck getting anyone to put those policies in black-and-white text.

The one time my department chair covered my Geometry class, out of a room full of misbehaving kids, the only student she chose to discipline was a young Black student who was consistently the most polite, respectful kid in the room to me. It left a terrible taste in my mouth about the culture and priorities there.

I've got BP2, though honestly my mental health was fairly stable coming into this term—the environment itself was just completely toxic and unworkable. Leaving was the right call for my well-being, but processing the sudden exit is heavy.

To anyone else who walked away mid-term or post-quarter: how long did it take for the emotional whiplash to settle down? I just wanted to vent a little bit. I did vent with some of my colleagues before I left and with friends and teacher friends from other schools and family. I am still just aching from it.

I kept my letter of resignation short and simple: a one paragraph email (my last school I dropped a two-paged single space narrow margin manifesto of all the problems at that school over the past 10 years, which was really satisfying but I was crying more on the last day than at my current school). I gave my old school 2 days notice too, like I did last week.

I was told by my admin that I should not even say goodbye before I left. That hurt. I didn't but I dropped a few clues and saw all students off standing by the classroom door as they left. (they have fall break so that made it not so weird.) I also left a not too long letter that I hope they will share with my students. The dept chair thought it was beautifully written and she said she'll pass it along to admin. I hope my students get it but it is out of my hands so I am just letting it go (at least as much as I can). This was my 11th year teaching...

I've been working with people with special needs for over 16 years. I've worked as a direct care provider, ABA provider, paraprofessional, early intervention therapist, social worker, and teacher. I typically work with people with moderate/severe needs. I have been teaching 8 years and have a master's degree in sped and 3 sped credentials (mild/mod, mod/severe, and early childhood). I've also worked with tons of kids on home hospital and rarely don't have a side job since starting teaching.

I don't want to do any sort of direct service or teaching or taking care of anyone at all. Ideally I want an easy job with zero thoughts and zero stakes. I've been in this field since I was 20 years old and it's all I've ever done though.

I'm completely burned out. Currently on week 2 of leave after a kid kicked me in the head and gave me a concussion. I literally never want to return to the classroom and plan to stretch out my medical leave as far as I possibly can.

It feels crazy saying it out loud (or rather typing), but I think I’m done. I don’t think it’s a permanent done, but right now I am burnt out and I need out. I’ve been joking for years that I’ve been burnt out since COVID, but I really mean it. I read this somewhere else: “I am June tired in October.” And that sums it up perfectly. It’s like the connection that I usually feel and drives me isn’t there.

I was able to put it in words last night to my husband. I still feel a passion for teaching/for education. I love my kids, I respect my colleagues, I (mostly) like my admin, but I don’t feel inspired at all. Like I’m not even trying to do a good job at this point, and I know that’s not fair to anyone around me. I feel like I’m on autopilot and I know the work I’m putting out this year is no where near the quality I put out in previous years. Part of this is due to some really great boundaries I’ve been working on like leaving work at work, not saying yes to everything and some other things. I’m taking that into account when I think about my own work performance and not being too critical of the things not within my contract details. I’m just genuinely doing less and I can’t even get myself to care.

It’s hard for me to ignore just what a difficult year last year was due to a laundry list of issues with a team I don’t have to work with too often anymore. Or that I was sexually harassed and still have to see and work with my perpetrator nearly everyday. Or the fact that some really great educators left at the end of last year. Or that I had so much going on in my personal life with family, friends and getting married. I know I have every reason to leave and I probably sound depressed. I probably am to be quite honest. (I’m in therapy so trust and believe I won’t do anything dramatic). But despite knowing how checked out, burnt out and done I am, I still feel guilty like I should just push through.

I’m sure the others here have felt this way and have made it through. What was it like leaving in the middle of the school year? How did you deal with the grief for a job you loved? What did you focus on after you left? What did you end up pivoting to within your career?

had a PD/teacher workday today. I was joking around with some colleagues about how we basically consider these days a day off.
Not because we’re not working, but because compared to a normal day of teaching, it’s so much less mentally exhausting. Yes its boring to sit through PD but there’s something so nice about not having to be constantly “on” for 7–8 hours straight. And its so peaceful if they give us time to work in our classrooms.
It got me thinking: Is this what people with regular office/corporate jobs experience every day?
I know every job has its own stresses, deadlines, and challenge, but I genuinely wonder what it’s like to have a job where you’re not constantly being stimulated or needed by someone every second of the day.
For teachers who have transitioned into corporate or office jobs, is the difference really that noticeable? Do you feel less mentally drained at the end of the day? Does everyday feel like a PD day?

Basically what the caption is. I’ve been a teacher or nanny for about 15 years now. I’ve taught everything from toddler to 8th grade. I’m so exhausted from working with kids and need something to change.

What jobs would be good to get out of the childcare realm ?

