I just wanted to share this news with someone.
I’m continuing to teach until the end of the year but I’m glad. I’m excited to get back to myself again.

I’m at the end of my rope. I really feel like I can’t do this job anymore, at least not at my current school. I had a nightmare of a first year but came back because I had the opportunity to get a cost-free masters degree if I stuck around. It was the biggest mistake of my life

I am working literally around the clock. It’s midnight right now and I am still grading. I’m missing projects from kids that are causing them to drop into the failing range and I know parents are going to flip when they see the drastic drop because it’s currently the only project we have in for the quarter and I received an essay from them last week but haven’t been able to grade them yet because the essays are time suckers and I’ve been scrambling to plan lessons for the new curriculum I have this year and write my research paper for grad school. I physically cannot get the work done in the time I have in the day. I’ve tried to reach out to admin and coworkers for advice, but all I get are generic comments that I need to “manage my time better” and “sleep more,” before they turn around and tell me that I’m too slow with grading. Due to how classes are leveled, I have significantly larger classes than my peers, which makes the grading process significantly longer.

This job has destroyed my life. I’ve stopped eating because I’m literally nauseous with anxiety all the time. I either don’t sleep at all or sleep too much. I don’t talk to my friends anymore. Nearly every conversation with my parents ends in a screaming match because they’re telling me to leave and I’m telling them I can’t. I miss the person I was before I took this godforsaken job. I used to be happy.

I know I’m ranting at this point, but I truly can’t take this anymore. If I leave at the end of the quarter, are my students irreparably screwed?

Edit: At the end of the day, I miss my family so so much and I miss mattering to someone beyond just a warm body entering numbers into the gradebook.

Those that have transitioned what are doing as you new job? How did you go about getting your new job? I have been trying to leave the classroom for two years with no luck.

not sure if this is the place to post this, but i wanted to share my experience that i had as a first year teacher in texas. also that i have decided to not persue teaching k-12 in texas.
I quit after two months of teaching at this middle school.
I had applied to schools all summer, but having no experience yet it was difficult to even get interviewed. I was doing an alternative program to get my teaching license but was not fully certified yet.
I ended up getting hired at a middle school a week before the school year started. I asked the AP if i would have support as a first year teacher, and she said of course. I was also hired on my first interview... first red flag.
i did not get to go to the two week training prior or any on boarding information, i was told to go to campus right away.
i hadn't even seen the school or anything, when i arrived stood lost in the cafeteria with no guidance. my first day of work was also the kids first day of school.
they handed me all my rosters for the day and said find your classroom. i asked someone to lead me to it, when i got to my classroom everything was stacked up mess.
i had to rush to set up the classroom, i had no access to the smart board, no laptop and no key to my classroom, but i was expected to begin teaching.
I had looked at all my rosters, each period had 30-35 kids and one had over 40 children.
it was pure chaos, the school was on a block schedule. they couldn't figure out the timing for lunch so i had to stay on a hold with a class for over 3-4 hours.
most of my classes i didn't have enough desks for the amount of children, so they had to sit on the floor, i barley had enough room to walk around the classroom without tripping.
i had no access to the art classroom because it was filled with supplies that be been gathering for years as all their past art teachers had quit. like the entire room filled with thousands of dollars of supplies rotting.
i had a conference period every other day, which wasn't time for me to caught up but i had to attend a PLC meeting. which wasn't with the other electives but with the social studies teachers who wouldn't help me.
i had no guidance on how to create lesson plans, had no aid, or how to do literally anything, they quite literally threw me to the wolves.
they mixed the gen ed and the special ed kids together, and i had many children who didn't know any english.
they constantly changed rosters, most kids didn't know their schedules, but i was still expected to put grades in for a child id never seen.
i haven't even touched on the behavior of the kids... let's just say it was absolutely horrible. i was correcting behaviors more than i would teach. when i would teach majority of the children didnt care, and didnt care about failing the class. i had to break up more than 10 fights in my class alone and the students constant arguments, bulling, or just straight up doing stupid stuff. most days i felt unsafe in the environment bc i wasn't trained or supported at all.
i was supposed to have mentors, i emailed and asked in person to the principals and aps, never got them.
i had gotten sick and missed two days, when i came back, the sub didn't do lesson plan like at all. then multiple kids had told me what kids were doing while i was gone. that they were stealing from my desk (which multiple things were gone) still fighting each other, and that one of my students was caught vaping in class, he was 11...
the next day one of my classes had became out of control i begged the aps to come help me, literally nothing. i was so close to just walking out because i had broken up 3 fights that day alone. i had kids calling me horrible things, threatening to "crash out on me", and yelling slurs at each other, at 11 years old.
i had made it through that day, and decided i don't feel safe, i was so exhausted everyday, i felt like my body was about to give out. i emailed the principal that night saying i wanted to quit. she replied that evening asking me to speak with her the next morning, this one the only email she answered, i had sent multiple before this asking for help.
she completely understood and said some of the situations she wasn't aware, but the school was filled with fights and constant drama. when talking with the principal i heard another teacher behind the door yell at a student threatening to punch them in the face, the principal began yelling at the teacher asking to speak with her later. she told me i would have to wait for the the position to be filled, but i decided i physically couldn't stand to be in that environment anymore. also that i definitely did not want to be a teacher, so i withdrew from my alternative teaching program.
i know this isn't everyone's expirence as a first year teacher, or most schools but texas doesn't care about the children. all they cared about is getting test scores and funding.
sorry for the long post but i had to share this, and there's so much more i had dealt with too, but this post would be too long.
shoutout to all the educators that can deal with the public education system in texas, and teachers deserve so much more pay.

