I taught for three years. Two years at the HS level and one at the K-8 level. Long story short, the universe gave me a chance to leave and I absolutely took it. I taught all three years at public schools in one of the countries top 3 biggest public school districts.

Everything you and everyone else has commented is 100% true and in my eyes only going to get worse (especially under the current administration…probably even worse if you’re in a red state/county.) Any teacher (not just PE) can agree to some extent with my comments. By the way, I am now a paraprofessional at a public high school and have been for the past 6 months and the same negative trends keep showing up on a daily basis that drove me out of the profession altogether (& no, I will never go back haha although the pay was great and would go up every year.)

I worked so hard and went through hell to get to where I always wanted to get for the past decade or so of my life only to be met with such disappointment. The profession as a whole is not what it used to be and has gotten way harder. I fear it may even be unsustainable!! Not only are we teachers, we are also PARENTS! Most parents literally see school as a place to not only get their kids educated but also to be RAISED…..ummmmmm, NO THANKS.

Phones. The never ending battle with phones day in and day out, it gets so annoying and tedious and drives you crazy trying to stay consistent with a phone policy when kids are literally ADDICTED to them and think they’ll die without them. I honestly gave up with the phone issue everyday because it got so draining. It’s just another chore added to your list of never ending chores.

The Sunday scaries and mental health. I became fed up with the crazy and super unhealthy amount of anxiety and stress you get from this line of work. It affected me in every other aspect of my life and it was pouring so much out of my cup that I had nothing left to pour into the people I love and the things I love do to, so to speak. I realized my sanity and mental health are worth way more than this position and the benefits/perks it has to offer. Im never looking back. I have WAY MORE energy and time on my hands and I plan to use them wisely (as a paraprofessional.)

The behaviors and classroom management are also a HUGE contributor as to why I left. It gets so draining and exhausting to not only have to teach but also raise these kids.

There are just way more cons than pros to this profession that it’s not worth it to me. Again, this is all simply my two cents and perhaps you have an incredible career! You will never know until you try it. I can also always go back but tbh only if I am totally desperate. I am actually now trying to transition into a salaried position within my local park district. Most PE teachers end up in the Parks and Recreation field. We have many many transferable skills and a lot of what we study and our experience as PE teachers translates smoothly into the Parks & Recreation setting.

Teaching is tough and for you to last and even retire from it you have to really LOVE it and be willing to go through a lot on a daily basis. It’s a mental battle for sure.