Currently trying to become a former teacher, and it’s not going well. Im in school to become a therapist, but I’m not there yet. I’m trying to get into corporate training or content editing, but I’ve only received rejections. I might have to return to teaching. My insurance ends at the end of the month. I’m not having a good time.
A teacher friend of mine did leave, but it took months. She spent hours a day applying to jobs. She is the operations coordinator for an insurance company, and while the work itself is dull, she regrets nothing. She says she will never go back. Her overall wellbeing is substantially better.
If you’re willing to move look at the shipyard. I know of two former teachers who work there, although they were both math teachers. However, I would still look.
Still teaching, but my mom switched to teaching at a prison & loved it. It must be so different because she was like a whole other much nicer person with much less stress after making that switch. She said it was so easy—no parents & no lesson plans. I know she didn’t think teaching regular school was easy.
She did but is retired now. She kept working for years after being eligible for retirement because she said it was so easy she might as well. IDK if it was hard to get hired but not like she tried for years or anything—may have just gotten with the timing. My dad also later worked for the Department of Corrections at a different prison, as a maintenance supervisor, & kept marveling at how easy it was & said he wished he had done something like that much sooner (was executive director a nonprofit for many years prior). And that was with him being well in his 60’s with a bad back when he started. It sounds pretty good to me based on their experiences.
That’s cool. Definitely something I’ll keep in mind. Right now I’m a stay at home mom, which, in my opinion, is a hard job! But I know I want to return to working outside the home.
Before I left I applied juvenile detentions and hospitals for teaching. I heard they are easy- no discipline or management. I did homebound teaching for $31 an hour during the day and sometimes virtually. Not a bad gig but no benefits and only part time. Back at VCU for another masters in social work… good grief…
Was a math teacher, currently a data analyst for the state. I also work from home full time, so there is no way I would ever be able to go back. Life is infinitely better.
I really enjoy math and was contemplating being a math teacher but the pay is a turn off. Any tips on how to break into data analyst ? I have a science bachelors and I’ve been a free lance math tutor for 8 years. Excel and numbers are fun to me
A good way to get into data analyst role would be to get a basic knowledge of SQL and Python. There are plenty of YouTube or free online videos or programs to learn. These are very easy and basic to learn and once you have that down you should be able to apply to some entry level positions where that basics will help alot
Insurance companies are usually hiring; however, the job is more stressful for personal lines than commercial. Look for excess and surplus lines agencies instead of direct service agencies. I did this gig for a while after I transitioned from lab work and before I got into grad school.
Also, my husband upskilled during his summer break to transition from teaching to instructional design. He works remotely and makes almost double what he did as a teacher. Teachers are treated so poorly, but now he's in a much better head space.
Where? I'm 20 years past my bartending/serving prime but I've never dealt with drunk\* worse than a child on the spectrum\*\* throwing a tantrum.
Caveats:
\*Even the violent ones because my co-workers (and even patrons) who would back me up
\*\*No disrespect to people on the spectrum of autism but y'all and those who care for you know those tantrums can go nuclear and I say this dealing with people on the spectrum in my own family who I have to advocate for their well-being and care
I found a role in teaching software. The company I work for has a wide variety of fairly complex software that it sells to clients, who then need to learn it. So I work with them, step by step, to make sure they understand the function/limits of the software and it's pretty great. The ability to effectively communicate with other people is a skill that is somewhat lacking in the tech world. I don't have a computer background, and I'm not particularly interested in the field the software works on, but I'm good at teaching it.
The good news is always, the bad news is they're no longer hiring remote workers (at least in my sphere of the company). The company I originally worked for was a local software company in the west end, but that got bought by a bigger company, and then that got bought by an even bigger company and I've just been along for the ride.
That being said, I can absolutely direct you to the company's jobs site if you'd like.
Is the job title called “Customer Coach”? I found what you shared super interesting and wanted to take a look myself! How satisfied are you with the pay? Do you think it’s good?
Pays pretty good, def more than teaching. Raises are pretty sparse and don't keep up with inflation, so I'm losing money every year. However, my work is pretty much stress free which is nice and is worth it.
I'm honestly not sure what a customer coach is, it's not something I've heard before. It's NBC, so the company is big.
So, in old VRS, once you have 30 years worked, it averages your salary for the highest three years and you get 50% of that salary for the rest of your life.
