Why I Quit Teaching Pt. 1

Hey there!

I'm guessing you're here because there's a small voice (or maybe a loud one) nudging you out of the classroom. I remember that voice all too well. For me, that voice got louder and louder until I couldn't ignore it. Not even the teacher-guilt could keep me from exploring a way out. I remember reading blog after blog - kind of like this one - reading about others who had left the profession and why...because I wanted someone to tell me that it was okay to want something different. So, why'd I finally quit? What was the final straw? Before I get too ahead of myself, let's rewind back to 2014-2015 ish.

The College Days: Young, Bright-Eyed and Bushy-Tailed

For most of my undergrad, I lived and breathed education. I pursued my Bachelors in Special Ed and Elementary Ed and my days were filled with classes, studying, writing papers and lessons, watching inspirational Ted Talks, and working as a respite and habilitation provider for a little boy on the spectrum who I absolutely adored. In my freetime, I daydreamed about all of the fun things I'd do when I had a classroom of my own. I was THAT person. The one with Pinterest boards overflowing with classroom décor ideas. I’d spend weekends at the teacher store and stockpiling Dollar Tree goodies. And you know what? I loved it. Every. Single. Minute. At least for a while. But, as I really think back, there always was a little voice inside me that whispered, "Maybe you're meant for more than just the classroom." And please don't misunderstand what I mean here. I respect teachers and what they do and am truly grateful that we still have passionate, dedicated teachers in the classroom. Students deserve that. I just mean that something in me always knew that being in the classroom wasn't my forever. It wouldn't keep me happy forever. 

Teacher Life: My Identity Crisis

Fast forward to my early teaching days. The grind was real. I was fueled by unhealthy amounts of coffee - actually, I should say sugar. I'm one of those people who says they love coffee. I don't. I love the extra sweet coffee-inspired drinks called lattes that barely have a splash of coffee. Anyway - most mornings I was there at 6 am. If you know me - you know that come 3 or 4 pm my brain is mush, so I always liked getting to school early. Especially since we all know you can't get any prep done after school anyways because your teacher besties want to come decompress in your room at the end of the day and unpack the chaos of their day. Maybe you can relate...you probably also can relate to not having your evenings and weekends to yourself either. That first year and a half or so most of my nights and weekends were reserved for prepping lessons and activities. My personal favorite: laminating, cutting, and velcroing task cards and centers. To be honest, I actually loved prepping...but still...I think my early twenties would have been better spent socializing with friends and family, but 20-20 hindsight, right? 

Reality Bites, and It Bites Hard

So, here's where things get real. At 23, still living with my mom, fresh from a breakup with my boyfriend of four years, I felt the itch to claim my independence. I started apartment hunting and fell in love with a few. So of course I started to make a budget. That's when I took a careful look at my paycheck....and instantly realized there was no way I could afford $1300/month in rent. At the time, I was in the highest paying district and every other week my take home was $1,200 and at the time I was still constantly buying way too much for my classroom and students...So I let go of the idea of moving out and didn't see how I was ever going to be able to afford my own place let alone pursue my other dreams and passions that had been on the backburner for way too long.

Teacher Talks and Wake-up Calls

Eventually, I became resentful. I started to admit to my feelings and what I'd always wanted. I'd always wanted to travel and had been dreaming of it since middle school, but I just didn't know how to make it happen. I didn't know what else to do. After school, two of my best friends and I would just...vent. It was ugly and draining. It was so evident that we were burned out. And honestly, we were heartbroken. We all got into education to make a difference in kids' lives, but this just wasn't the right fit for us. We wanted to create change and be difference makers - and while I'm confident and proud that we did make a difference in our students' lives - we were drowning in a system that was far more restrictive than empowering and inspiring. At the end of the day, I just didn't believe that the school system was actually serving students in the way they deserved, and it certainly didn't set teachers up for success. Aside from that, I think what it really came down to was that I wanted to travel and explore the world and have the opportunity to experience what the world had to offer. 

Doordash to the Rescue & Soul Searching

That last year of teaching, I tried to figure out how in the world I was going to be able to afford traveling...Doordash to the rescue! I still went in early morning to prep, but I vowed to myself that if I worked in the evenings and weekends, I would get paid! And to my surprise, I usually made a higher hourly rate than I did teaching. That realization was the slap in the face I needed. While I haven't done Doordash in years, I'm so grateful that it helped me realize that there were other ways to make money on my terms. It also helped me save enough money to travel on almost every holiday break that school year. Doordash made it possible for me to spend a week road-tripping the Pacific Coast Highway, spending two weeks frolicking in Christmas markets and cruising down the Danube River. 

Side note: Brief side note because it's too funny not to share. One day when I was delivering, the name of the customer on my next stop stood out. It was a really recognizable name...I thought "Is this my superintendent?" When I got to the door, I was hoping he'd answer so he'd see one of his teachers delivering food on the weekends, but instead I met his son and asked if his dad was _______. Sure enough he was! Really sweetly I said 'Oh! I'm Bailey, one of his teachers at ____.'" That next week, my superintendent was at my school for a meeting and he tracked me down to apologize because he was embarrassed that he hadn't tipped very much...

Three years into teaching, and the verdict was clear. I needed to leave. Not because I didn't love teaching (trust me, I loved my students) but because there was a world out there waiting to be seen. In 2019, with the exception of my classroom library, I gave almost everything away. Two days after the last day of school I took my one-way flight to Spain to walk El Camino de Santiago, party on a Greek island, get my yoga teacher certification in Thailand, and take my first ever group to India.

Sidenote: I’m not at all suggesting quitting teaching and working gig jobs instead - unless of course you want to! However, when I was first trying to save up enough money to be able to travel and eventually quit, things like Doordash, Instacart, and Spark were huge. If you’re in need of a side gig while you figure out what your next steps are, Spark was my favorite. It’s the one I made the most on ($30-50/hour) and thought was the easiest. See if they’re looking in your area and use this link and my affiliate code: BPXX0IN0 to give it a try! 

If not teaching, then what?

Since I left the classroom, I've worn several hats and had plenty of ups and downs, which I'll talk more about in another post. But right now, after a few years of working as a training coordinator, instructional designer, and Learning & Development manager, I work as a freelance instructional designer. And my secret passion is creating Boom Cards! What can I say? At my core, I'm still a teacher, but I do it differently now. 

For me, leaving the classroom was about exploring the world, and more importantly about getting to know myself.

So, if you're here because you're wondering if leaving the classroom is the right decision, don't be afraid to explore your options. Pursue those dreams you've ignored. This is your life and you can write the next chapter however you want! If you're looking for someone to tell you that it's okay to leave the classroom and let go of guilt - it's okay. You're not an awful teacher. You're not a bad person. Life is too short to not explore other versions of yourself. If you've already left the classroom and now you're worried that you made the wrong decision because the transition is more difficult than you thought, give it time. I've had plenty of bumps along the way. I even subbed and briefly went back to the classroom, only to be reminded of why that wasn't where I needed to be. Trust the process and keep going, growing, and learning. 

Here's to all of us brave enough to step off the known path and chart our own course. Keep dreaming, start exploring! ✈️❤️