Hello all, highschool teacher here. I need guidance. I am not sure if it's the burnout or my mental health in general, but I am yet again considering leaving the classroom. Buckle up for the backstory, because I'm a hot mess..

After graduation, I landed a job in a good district and stayed for 3 years. Then, my life kind of fell apart when my dad died. I was burned out, pulling all-nighters to get plans done, and dealing with unmanageable behaviors every day. All on top of immense grief. I was in therapy twice a week. Then showing up to work faking my way through it. It was all just too much, so I resigned and walked away with intentions never to return.

That next year I would explore just about every career option out there. I worked as a Covid health screener for a while. Worked at a local gym. I was a mail carrier for usps. I went to 100s of interviews for anything that would make me happy.

Then I started dabbling back into education. I started working for a nonprofit that ran programs in schools all over town. I was still teaching, but was not employed through a school. At first it was amazing. Teaching without all the added bs! Well I did that for 4 years, before burnout eventually came back. Teaching is teaching, even if your boss isnt a principal. So I left.

From there, I started working as a caseworker for the county, processing applications. It was easy, cushy, and the benefits were incredible. But the pay sucked and I knew that I was capable of so much more. I felt like I was wasting my degree. I also hated the fact that I now had a classic 9-5 year round schedule. This was new to me. I missed flexibility. I missed summers with my kid.

So like the crazy person I am, I convinced myself I needed to "use my degree" and went back to the classroom. I landed a job at a different district in the suburbs. I am now in year 2 at that district. Last year was tough, but I blamed it on being new. This year is just as tough, and I'm convinced its a me problem.

Here's the issue.. I like teaching. But I just can't handle everything else. The emails, IEPs, meetings, documentation, the unrealistic expectations. And my biggest time sucker - planning and grading. Not to mention the inability to take a day off without having to do extra work.

Here I am in year 5 of teaching the same subject, and I'm still pulling all-nighters to lesson plan. Plus the new subject (on year 2) which is just a disaster because I'm never prepared.

It's just SO hard right now. I am so exhausted when I get home that I usually fall asleep on the couch and then end up staying awake all night to plan/prep. If i attempt to do it after school, I physically cant. My brain shuts down. I try to get it done in advance, but I just can't seem to get it together.

Last week I had an unannounced observation after getting 1 hour of sleep. I'm honestly too afraid to look at the report. The fact I have anxiety over opening an email is already a red flag.

I didnt feel like this with the non-teaching jobs. I tried telling myself that the teacher schedule was the best schedule, that I needed summers and winter breaks. But I miss my life. I miss my family. I miss being happy. I just want to come home from work. Walk my dogs. Eat a good meal. Maybe watch a movie with the fam. And go to bed at a normal time. The simple life. Instead I am either consumed with work or thinking about work.

I'm kicking myself in the ass for leaving the county job. I physically couldn't take work home if I tried. It was incredible. My mental health was doing good.. so good it gave me confidence, thinking I was destined for bigger and better.