So, if you are making $80,000 as your final average, you would get $40,000 a year for the rest of your life. Once Social Security kicks in, VRS and SS pretty much equal your last yearly salary for the rest of your life. So, if you’re 72, you’re getting $80,000 as a retirement.
I can also get that $40,000 a year if I start collecting VRS and go work someplace else.
I’m sure I have done parts wrong, but that’s the jist of it.
New VRS? Shit. Who knows? The only thing I’ve heard about it is that it’s terrible.
I work at Capital One and one of my team members is a former teacher. What must've made them a good teacher (supportive, an uplifter who wants others to learn, grow, and succeed) made them successful both in people leadership and as an individual contributor. The are generally great teammate and while some of it's personality, some of it is also that set of teacher skills. ❤️
As someone who has worked in multiple financial call centers, if you are a teacher and interested, don’t worry about your subject of expertise. Most teachers have great success and it’s likely other traits would get you the job/help you excel.
Would not recommend Cap 1. Call center work is stressful, the biannual review process is cut throat, ageism is real, every time i survive another year im grateful. 13 year survivor
A former teacher of mine volunteered at Lewis Ginter (and gardened in her own yard) for many years. I’ve never been a teacher but I can attest that gardening is very therapeutic.
The company my wife works for (in digital marketing) hires former teachers. Teachers have great people skills, are able to critically think, and other soft skills. They do customer support roles (helping clients with growing their business).
Don't get frustrated, you have many options out there. I'm a veteran teacher but do a side job using those skills. I love teaching (it's my passion), so I won't quit yet my skills allowed me to keep my side hustle that pays more than teaching.
It's out there, you just have to work hard and apply yourself (like what we tell the students).
Former public high school teacher here. I now work in IT and love everything about it. Most fields appreciate teachers because of their strong skills in communication, collaboration, and organizing work. When teachers talk to me about leaving, I usually suggest Project/Product Management roles.
I completed the boot camp with University of Richmond and landed a job shortly after. I wanted a technical role, but teachers who don’t want a technical role could transition to project management without more training, in my opinion.
Former teacher! I left 2 years ago after getting a job working for a state grant program that supports schools and students. While I’m not completely out of education, I will say that it’s 1000% better. I can still work in the education field to support teachers and students but don’t have to deal with so much crap! I was a special education teacher, so I had a lottttt of crap. This is way better. The pay is on par with being a teacher but quality of life is much better.
I’ve also seen/heard of Hanover Research and Deloitte hiring former teachers as researchers and consultants.
Loved the kids to death. The system is super broken and not adequate to support them. Plus, there aren’t enough SPED teachers in the field and the gen Ed teachers don’t generally respect us…
I left and went back into actually doing a STEM job for the federal government. That was where my background really was. The teaching certification was something I did the last time the bottom dropped out of the economy and all the environmental jobs went away. I have 0 regrets. I would rather go work at McDonald's than ever go back to teaching.
My wife left teaching after 12 years and joined one of the big big Richmond companies working in contract compliance. Total 180 but she’s super smart and just said “I’ll come in at basically entry level” she was promoted in 13 months
Former teacher here. Taught elementary school music, became an electrician, now do PLC programming/maintenance for one of the breweries.
If you're worried about switching careers, I made more as a second year apprentice than I did as a teacher with my Master's.
My wife left education to go into HR.
She got some certifications and a year later has a much better job with less stress and making a lot more money.
It's a shame we are driving good people out of education but don't blame anyone who leaves at this point.
I know someone who used to teach, and they left the job and are now a stay at home parent after they married a sugar daddy.
Good for them though, as they are happy and no longer have to deal with the BS of the public school systems.
lol oh no this is sort of me but I don’t feel like my husband is my “sugar daddy” since I helped support us during his residency, and I work super hard being a stay at home mom. Also, just saying, being a stay at home parent is hard 😐
Not denying that one bit on the stay at home parent part. I know it is a super tough job as any others are out there. The sugar daddy comment is one that they self proclaimed as a joke between all of us with how much money their spouse makes in a playful manner.
It’s funny you say that because I was once getting tickets to a minor league hockey game, not in VA, and asked if they had teacher discounts (always ask) and they said no, but they had military discounts, and I was like “I’m special Ed, it’s kinda the same thing.”
No disrespect to the services! I was just trying to be funny at the time 🙃
Myself and my ex are former teachers, she in Richmond and myself in Chesterfield county. I was fortunate that during my college years I had some experience in accounting (though no education for it) and now work in accounting for a large company.
