I left teaching in June 2020. I didn’t leave because of Covid. I left because after 15+ years, I no longer had the patience or passion I saw in the teachers around me. And the patience I did have, I needed to conserve for my own kids.
In light of the impossible expectations many teachers face, and the mass exodus I fear is coming, I wanted to share a few things that I do miss about teaching and working in education.
Pay/Pension
When I left teaching, I scored a job in Training and Communications with a large multinational company. The raise I got in my new corporate America job felt substantial. Like good bye TJ Maxx. Hello Nordstrom (and not the Rack)– big.
So, you can imagine my disappointment when my first paycheck hit my bank account and the numbers were far from what I’d imagined.
I’m not sure if this is true for everyone, but the amount I contributed from each paycheck to my pension through the Teacher Retirement Association pales in comparison to what I am contributing to a 401K. And while I hope my contributions will lead to a number that will provide me a steady income after retirement, my smaller contributions into the TRA insured that.
I miss the teacher pension plan.
Summer Break
When I started my new job, I didn’t think I would actually miss summer. The stress level of my current job is way more manageable. Days are steady and less intense. I don’t need two months off to recover from the intensity of a school year.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss it.
For me, every school year starts like a marathon. We prepare for the beginning of the year, which usually starts out upbeat and exciting. We happily anticipate a few planned water breaks (i.e., Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break, Martin Luther King Day, and President’s Day if we’re lucky.)
These breaks help us get through the excruciating hills of January, February and March. Then spring comes, and the real chaos starts. I haven’t run an actual marathon, but I think some sort of delirium sets in when you’ve literally pushed yourself and endured what normal humans can’t (and probably shouldn’t). This is what spring feels like.
By spring, every teacher knows exactly how many days are left until you reach the finish line. When you can stop running. Take your shoes off and eat a banana.
My new job is a steady power walk for the next 20+ years. I am given 20 PTO days a year, which is higher than average, and something I’m extremely grateful for. But it is no summer.
My Classroom
I have taught in all kind of classrooms. A big one with large windows and a gorgeous sunrise view. A small, window-less room with grey walls and matching grey carpet that felt like an unending cloudy day. One with orange fraying carpet and a window that still bore the dried evidence of splattered eggs that hit it years ago.
I’ve had my own classroom, and shared a classroom, but all I know is having your own classroom feels a lot different than a 6 x 6 grey cubicle space inside an office honeycomb.
When I closed the door of my classroom, I was the CEO. My students and I formed our own community, our own inside jokes, our own decorated space.
These days, due to Covid, I am able to work from home more often than not. And while I’m not complaining, and I don’t miss the commute or hunkering down in my cubicle to avoid disturbing my neighbors. Sitting alone at my kitchen table, interacting with virtual co-workers through a computer screen is just not the same.
I miss my classroom.
The School Community
Do any of you watch Abbott Elementary? I love this show and watching its heart-warming school community. Abbott Elementary might not be an accurate representation of every school, but every school I’ve taught in has a community all its own—as only a school can.
Teachers can not help but bond through the shared experience of a school year. Even today, I feel forever bonded to the teachers I worked with years ago. Together we have trudged through outrageous antics, often impossible expectations and occasional moments of sheer belly aching laughter and joy.
There is no tired like teacher tired, and there is no community like school community.
This, I do miss.
Despite everything, I still feel confident leaving teaching was the right decision for me, but I can’t say I don’t ever look back.
Jill, I love your SpEd Tales! In retirement I’m missing all the areas you mentioned especially the belly laughs with fellow staff! Can’t wait to hear about what you don’t miss! I’ll bet our lists will look similar too!
Thanks Sally!!
Nice job Jill!
Thank you!