I Quit My Job Today

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I quit my teaching job today

Throughout my life I have done everything that I felt was expected of me. I worked hard in school, achieved good grades in my GCSE’s and A Levels, went to a respected music conservatoire and then was lucky enough to find myself in a full-time job as a Learning Mentor almost immediately after graduating. Within a year, I was offered an opportunity to train as a teacher, and I’ve worked as a qualified music teacher for nearly ten years. I’ve always played it safe, followed the expected path, and never taken any risks. I can say that I’m happy to an extent, but not as much as I know I could be.

At the beginning of 2015 I made one promise to myself: if things were going to change, it had to be now – I was going to take the risk.

For some, teaching is a vocation. It isn’t mine. I’m a good teacher. In fact, according to my last three years worth of lesson observations, I’m an outstanding teacher, but I never set out to join this profession – my personal circumstances and being in the right place at the right time meant that I fell into the role rather than actively working towards it as a career choice.

I’ve been lucky to spend the last three years in an outstanding academy, with an excellent and well-respected principal, a great management team and a lovely faculty. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked with thousands of teenagers, most of whom are wonderful and who I have always had excellent working relationships with, and I feel like I’ve done it all. I’ve attended every parents evening, open evening, celebration evening and awards evening and I’ve hosted or participated in hundreds of concerts. I’ve supervised the day trips, evening performances, week-long UK based residentials and visits to France and America. I’ve played the role of teacher, parent, therapist, doctor, personal banker and seamstress to my students. I’ve laughed with them, cried because of them and mourned the few that I’ve lost. I’ve returned home at the end of a day on a huge high after brilliant lessons, and had endless sleepless nights after bad ones. During times when heavy deadlines have been looming, insomnia and I have become good friends.

I’m a firm believer in the idea that total career satisfaction is unattainable for most; some days will be good, some days will be bad and others will make you question every career choice you have ever made whilst glugging on a bottle of wine and crying on the cat, but I’ve always presumed that as long as the good outweighs the bad then you’re generally doing the right thing.

The good has not outweighed the bad for a long time. Today, I took the risk.

Today, I quit the teaching profession…

Despite the amazing opportunities I have been offered from my headteacher and support I have received from some of my colleagues over the years, I genuinely can’t remember the last point where I had a consistently positive period of time in teaching. To put it quite simply, I can’t cope with the pressure, and it’s making me ill.

In an ideal world, a teacher’s role is to teach, to support and to guide their students. It is our job to offer advice, to ensure progress is made, to make learning interesting, to inspire and to listen to their needs.

Unfortunately, in the real world, I’ve found that many teachers work far harder than lots of their students. Modern day teaching, even for those that are employed in effective schools, is not about fostering and encouraging a love of learning and a passion for a subject, it is about getting students to pass an exam or a course using criteria that is set by an exam board whilst being bombarded by data and outcomes, none of which the students will be held accountable for if they fail. It has now become a teacher’s job to almost do the work for the lazier kids because they’re scared of how the results will look. The kids know this too – I was even once told ‘you’re not allowed to fail me‘ by a smug student when I informed him that his grades weren’t good enough – and one of my biggest worries for them in their future lives is that when they do fail for the first time, it will be at a much higher cost and there won’t be an adult to step in and make everything better. Our lessons and the ability to do our jobs effectively are decided based upon a twenty minute observation and the data that demonstrates our students progress, our wages now depend on it, and I have seen accomplished and respected members of staff reduced to tears at the mere mention of OFSTED.

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The pressure of the job has intensified every single year that I have been in the profession, and eventually it started to take a toll on my health. A year ago I was hospitalised with a severe kidney infection and a virus for nearly a week, followed by a further five weeks off in order to recover. This was caused because I ignored a urinary tract infection, mainly because of how busy I was. I can’t and don’t blame the school for this, but it is a common part of the job that members of staff within a school environment will work through illnesses because of the workload and worries about the detrimental impact that time off will have on their students.