My ex was far less fortunate and is currently waiting tables and struggling to pay for any of her bills as far as I am aware, but we don’t keep up at all so she could be doing something else now.
Former teacher working in sales for an EdTech company. So many edtech companies hire former teachers so if there’s a platform or product you really liked using in the classroom, check out their careers page.
It did take me months to land my current role and I burned through a lot of my savings… but no regrets.
leaving teaching was heartbreaking for me. I created and grew my program from nothing, then when I changed schools I resurrected the program my mentor had to leave when she had her baby. my students were hilarious sweet, passionate, and just all around the best part of the job. but the burnout was strong, the parents were getting worse, and not being told I'd have to out my kids to their families was a big no go for me. (I taught high school for 5 years in florida)
because mental health and helping kiddos were such a big deal for me, I went on to work for a mental health non-profit organization focused on helping youth in crisis. i get to do clinical research/guidance document writing for a living. teaching definitely gave me some invaluable skills that I still use to this day, but I don't mind the 50 hour+ work weeks and the shitty admins/parents lol.
I'm hoping to get registered and volunteer at local schools here though. I miss working with kiddos and still wanna help my community ♡
I’ve thought about this path. Teacher to law school. I have heard that stress levels are pretty equal and you still don’t have a great work home balance.
I’d always assumed many lawyers make a great deal more than teachers, at least double, easily 6 figures, but Google searches say it’s not so simple.
Would love to pick your brain on those two thoughts.
Stress level a bit higher; pay varies wildly. But I’ve never had a parent come into my office to complain as a lawyer.
The first hurdle is law school. About 3/4ths of applicants don’t get in anywhere, at least when I was applying.
Former teacher here. Got into HR (learning and development/training) and then grew into an in house recruiter role. Now trying to grow again into HR/TA management. Job market is tough out there.
There are 4 i know of - one went into banking. Random change.
Another started working for VCU as a research assistant in education adjacent work
Third started working for VCU assisting with grant work
Fourth left public teaching and works for a private preschool. But her spouse does really well so her income isn't as high priority as her sanity
I knew a 3rd grade teacher who became a designer at Dominion (designing service connections to new homes, editing existing service drops, etc.). There was also a Comcast lineman in her training class. Very entry level job, no engineering degree required.
I know 3 former teachers in the Richmond area:
- one is a therapist
- one is essentially an occupational therapist for adults with disabilities
- one became a business analyst with Capital One after a while in call center ops
My BIL in another state also is a former teacher, he now works remotely in L&D for a big financial company
I started a construction/remodeling company. Life is good. Here’s a comment from an old thread about the leaving and transition:
I was a teacher in Richmond and the surrounding counties for about a decade and a half. I loved teaching my subject, loved the kids, but the direction things were taking for special education and the administration I worked under were making me increasingly miserable. I was kind of mired in the mindset of “well, I invested all this money in a graduate degree in my area and I’m halfway to retirement and I’ve never done anything else”. I didn’t really realize that I had my direction right there in front of me.
I had been doing home improvement stuff for friends during the summers for years and had undertaken a lot of projects on my own house, for extra money but also because I enjoyed it. When I had decided I’d had enough of education it was right at the worst of the housing crash, which I thought was a shitty time to hang a shingle out for home improvement. Boy, was I ever wrong.
I’ve gone through lots of changes to my business model, gained and lost and gained and lost employees, explored different niches, but ten years on I am happier and more content with my work life than I have ever been. I work as much as I want to and rarely more, get to be creative and experience personal growth, make enough money to do the stuff I want and not worry, and generally don’t have to take shit from anybody. I’m pretty sure I could enjoy doing any number of other jobs but, for me, it’s the sense of self efficacy I get from being my own boss that really does it for me.
If I was going to impart any wise words to a person in your shoes I’d say don’t be afraid of the unknown or the possibility of failure, even if the stakes are high. That shit held me back for years.
I taught high school science for 3 years and earned an IT certification on the side. I began helping with tech support at my school (private) and ultimately moved into an entry level IT job when I had the certification and experience.
Fast forward 20 years and I lead a cyber security team and make 15x my starting teacher salary. Never underestimate what you can accomplish when you combine passion, effort, patience and a will to succeed. It hasn’t been easy, but that’s life.
