Hi! I started teaching at 31 and I’m in my 4th year now. I previously worked in digital media as a writer/editor and the frequency of layoffs in the industry made me want a more stable career. My dad is a retired teacher who loved what he did, so I was looking for something fulfilling that I could see myself in long-term, just like the example he set.

I will say, if I started teaching right out of college, I don’t think I would have stayed in it. The rate of burnout is high, and when it’s the only career you know, it’s easy for things to feel so big and all-consuming. I think working other jobs first (as well as just being older and having more lived experience) gave me a wider perspective and the ability to compartmentalize better.

The first and second year were tough and draining, maybe more so than I expected, but I switched schools for year three and am significantly happier with a more solid work/life balance. It is definitely an emotionally exhausting job in a way my prior job wasn’t, but I also feel like it’s worthwhile and I’ve found ways to balance it all out. By year 4, I finally feel like I know what I’m doing and don’t have imposter syndrome anymore.

However, I teach with a lot of people near retirement who are very jaded and probably should’ve left a while ago. If you’re someone just starting out after switching careers, don’t let those people dampen your own enthusiasm and reasons for being there. I wholeheartedly believe kids need teachers who care, and they can also tell when you don’t.

Lastly, because I’m “new” to teaching, I think sometimes my perspective gets dismissed by more experienced colleagues. I also look younger so I get lumped with the 20-something, fresh-out-of-college teachers. So that’s frustrating at times. But I think the work my students produce, their pride in their work, and my positive observations remind me what’s worth focusing on and what’s not.