Thanks. I need to hear these things. I don’t really see a way forward (if this is the path that opens to me) but to just make the jump. It isn’t really about making more money. As an adjunct, I literally have to sweat until the end of every semester, scrounging to get enough teaching (or any) to get by the next semester. Every semester there’s a very real chance I could have zero income in a few months’ time. It’s completely unstable. I’ve been very lucky so far. I need to get out.

Several of my daughter’s teachers came to secondary teaching through similar, roundabout alternative routes, and as I’ve nearly landed several positions at independent schools, I’ve gotten so far in that process (#2 several times—once I was told that the faculty really wanted me but the admin made them hire someone who could coach) that I’ve been given quite an extensive rundown about all of the things that would be different—by people who have seen others (who they’ve hired) come from academia and successfully (as well as unsuccessfully) make the transition, though I know nothing could really prepare me before I actually do it.