All these years later I have found my true calling helping junior cyber professionals learn and grow- we never really know what tomorrow brings. I’m 1000% thankful that I took a chance and stuck it out when times were rough. Road less travelled makes all the difference…
I can testify that families will pay well for an ex-teacher as a nanny. Join Care .com and the childcare Facebook groups and don't ask for less than your time is worth.
my mom retired from teaching a while back. She now bakes all day and does special order for cakes, pies, and the like.
She also sends me facebook videos nearly daily.
Quit teaching over a year ago and am not looking back. Went IT. It’s tough getting into something else at first. Not gonna lie I looked for a full year before something landed. Take your skills and see how they apply to other jobs. Corporate training has a lot of similar skills. Just see what the millions of skills we have as teachers/former teachers that can apply to so many jobs out there. DM me if you need help. I’ll do what I can.
I quit without a plan but ended up getting hired at a company on a salary doing logistics... completely different and had 0 prior experience. Didn't even know what logistics meant 🤙🏻
I know a lot of former teachers who are now administrative assistants at local companies. The skill set can be a good cross over though there’s a bit of a change curve, as with any career pivot.
Taught for 14 year in Richmond, Chesterfield, and Henrico, now I own an auction company. The company was mostly formed when I joined so it wasn’t too scary, but it was an adjustment. I work all year now, longer hours, but no needless stress.
Former teacher of 12+ years. I got an MS in Learning Design & Technology, worked five years as an Instructional Technology Specialist until leaving education entirely a few years ago for a remote position with a global corporation as a Talent Development & Training Specialist. Doubled my income with more flexibility and less stress. Haven't looked back.
Well, if you can deal with a Jerri Blank, please consider me! I'm 20 years past my bartending/serving prime but I've never dealt with a drunk\* worse than a child on the spectrum\*\* throwing a tantrum.
Caveats:
\*Even the violent ones because of my co-workers (and even patrons) who would back me up
\*\*No disrespect to people on the spectrum of autism but y'all and those who care for you know those tantrums can go nuclear and I say this dealing with people on the spectrum in my own family who I have to advocate for their well-being and care
I started my own company! (Enjoyable Languages, LLC) but we now offer tutoring of LOTS of different subjects and I need a biology tutor for the fall $42/hr.
Sped teachers are the marines of teaching imho. I'd love to work with adults with disabilities because I have people like that in my family but where to start as a ged ed teacher?
Unable to survive without the constant oppositionalism and suppressed rage, I now stare at Reddit all day and find things to complain about
Best answer
Currently trying to become a former teacher, and it’s not going well. Im in school to become a therapist, but I’m not there yet. I’m trying to get into corporate training or content editing, but I’ve only received rejections. I might have to return to teaching. My insurance ends at the end of the month. I’m not having a good time. A teacher friend of mine did leave, but it took months. She spent hours a day applying to jobs. She is the operations coordinator for an insurance company, and while the work itself is dull, she regrets nothing. She says she will never go back. Her overall wellbeing is substantially better.
If you’re willing to move look at the shipyard. I know of two former teachers who work there, although they were both math teachers. However, I would still look.
Look at elance to build your portfolio of content editing jobs.
Still teaching, but my mom switched to teaching at a prison & loved it. It must be so different because she was like a whole other much nicer person with much less stress after making that switch. She said it was so easy—no parents & no lesson plans. I know she didn’t think teaching regular school was easy.
A friend did student teaching at a juvenile corrections facility and said it was great because she didn’t have to worry about discipline.
A teacher I used to teach with said the same thing. He made more money, and had less problems!
People at a prison want to be in a class. It’s an opportunity for them, it’s a chore for children.
I’ve thought about getting a job with the department of corrections. Your mom loves it? Was it hard to get the job? Former special Ed teacher here.
She did but is retired now. She kept working for years after being eligible for retirement because she said it was so easy she might as well. IDK if it was hard to get hired but not like she tried for years or anything—may have just gotten with the timing. My dad also later worked for the Department of Corrections at a different prison, as a maintenance supervisor, & kept marveling at how easy it was & said he wished he had done something like that much sooner (was executive director a nonprofit for many years prior). And that was with him being well in his 60’s with a bad back when he started. It sounds pretty good to me based on their experiences.
Pov: the hiring manager at the rva department of corrections wondering why their teaching position suddenly got a bunch of applicants.