So here I am asking for advice. What's a gal to do? Am I just too indecisive? Should I truck it out? And if I do leave.. now what? I feel like a fool leaving a 2nd time. How do you even explain that in an interview?

I keep trying to envision some career I can teach in, but have it be far away from the education world. Maybe a corporate trainer? Or maybe I'll just go back to school and choose a whole new career path.

HELP!

TL;DR -

Taught hs for 3 years, left and did some other stuff, came back thinking life was greener on this side. Now on year 2 at a new school, still swamped. Mental health is in the shitter.

Hi everyone

Thanks in advance for any support or ideas you may have!!!

I spent 10 years as an ISW in a community class and the last 5 years supply teaching and covering LTOs in the GTA.

I love teaching but have found it doesn't pay the bills and Im looking for advice regarding next steps. Has anyone had experience with a career counseling service? I'm almost ready to change fields to something where the years I put into a career pay off. Thanks again for any advice!

Has anyone in a Washington State school district who collected PFML opted not to return to work after maternity leave? If so, did you face any financial or legal repercussions? Seeking tips/advice.

Came to the realization today that I may not be able to make it to the finish line of 30 years in teaching. I’m in the middle of year 23 (24 overall). Wife is in the middle of year 27 (29 overall). Obviously can’t walk away today, but want to start thinking of an exit strategy that doesn’t require 7 more years of my life in this job. Anyone else been at this stage and found a plan that worked for them? We have a solid amount of investments and we will have pension options in a few more years. Just trying to see what’s worked for others.

Hi everyone. I really hope people might be able to give me some great advice and suggestions.

I’ve been teaching for 7 years, and I’m at the point of complete burn out. I know I can’t keep doing this forever and I need to look after myself and the students by doing something else. I can’t keep going to a job that I’m not putting 100% of my effort into. It’s not fair on me or my future students.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a career change? I really don’t want to go back to uni and study. I want to be able to do a job, and when I clock out, I actually clock out.

Thanks in advance!

My girlfriend has been teaching 1st grade here in Northern NJ (NYC Metro). She’s hated it and has basically decided she wants to leave for something in business like HR once her year is up.

Has anyone else done this? If so any thoughts?

Long story short, I am extremely burnt out and needed to resign for my mental and physical health. I let the district know, and they are choosing the option to accept the resignation for the purpose of backfilling the position as opposed to just accepting. The options available to them are accept, accept for purpose of backfilling, or deny. From my understanding and what union reps have explained, the district is not pursuing action to take my license, but the state of Ohio can choose to if they want. Does anyone have experience with this? Is it often that the state investigates without the district asking them to? Any insight would be so helpful, thank you.

Hi all. I’m struggling big time right now.

I graduated with an early childhood education BA in 2024, and i’ve had an awful time finding work. After graduation I worked as an assistant at a YMCA childcare center, but ultimately had to leave due to poor management, catty co workers, low pay, and the children were terrible. I moved to being a nanny and I liked that enough for the time being, but I hate the housekeeping aspect that is almost always included, and I need benefits like insurance and retirement. Two months ago I was hired as a lead in an ECEAP program, and I barely lasted a month. Management was harassing me, moving all my things, talking about me behind my back, not to mention the violent children and extreme lack of resources. On my last day I was bit so hard by a child I had to go to urgent care, and they were surprised that I wanted to leave.

I have always loved working with kids, but i’m realizing that I actually hate teaching and it seems like I just spend all day managing behavior, I wouldn’t get to do that even if I wanted to. I feel like I didn’t even give it a good chance, but every job i’ve applied to the pay is low, and in the reviews they all talk about bad management and high staff turnover. I just don’t know what to do anymore.

I don’t really have many other interests in careers as I poured myself into this one, and now I feel like i’m stuck. I put myself into so much debt for a career I couldn’t even last three years in. at this point
i’m just going to end up working retail for the rest of my life

…and life is so much better. I’m a lifelong musician, high school band director for four years. Don’t teach your passion. There’s something profoundly demoralizing about sharing your love with students (post covid era) only to be met with boredom and apathy, at best. My mistake. I quit and never looked back. I’ll be on stage, but you won’t catch me dead in a classroom again.