My school and colleagues were very supportive and I returned in reasonable physical health, but that didn’t change the fact that the workload was there, and mentally I was sinking. I missed deadlines left and right. I had so much to remember that I forgot everything. However, what I found to be most frustrating were the pressures put on me with the older students and the achievement of their target grades, pressures that were not set by the school, but by government based targets. I started to feel constantly anxious and suffered from minor panic attacks, something that I had never experienced before. My mindset changed. I found it increasingly difficult to tolerate the laziness and apathy that some of my students demonstrated on a daily basis. I bent over backwards and exhausted myself hosting further coursework catch up sessions almost every night after school, repeatedly remarked coursework that was substandard due to the fact that some of my students didn’t bother to listen in the lessons and as it got closer to exams I became a verbal punching bag for stressed out teenagers. I rang parents, got other members of staff involved, praised, sanctioned and gave up a lot of my personal time to drag them (often kicking and screaming) to the finish line. Worse still, I started to take it personally and really dislike some of my students attitudes, particularly when they threw my hard work and support back in my face during their moments of stress. This is a common problem throughout the British education system, and is one of the biggest issues that all of my teacher friends have experienced in their careers. I remember that one friend in particular remarked that one of her most difficult classes was more focused on crowd control, not teaching.

At Christmas I realised that I simply couldn’t do it anymore. I had no idea what I was going to do instead, only that I knew that this was not how I wanted to spend the rest of my working life. Perhaps I am looking at life through rose-tinted spectacles, but I believe that happiness is more important than most things, and I was desperately unhappy. I was doing myself, and the students, a huge disservice.

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I discussed it with The Bloke. We’re not married, we don’t have children or a mortgage and my only financial responsibilities are for my half of the rent and bills, the cat’s medication and vet treatments and a small loan I took out a few years ago. We’re not rich, but I have enough in savings to cover everything for a few months. At the age of 33, if I was going to do anything, it was now, and while I could see that he was (and still is) nervous about it, he has been steadfast in his support. Having witnessed what I’ve been through in the last few years, he wants me to be happy, and I’m grateful.

I am going to work until the end of the academic year, which is July and then that’s it, giving me about six months to find another job. No more data analysis and unrealistic targets, no more reports, no more relying on the performance of demotivated teenagers to prove that I am good at my job. However, I’m going to miss the school, my wonderful colleagues and most of those fantastic cherubs that I have been privileged to work with over the years. Taking such a huge risk is terrifying, but not nearly as terrifying as the thought of having to do another year in a job that could potentially destroy me both physically and mentally. I need to be happy. I’m walking away from a secure ten year career with an excellent salary, a brilliant boss and a strong pension, without another job to go to yet…

… and I couldn’t be more excited!

What about you guys? Have you ever taken a huge risk?

You can also find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog and don’t forget to check out my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/suzie81speaks

438 thoughts on “I Quit My Job Today”

  1. Congratulations on taking the step to have a happier life! Good luck finding a new position. I hope that it will go as well as possible. I hope to get a paid position this year in London, if any of my job apps works out.

    As for taking leaps of faith, I have taken a few. I always learned something from them. 🙂

  3. Well, congratulations are in order I guess. It’s a scary move, but I’m sure you will find something else. I have thought many times of making a career change. However things like kids and a mortgage have made it so it’s not really feasible. It’s possible, but very, very difficult.

    Good luck in whatever is next.

    • Thank you! I think that is one of the reasons why I feel like I need to do it now, before I am in a position of responsibility with children and mortgages etc… What would be your ideal career?

      • Heading into university I had hoped to go into physiotherapy. My marks were never *quite* good enough to make it in so I went with plan B. Plan B is alright, but I’m not sure if I would continue with my current career.