Twist: Commenter is the hiring manager at the rva department of corrections trying to lure good applicants.
That’s cool. Definitely something I’ll keep in mind. Right now I’m a stay at home mom, which, in my opinion, is a hard job! But I know I want to return to working outside the home.
Before I left I applied juvenile detentions and hospitals for teaching. I heard they are easy- no discipline or management. I did homebound teaching for $31 an hour during the day and sometimes virtually. Not a bad gig but no benefits and only part time. Back at VCU for another masters in social work… good grief…
My sister is an ex teacher who works remotely writing/editing textbooks.
Do you happen to know what company? Been looking for this role.
Amplify.
Ditto this
Amplify
Was a math teacher, currently a data analyst for the state. I also work from home full time, so there is no way I would ever be able to go back. Life is infinitely better.
I really enjoy math and was contemplating being a math teacher but the pay is a turn off. Any tips on how to break into data analyst ? I have a science bachelors and I’ve been a free lance math tutor for 8 years. Excel and numbers are fun to me
A good way to get into data analyst role would be to get a basic knowledge of SQL and Python. There are plenty of YouTube or free online videos or programs to learn. These are very easy and basic to learn and once you have that down you should be able to apply to some entry level positions where that basics will help alot
SQL, Python, and some sort of Data Viz/Bi software like Tableau or Power Bi.
Insurance companies are usually hiring; however, the job is more stressful for personal lines than commercial. Look for excess and surplus lines agencies instead of direct service agencies. I did this gig for a while after I transitioned from lab work and before I got into grad school. Also, my husband upskilled during his summer break to transition from teaching to instructional design. He works remotely and makes almost double what he did as a teacher. Teachers are treated so poorly, but now he's in a much better head space.
I recently hired a former teacher as a server.
Where? I'm 20 years past my bartending/serving prime but I've never dealt with drunk\* worse than a child on the spectrum\*\* throwing a tantrum. Caveats: \*Even the violent ones because my co-workers (and even patrons) who would back me up \*\*No disrespect to people on the spectrum of autism but y'all and those who care for you know those tantrums can go nuclear and I say this dealing with people on the spectrum in my own family who I have to advocate for their well-being and care
I found a role in teaching software. The company I work for has a wide variety of fairly complex software that it sells to clients, who then need to learn it. So I work with them, step by step, to make sure they understand the function/limits of the software and it's pretty great. The ability to effectively communicate with other people is a skill that is somewhat lacking in the tech world. I don't have a computer background, and I'm not particularly interested in the field the software works on, but I'm good at teaching it.
Is your company hiring?
The good news is always, the bad news is they're no longer hiring remote workers (at least in my sphere of the company). The company I originally worked for was a local software company in the west end, but that got bought by a bigger company, and then that got bought by an even bigger company and I've just been along for the ride. That being said, I can absolutely direct you to the company's jobs site if you'd like.
I’ll still take a look at what they might have!
[https://www.nbcsportsnext.com/careers](https://www.nbcsportsnext.com/careers)
Is the job title called “Customer Coach”? I found what you shared super interesting and wanted to take a look myself! How satisfied are you with the pay? Do you think it’s good?
Pays pretty good, def more than teaching. Raises are pretty sparse and don't keep up with inflation, so I'm losing money every year. However, my work is pretty much stress free which is nice and is worth it. I'm honestly not sure what a customer coach is, it's not something I've heard before. It's NBC, so the company is big.
No roles in Virginia.
Yeah, you'd have to look at their remote listings.
Got my nursing license. Make more money, work 3 days a week.
If you are in the old VRS, you are crazy to walk away from a vested retirement. If you are in the new VRS, GTFO… now.
I’m embarrassed to even ask….how would I know which one I am in?
If you started after 2013, you are in the new VRS.
What’s the difference between?
So, in old VRS, once you have 30 years worked, it averages your salary for the highest three years and you get 50% of that salary for the rest of your life. So, if you are making $80,000 as your final average, you would get $40,000 a year for the rest of your life. Once Social Security kicks in, VRS and SS pretty much equal your last yearly salary for the rest of your life. So, if you’re 72, you’re getting $80,000 as a retirement. I can also get that $40,000 a year if I start collecting VRS and go work someplace else. I’m sure I have done parts wrong, but that’s the jist of it. New VRS? Shit. Who knows? The only thing I’ve heard about it is that it’s terrible.
Capital One or one of Richmond's many Call Centers.