Transitioned to a healthcare job that’s pretty much fully remote at this point. Pay is about the same, but stress level is so, so much lower and options for upward mobility are there. Took a lot of work, especially coming from such a niche field, but happy to discuss what steps I took. Browsed this sub for about two years before finally making it happen.

I’ve been a PK teacher for 6 years, but I’m trying to make a transition out of the classroom, or at the very least into a somewhat related field.

I mostly use Indeed and ZipRecruiter, but I feel like I’m not getting any luck, or everything I find on there I’m not qualified for (whether it be a certification I don’t have, a degree I don’t have, or lack of experience in other fields).

Where are you finding and applying to jobs?

Hi all. 15th year middle school history teacher here. Feeling extreme burnout because of the demands of teaching in 2026, as well as the lack of monetary compensation. For anyone who has left the profession, what field did you migrate to? Has it been worth it?

I am in my last semester in college and in week 10 of my student teaching where I’m teaching seniors U.S law and psychology. It’s honestly not going too bad and I’m not too stressed, the students have their days and are also just very unmotivated but overall I haven’t had a completely terrible moment yet. Thinking about the future I honestly just don’t feel very fulfilled in this, and I honestly only became a teacher so I could have a career to fall back on later in life after I am tired of chasing other dreams/ careers and traveling. I plan on subbing out the rest of the year after since I graduate in December but did anyone else feel this way? Did you find any other careers with a social studies education degree?

I've considered moving to a new school and hoping it's better, but I'm also considering leaving the profession.

I have no kids or debt, and I have enough savings to not earn income for a while. I have a couple side hustles I could lean into.

I'd really benefit from having some time where I can enjoy the sunshine midday, pee on my own schedule, and cook food as leisure and not as a chore.

I feel like my school has punished me for my competence by dumping many difficult responsibilities on me. And they've taken me for granted. My admin have made decisions with the schedule that improve their metrics but actually take away opportunities for genuine learning. So many of my students just treat class another box to check. I mean I love the students and they're basically but they're being conditioned to not care.

Writing
I’m 41 years old and have been working in healthcare for 18 years. I’m now ready for a career change. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, and in 2018, I began pursuing a degree in childhood education with a minor in psychology. Unfortunately, I ran out of funds and could no longer afford tuition, so I had to take a break from school.
When I decided to return and finish my childhood education degree, my job at the time didn’t allow me the flexibility to commit to the six months of classroom shadowing required.
I now have a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, but my passion for teaching has never gone away. I really want to pursue a master’s degree in education and finally transition into a career that I love. Although I know I would be taking a significant pay cut, I’m willing to consider that trade-off if it means doing something I’m truly passionate about.
I live in Newark, New Jersey, and there’s a school right around the corner from my home where I’m interested in working.
I would really appreciate any advice on how to approach this career transition, what steps I should take to become a teacher in New Jersey, and whether pursuing a master’s degree in education would be the best path forward given my current background.

I'm a high school guidance councilor at a rough school. I've been doing it for 10 years but I've been stationed at this particular school for about 3 years. Its been hard trying to get these kids to apply to schools or trades, they really don't care about it and in a way I understand. We pay the kids to go to school and to participate in school based internships. Almost every part of my job is monetized except for college and career. I'm not sure what it is about this school year but it feels like more and more students don't care about applying to school and are not understanding that the money flow will end as soon as they end high school.

I started applying randomly, first in areas I knew (college and career) then in project management. Unexpectedly, I got a call for another college advisor job and it pays so much better than the one I have, during the interview I noticed that the kids *want* to go to school, they're hungry for post secondary, I felt excited! There's a high chance I could get this job!

But now I feel this awful guilt. I know that everyone needs to move to bigger and better things, but a part of me feels guilty. I know I didn't get a lot of students applying to schools, but what about the kids who do? I feel like I'm abandoning them. I know this new job will help me grow, but what about the other kids who really need the support? I know this is silly but I feel like I should decline the offer.

First year teacher here, already feeling exhausted, anxious, and bordering burnout. Work environment is full of red flags and I think I idealized teaching too much before getting into it. I love working with the students (the actual teaching/relationship part), but despise nearly everything else. I feel excited about possibility every time I open this sub, but am scared of feeling like a failure if I buy out my contract at semester. Is it time to change careers? What should I look at doing instead?