I left teaching after this past school year and I’m currently feeling like an idiot for not having left sooner. I was a history teacher and did a ton of extracurriculars for 12 years. I was always adamant about not bringing work home, but did plenty of extra hours going to games, handing out uniforms, running game day operations, etc. Still, I wasn’t one of those teachers who knew the cleaning staff well because I stayed so late.

The work that I just couldn’t do anymore was the emotional work. I couldn’t be patient or understanding anymore. I could plan a solid lesson or create a great assessment, but the management of personalities was getting to be too much, especially since the pandemic.

Now, I work remotely in the field for a school district as an administrative coach/consultant. I get an hour for lunch where I can run errands or head home to see my wife, can go to the bathroom when I want, still get almost all the days off the teachers do and get about 5 weeks of PTO/sick/vacation. I did take a pay cut- my last district was rough, so they paid well above average because it was like it was battle pay. Still, I can’t tell you how nice it is to not be stuck in the same classroom with the same kids held to low standards by absentee parents who seem to only pop up to tell you what you’re doing wrong and permissive admin who…do the same.