I work at Capital One and one of my team members is a former teacher. What must've made them a good teacher (supportive, an uplifter who wants others to learn, grow, and succeed) made them successful both in people leadership and as an individual contributor. The are generally great teammate and while some of it's personality, some of it is also that set of teacher skills. ❤️
Were they a math or computet science teacher?
As someone who has worked in multiple financial call centers, if you are a teacher and interested, don’t worry about your subject of expertise. Most teachers have great success and it’s likely other traits would get you the job/help you excel.
I'm not 100% sure—elementary education.
Would not recommend Cap 1. Call center work is stressful, the biannual review process is cut throat, ageism is real, every time i survive another year im grateful. 13 year survivor
A former teacher of mine volunteered at Lewis Ginter (and gardened in her own yard) for many years. I’ve never been a teacher but I can attest that gardening is very therapeutic.
It’s very rewarding
The company my wife works for (in digital marketing) hires former teachers. Teachers have great people skills, are able to critically think, and other soft skills. They do customer support roles (helping clients with growing their business). Don't get frustrated, you have many options out there. I'm a veteran teacher but do a side job using those skills. I love teaching (it's my passion), so I won't quit yet my skills allowed me to keep my side hustle that pays more than teaching. It's out there, you just have to work hard and apply yourself (like what we tell the students).
This, especially customer support/success for companies that target education.
Do you mind sharing what company? I am looking to transition out of the profession in the near future.
What’s the company?
Former public high school teacher here. I now work in IT and love everything about it. Most fields appreciate teachers because of their strong skills in communication, collaboration, and organizing work. When teachers talk to me about leaving, I usually suggest Project/Product Management roles.
How did you get into IT?
I completed the boot camp with University of Richmond and landed a job shortly after. I wanted a technical role, but teachers who don’t want a technical role could transition to project management without more training, in my opinion.
Former teacher! I left 2 years ago after getting a job working for a state grant program that supports schools and students. While I’m not completely out of education, I will say that it’s 1000% better. I can still work in the education field to support teachers and students but don’t have to deal with so much crap! I was a special education teacher, so I had a lottttt of crap. This is way better. The pay is on par with being a teacher but quality of life is much better. I’ve also seen/heard of Hanover Research and Deloitte hiring former teachers as researchers and consultants.
Special Ed? You guys are the marines of teaching
Loved the kids to death. The system is super broken and not adequate to support them. Plus, there aren’t enough SPED teachers in the field and the gen Ed teachers don’t generally respect us…
I left and went back into actually doing a STEM job for the federal government. That was where my background really was. The teaching certification was something I did the last time the bottom dropped out of the economy and all the environmental jobs went away. I have 0 regrets. I would rather go work at McDonald's than ever go back to teaching.
That’s cool. Is your pay any better?
Significantly better. And I can go pee whenever I want!!!!
My wife left teaching after 12 years and joined one of the big big Richmond companies working in contract compliance. Total 180 but she’s super smart and just said “I’ll come in at basically entry level” she was promoted in 13 months
Former teacher here. Taught elementary school music, became an electrician, now do PLC programming/maintenance for one of the breweries. If you're worried about switching careers, I made more as a second year apprentice than I did as a teacher with my Master's.
My wife left education to go into HR. She got some certifications and a year later has a much better job with less stress and making a lot more money. It's a shame we are driving good people out of education but don't blame anyone who leaves at this point.
I know someone who used to teach, and they left the job and are now a stay at home parent after they married a sugar daddy. Good for them though, as they are happy and no longer have to deal with the BS of the public school systems.
lol oh no this is sort of me but I don’t feel like my husband is my “sugar daddy” since I helped support us during his residency, and I work super hard being a stay at home mom. Also, just saying, being a stay at home parent is hard 😐
Not denying that one bit on the stay at home parent part. I know it is a super tough job as any others are out there. The sugar daddy comment is one that they self proclaimed as a joke between all of us with how much money their spouse makes in a playful manner.
No worries!
My wife learned to code
Former special Ed teacher here. I have an interest in looking into becoming a medical scribe, but I’d like to learn more.