  4. Well done! Life’s too short especially if its making you ill. I gave up my factory job of ten years last year to go back and finish my art degree. I can’t give you a happy ending right now, I am financially scoobied, I have no idea how or where I will be spending my summer or the following two summers, I may have to give up my house but I am probably happier than I have been for many years. I am certainly getting used to uncertainty!I think you’ll be more than fine 🙂

    • Thank you! I think that it’s amazing that you have given things up to follow your dream – I hope you won’t have to lose your house! Good luck my lovely!

  6. To be a *good* teacher is draining and exhausting. It involves both hard work and emotional involvement.

    One thing you could try (it has its own perils!) is giving private lessons. The key advantage is that most of your pupils are adults.

    Good luck!

    • Thanks Nick! It’s certainly one of my options that I am going to look at – being a music teacher means that I can do instrumental lessons as well as subjects…

  7. Brava! I am behind you 100% and believe with all my heart that now that you are free to hear the knocks on the door of opportunity, bells will ring!! God Bless you ever and always.

  8. Wowsers! I thought I lived on the edge by not reading the little menu card that comes with the chocolates before eating one. This is inspiring and I wish you all the best with whatever happens!

  9. Congrats! I have done this now, 2x, most recently with my job as a homeless case manager/administrative staff person for the last three years. Luckily I had somewhere to go to right away. I wish you all the best and props to listening to what you need.

  10. Sometimes I dream of this, to just quit and start fresh! I am envious of your ability to go forth and conquer life! I hope you find an excellent job somewhere! Much luck!

    • Thank you very much! I’ve been thinking about it for so long that I decided that it was now or never! I know you’ve had a really difficult time in your job – are there any other places you could apply for?

      • Here, where we moved, no. We have the better jobs. It’s all factories, grocery and cashiering. I have to say teaching is tough but not so tough I wood clean out dressing rooms again!

  11. Good luck, as a teacher myself, I can empathise with the pressures you face. Your teaching skills (being a good communicator, working under pressure etc…) should be transferable to a host of other jobs, I hope you find something you enjoy. It is a crazy system when the kids can’t be failed. I know a maths teacher who left because the head asked him to give the kids higher marks (it was a fee paying school).

    • Thanks Jim! I have had a look at creating a new set of CV’s depending on the skills I have developed as a teacher for different career paths… I have so many horror stories about the system, not from my current school, but many from my previous one!

  13. I can relate to how you are feeling. I find myself in a similar position. The morning alarm literally makes me feel nauseated. I’m pushing through – only 18 months to go and then I’m free!

  15. Congratulations. You have made the right decision. When I retired from teaching 3 years ago after 25 years in the same school I felt as if a weight had been lifted from me. I have loved every minute of my new life even though I don’t regret teaching or the children. But teaching in the UK is no longer the job it used to be. Teachers are worn out & kids no longer have a proper childhood.

    • I agree with everything you’ve said. One of the things that has really stuck with me is just how relived some of my teaching friends have been when they have retired. I don’t expect to absolutely adore my new job, whatever that may be, but I don’t want to get to retirement age and look back on my career with regret, like I have seen others do.

  17. I have taken a few risks in my life. Never regretted it at all. Sure it’s scary, terrifying, but so worth it. Happiness is the key to life, go find your key.

    • Thanks so much Jackie, really appreciate the support. What risks have you taken? I’ve found it so fascinating that so many people have responded with different stories of their own experiences – it’s been a real eye-opener!

      • I’ve quit jobs and gone into different kinds of work. Moved across the country a few times and now 14 years ago I moved to Canada. It’s all been an adventure and it’s helped me grow into the person I am today. It’s been scary, fascinating and terrifying, but in the end, it’s all been worth it. So take your adventure and enjoy!

  18. No sense being a square peg jammed into a round hole. The longer you had waited, the worse it would have gotten, until you would finally quit anyway. Better sooner than later. No sense being miserable forever! Good luck with finding a new occupation, or perhaps creating your own! We will keep tabs on you here.