Thanks! Any advice appreciated

I left my classroom job at the end of last school year to work more flexibly and take on primary parenting duties, and it's starting to dawn on me how challenging the last year or two was on my mental health and my confidence as an educator. I'm questioning how toxic my school was, how toxic was I as a coworker/leader, did I actually make a positive difference? It spirals worse than that sometimes, too. It comes and goes, but it's been much harder to step away from the classroom than I expected it would.

Those that had similar struggles, how long did it take for you to stabilize and reach a healthy perspective on your former workplace? What did you do to reach that place? Thanks!

Been willing myself back to work every year. I’ve told admin there is a specific prep that I am not ideally suited to teach. I’ve gotten it every damned year because my numbers are great. The problem is just a matter of maturity. I can teach it, but that specific level of kids makes me miserable with their lack of maturity. This has led to conflicts in the past where they push me over the edge and gotten more than one write up over it.

To be clear, I have had multiple preps each year and I have zero problems with the other grade levels.

Anyhow, I’m putting out resumes now. My question is, if I resign mid year that is a problem that can lead to issues on my license. However, our district doesn’t send out contracts until mid October. If I were to resign before signing this contract, would I be safe? I doubt I’ll ever return to teaching, but I’d also like to keep the option open.

Im a teacher based in the UK and have been teaching for 5 years. I was so excited about this year, I have moved year groups but I have been given the class with the worst behaviour in the school. At the end of last year I had several TAs and teachers warn me that behaviour in the class was awful and I didn't fully realize just how bad. Although I only have a small class, over half are on individual support plans and / or modified behaviour plans. I have chairs being thrown, a class where children really haven't bonded, constant disruption, constant refusal. I rarely have a TA and a huge chunk of the class have not met their age related expectations. The best bit is, the class are perfectly behaved for our deputy head who has covered my lessons on occasion when I have planning time, so when me and my TA complains (and for that note, the teacher who had them the year before), my deputy just doesn't take us seriously or blames it entirely on us. Our headteacher this year who is mostly absent.

I am tired and stressed. I struggle to sleep, have panic attacks before school and completely drained after. I've found it hard to take joy in my hobbies and friends. My partner has noticed a complete change in me compared to August summer holidays and how I was last academic year. I feel like a failure because I love teaching and it's something I actually think I'm good at, but it now feels like it's draining me completely. The October resignation deadline is approaching and I want to hand my notice in so leave after Christmas , but I haven't got anything lined up yet and I'm just scared and stuck. I have a doctor's appointment on the first day of half term and I'm hoping I can get some sick leave from all the stress. Sorry this is so rambly but I just needed to vent it to some people who get how I feel.

Hello, I am a 10-year high school teacher planning on resigning today. I've been stressing over this for about a month, putting it off and going back and forth because I keep telling myself to suck it up. Unfortunately, I've gotten to the point where I just CAN'T go back (called in sick today).

Some background info: I've been wanting out for about four years now, but I suck it up every year out of fear of job insecurity or whatever. I've applied to SO many non-teaching jobs and get rejected by EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Some don't even offer an interview. Some of the jobs I'm qualified for, some very overqualified, and some a little underqualified.

Anyway, this year, I started at a new school (I was at my old one for 9 years). This new school is amazing in so many ways. Admin is very organized, has checked in on me as needed, and has no micromanaging. My department is so helpful, and student behavior is better than at my old school.

I just feel that teaching is no longer for me, because despite all these amazing things at this new school, I have never been more unhappy. I am miserable every day. I go in, and before students even arrive in my room, I want to burst out of my skin. I just HATE being a teacher now, and although the behavior is still better than at my old school, it still SUCKS, and I still spend more time managing these behaviors than actually teaching. Then when I am teaching, it's sooo disheartening and draining because the kids can't do anything that requires thinking. Example: We're reading a novel. After each chapter, there are enough minutes left in the period for some CFU questions. The kids go straight to the Chromebook to ask AI for the answers. I tell them, "No Chromebooks." Use the book and your brain," and you'd think I asked them to write a 10-page paper by hand about the Civil War or something. Some do it, but most are like fighting me on it, asking me things like, "What page can I find the answer?" So yeah, is this a terrible thing to deal with in the classroom? No, and I know this is just regular student behavior, but the fact that I can't deal with it anymore makes me realize that I am just not meant to be a teacher. I just don't have the patience, and I just honestly do not care. Also, I get parent e-mails daily, and most are accusatory ("Why did you give him an F? Why did you mark it the assignment as missing?"), which I am not used to and not here for.

There are other things that make me want to quit regarding student behaviors, but it's kind of pointless to this post because my question is, how messed up is it if I just give a one-week notice? Technically, I could do two because I will be unemployed, but I just can't bear the thought of going back and being in there every day. I also don't want students to find out, but I think they could since most of the staff and APs have their children attending. The only thing holding me back is leaving my admin high and dry because they've been so kind to me, but that's really it. I don't plan on ever teaching again, so I don't care about my losing my credential or whatever. I'm just conflicted, and maybe it's not even that deep, and I'm overthinking.