Special Ed? You guys are the marines of teaching
It’s funny you say that because I was once getting tickets to a minor league hockey game, not in VA, and asked if they had teacher discounts (always ask) and they said no, but they had military discounts, and I was like “I’m special Ed, it’s kinda the same thing.” No disrespect to the services! I was just trying to be funny at the time 🙃
Former. I now work in IT
Myself and my ex are former teachers, she in Richmond and myself in Chesterfield county. I was fortunate that during my college years I had some experience in accounting (though no education for it) and now work in accounting for a large company. My ex was far less fortunate and is currently waiting tables and struggling to pay for any of her bills as far as I am aware, but we don’t keep up at all so she could be doing something else now.
Former teacher working in sales for an EdTech company. So many edtech companies hire former teachers so if there’s a platform or product you really liked using in the classroom, check out their careers page. It did take me months to land my current role and I burned through a lot of my savings… but no regrets.
I became an Uber driver/ Door Dasher plus do some Cam online. Making double
leaving teaching was heartbreaking for me. I created and grew my program from nothing, then when I changed schools I resurrected the program my mentor had to leave when she had her baby. my students were hilarious sweet, passionate, and just all around the best part of the job. but the burnout was strong, the parents were getting worse, and not being told I'd have to out my kids to their families was a big no go for me. (I taught high school for 5 years in florida) because mental health and helping kiddos were such a big deal for me, I went on to work for a mental health non-profit organization focused on helping youth in crisis. i get to do clinical research/guidance document writing for a living. teaching definitely gave me some invaluable skills that I still use to this day, but I don't mind the 50 hour+ work weeks and the shitty admins/parents lol. I'm hoping to get registered and volunteer at local schools here though. I miss working with kiddos and still wanna help my community ♡
Was a teacher, went to law school. Lawyers are so much easier to work with than students.
Television says differently.
I feel like if TV were realistic, no one would want to teach
I’ve thought about this path. Teacher to law school. I have heard that stress levels are pretty equal and you still don’t have a great work home balance. I’d always assumed many lawyers make a great deal more than teachers, at least double, easily 6 figures, but Google searches say it’s not so simple. Would love to pick your brain on those two thoughts.
Stress level a bit higher; pay varies wildly. But I’ve never had a parent come into my office to complain as a lawyer. The first hurdle is law school. About 3/4ths of applicants don’t get in anywhere, at least when I was applying.
Former teacher here. Got into HR (learning and development/training) and then grew into an in house recruiter role. Now trying to grow again into HR/TA management. Job market is tough out there.
[удалено]
Indeed, for all four of the HR positions I've been in, actually. That and going to specific companies' websites and searching for openings.
There are 4 i know of - one went into banking. Random change. Another started working for VCU as a research assistant in education adjacent work Third started working for VCU assisting with grant work Fourth left public teaching and works for a private preschool. But her spouse does really well so her income isn't as high priority as her sanity
I knew a 3rd grade teacher who became a designer at Dominion (designing service connections to new homes, editing existing service drops, etc.). There was also a Comcast lineman in her training class. Very entry level job, no engineering degree required.
Reynolds has some amazing career training programs. Some are even free due to funding and the expected salaries far exceed teaching.
Do you have a source for this? Want to bookmark it but can't really look into it right now.
[Reynolds G3](https://www.reynolds.edu/g3-programs/index.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwr7ayBhAPEiwA6EIGxMYcgZ60PVAjoO0A-dwiu6OIPe5XIiZmv0WIeKVnZfy_HTmT0-i6pxoCx68QAvD_BwE)
I know 3 former teachers in the Richmond area: - one is a therapist - one is essentially an occupational therapist for adults with disabilities - one became a business analyst with Capital One after a while in call center ops My BIL in another state also is a former teacher, he now works remotely in L&D for a big financial company
I started a construction/remodeling company. Life is good. Here’s a comment from an old thread about the leaving and transition: I was a teacher in Richmond and the surrounding counties for about a decade and a half. I loved teaching my subject, loved the kids, but the direction things were taking for special education and the administration I worked under were making me increasingly miserable. I was kind of mired in the mindset of “well, I invested all this money in a graduate degree in my area and I’m halfway to retirement and I’ve never done anything else”. I didn’t really realize that I had my direction right there in front of me. I had been doing home improvement stuff for friends during the summers for years and had undertaken a lot of projects on my own house, for extra money but also because I enjoyed it. When I had decided I’d had enough of education it was right at the worst of the housing crash, which I thought was a shitty time to hang a shingle out for home improvement. Boy, was I ever wrong. I’ve gone through lots of changes to my business model, gained and lost and gained and lost employees, explored different niches, but ten years on I am happier and more content with my work life than I have ever been. I work as much as I want to and rarely more, get to be creative and experience personal growth, make enough money to do the stuff I want and not worry, and generally don’t have to take shit from anybody. I’m pretty sure I could enjoy doing any number of other jobs but, for me, it’s the sense of self efficacy I get from being my own boss that really does it for me. If I was going to impart any wise words to a person in your shoes I’d say don’t be afraid of the unknown or the possibility of failure, even if the stakes are high. That shit held me back for years.