    • Thank you very much Greg – I totally agree. If I didn’t do it now, I probably would have snapped at some point, with far bigger consequences… I’m just going to cut my losses and run now!

  19. First, I’d like to congratulate you on taking a risk that most would not because of the risks invovled. I love how you did your job well, but most notably, you did it consciously. I too left my job almost a year and a half ago because it was changing who I was, leaving my family uncared for and broken. While I do have a mortgage and children, I thought it more risky to stay in a job and place I hated-that just so happened to pay good, than risking the loss of my family. So to you Suzie, I say, “Job well done!” You’ll look back on this decision and pat yourself on the back while you happily sip your wine. Congratulations. You’ve just started a new chapter in your story, and I know all of your followers can’t wait to read about it! Wishing you all the best!!
    Sincerely,
    Nashona

  20. Very Good Luck to you, I went from ‘permanent’ employment (as an Engineer) to Contract employment (as an Engineer) because I’d faced redundancy three times and realised that ‘Jobs for Life’ no longer existed (this was in the early 1980’s) – since then, I’ve worked in many different places (and countries), in a variety of jobs and positions and learned a lot of new skills, but most of all, found interest and happiness in the variety.
    As a Teacher, you already have skills that can be transferred into almost any other employment, so sit down and list them all, get that CV retuned and customise it for every job you apply for, emphasising the most relevant skills suited to the job being applied for and present the less relevant skills as a bonus your potential employer will get access to if suddenly required.
    Most of all, never, ever worry about job interviews, just be yourself.
    The time to worry is after you’ve been offered the job (and only about whether or not you asked for enough remuneration – NEVER about whether or not you can actually DO the job – trial periods are for you to learn the new skills and your new employer to see if you really mean it) 😀

    • Thank you so much for the advice and for sharing your story with me… Supply teaching offers variety without the responsibility but at the moment I think I need some time away from the classroom, so I need to look at my other skills. You’re absolutely right about the transferable skills that teachers have – I’m going to get some different CV’s together!

  21. Pingback: My Job and I | Taydebear

  22. Wow, Suzi. You have no idea how helpful and inspirational reading this has been.
    Firstly, I think you are amazing to have done what you did. It will no doubt be one of those decisions that you look back on, safe in the knowledge that you did the right thing and that it changed your life for the better.
    I’m a teacher myself. My subjects are English and history. I’ve been teaching for only five years and I’m so jaded. I’ve just spent two years in a really difficult school. I used to cry on my way to work, and sometimes in the evenings. I hope that doesn’t make me sound too unhinged, I just found the constant pressure and stress too much.
    My contract expired last month and I didn’t renew it. I’m working as a private tutor now but the money is terrible. I’m between a rock and a hard place, in that I don’t know where to go from here. There are aspects of the job that I love, but like you described, it is a very difficult job.
    After reading your piece, I do feel less anxious about it. Thanks Suzi, and best of luck to you.

    • Thanks so much – I’m really pleased that you found it useful! I used to be the same at a previous school – I used to cry all the way into work and would live for the weekends. The school I’m at now is totally different, but a good working environment still doesn’t remove the pressure of the job, I think that even the bare minimum of wages is a great start, and will improve over time. Well done for having the guts not to renew your contract! All the best to you too!

  23. Feel the fear but do it anyway. Well done for having the guts to make the change. I feel sure that you will find your vocation and soon.
    You certainly have a talent for writing and blogging.
    Brave lady, you deserve to succeed. 😉

  24. Congratulations on having the courage to care for yourself, and for heeding both your heart and your health. Last June I walked away from a 15+ year career in the insurance industry due to the same type of things you experienced- anxiety, stress, panic attacks, depression, etc. I was working 60-70 hours per week including weekends. My husband was nervous about the cut down to one income, but we do not live an excessive lifestyle so it was doable. I am getting ready to go back to work, but only on a part-time basis. I applaud you, and I wish you all the best in the next adventure! Best, Karen

    • Thanks Karen! I’m hoping that we won’t have to rely on a single wage because I want to get a new job by September hopefully! I’m so glad that you have been able to get some time just to be able to recover a little… Good luck with starting back at work! Keep me updated!