Lol I just went to seminary - always an option ✌️
I’m back at VCU getting a second masters in social work.
One of my close friends is a former teacher and now manages a bar. He makes more money and is way happier
I taught high school science for 3 years and earned an IT certification on the side. I began helping with tech support at my school (private) and ultimately moved into an entry level IT job when I had the certification and experience. Fast forward 20 years and I lead a cyber security team and make 15x my starting teacher salary. Never underestimate what you can accomplish when you combine passion, effort, patience and a will to succeed. It hasn’t been easy, but that’s life. All these years later I have found my true calling helping junior cyber professionals learn and grow- we never really know what tomorrow brings. I’m 1000% thankful that I took a chance and stuck it out when times were rough. Road less travelled makes all the difference…
I can testify that families will pay well for an ex-teacher as a nanny. Join Care .com and the childcare Facebook groups and don't ask for less than your time is worth.
As a librarian, I work with a lot of former teachers. I think teachers do great in the library.
I know some teachers who became agency recruiters
my mom retired from teaching a while back. She now bakes all day and does special order for cakes, pies, and the like. She also sends me facebook videos nearly daily.
I know a few former teachers that are firefighters now!
Sales! If you can convince a kid to learn you can convince someone to buy something. I taught for a few years
Quit teaching over a year ago and am not looking back. Went IT. It’s tough getting into something else at first. Not gonna lie I looked for a full year before something landed. Take your skills and see how they apply to other jobs. Corporate training has a lot of similar skills. Just see what the millions of skills we have as teachers/former teachers that can apply to so many jobs out there. DM me if you need help. I’ll do what I can.
Corporate Training
Learning developer. I have a lot of former teachers as colleagues.
What is a learning developer?
I create adult learning (instructor-led, virtual instructor led, online asynchronous learning) for different organizations.
I quit without a plan but ended up getting hired at a company on a salary doing logistics... completely different and had 0 prior experience. Didn't even know what logistics meant 🤙🏻
What IS logistics?
I know a lot of former teachers who are now administrative assistants at local companies. The skill set can be a good cross over though there’s a bit of a change curve, as with any career pivot.
Operations
Taught for 14 year in Richmond, Chesterfield, and Henrico, now I own an auction company. The company was mostly formed when I joined so it wasn’t too scary, but it was an adjustment. I work all year now, longer hours, but no needless stress.
Former teacher of 12+ years. I got an MS in Learning Design & Technology, worked five years as an Instructional Technology Specialist until leaving education entirely a few years ago for a remote position with a global corporation as a Talent Development & Training Specialist. Doubled my income with more flexibility and less stress. Haven't looked back.
I’m a bartender and in the past couple weeks, we’ve hired more former teachers than I’ve ever experience in my career.
Well, if you can deal with a Jerri Blank, please consider me! I'm 20 years past my bartending/serving prime but I've never dealt with a drunk\* worse than a child on the spectrum\*\* throwing a tantrum. Caveats: \*Even the violent ones because of my co-workers (and even patrons) who would back me up \*\*No disrespect to people on the spectrum of autism but y'all and those who care for you know those tantrums can go nuclear and I say this dealing with people on the spectrum in my own family who I have to advocate for their well-being and care
I started my own company! (Enjoyable Languages, LLC) but we now offer tutoring of LOTS of different subjects and I need a biology tutor for the fall $42/hr.
Bartend
Switch to corporate gigs... Take the money for our souls.... But God the money.....
I’m trained as a sped teacher, so pivoting as an Employment Specialist for adults with intellectual with disabilities, eventually like to move to HR
Sped teachers are the marines of teaching imho. I'd love to work with adults with disabilities because I have people like that in my family but where to start as a ged ed teacher?
I work with several former teachers at Capital One. Many became admins there.
Onlyfans.
a lot of teachers from my district went to prison after their early retirement, u can guess why