  25. Good for you Suzie, that took balls! As I said to Bradley the other day, I hope this is the start of something amazing for you.
    I got confirmed in my role as a PA today ( without the PA wage packet). My boss was smiling when he told me and I just wanted to cry!
    Follow your dreams for the rest of us who can’t, if anyone can make it, you can!

  29. Working in a school and having many teacher friends, stories like yours are exactly the reason I never progressed from teaching assistant to teacher. I can fully sympathise, and as much as I’d love to see some progression in my life and a bit more in the bank each month, I just couldn’t put myself through it all. I’d lose so much time with my daughter, and it’s no secret that she’s number one. I’d rather the time with her than the money. I may have to give up work if we look at baby number two, but I’m going to move my photography business forward instead if I do! Good luck in whatever comes next!

    • Thanks Andrew! I’m looking into becoming a TA in a primary school should the opportunity arise. Ultimately, I want a job that when I leave at the end of the day, I leave and that’s it. One of my closest friends is a TA and she doesn’t have any marking to do in an evening at all!

      • I’ve been a TA in a special school now (apart from a taking a few years out to do something different) since 1996. It really has been great, enjoying every moment of the weekend and holiday is fantastic. Yes in your position it’s very sad if you love your job, you’re good at it, and you have to give up the money… but you really can’t put a price on health, and a nice income isn’t much good if you’re not around to spend it! I considered going into teaching numerous times, but when my daughter came along, I couldn’t imagine sacrificing time with her to be marking books. As a level 3 TA I wouldn’t get a huge amount more as an NQT anyway! Good luck with your decision, you’ll soon get used to not taking any work home!

      • Thanks! I agree – there isn’t much of a difference in the wages! So many of my teacher friends feel differently about the job once their little ones come along, and why shouldnt they – nobody ever looks back and wishes they had spent less time with them and more time at work! You never know, we may have been to the same meetings without even realising it!

  30. Very well done for making a brave decision. For any risk involves bravery. I could easily be reading a blog I could be/should be writing now! 2015 for me was set to be the year I quit teaching after 17 years in a profession I *did* choose. That was until 5 years ago when I had a complete nervous breakdown. I became so mentally ill I couldn’t go to work for 6 months. I went back eventually and then after 2 months resigned. Just like that (the RISK – high mortgage in tow ) and went off to do supply teaching. It worked out for me, the risk that is. Financial concerns are nothing to mental illness. I figured I just needed to work in a less tough school in a better area, and not have management responsibility and I do now; work in a nice area and have no responsibility in middle management. So why do I still want to quit? Well as you say, teaching now isn’t what I went into 17 years ago. It is unrecognisable. After going on supply, life events took over and I took on the kinship care of my nephew. That was three years ago and so now I only work mornings, but still this is too much and I get very little joy from the job anymore. I’m a good teacher. There are good days but like you the good are overshadowed by the other stuff. The stuff which drags me down more than the actual teaching lifts me up, which is very sad. Unfortunately, despite my desire to leave and trawling through the job pages weekly, I will have to stay in teaching as I have a little boy on my own, that mortgage still tied to me and so I need the salary and, I’m sad to say, the holidays, as I would never find enough money for childcare, and neither would I want him to spend his school holidays without me.
    So, I applaud you for making this decision, though it is sad as yet another good teacher bites the dust from our ever-waning profession because of the ridiculous pressures put upon us. At 33 with no ties, I say you are doing completely the right thing. Part of me regrets not having cut my ties at 34 when I could. But perhaps that just wasn’t my time.
    I have made one decision though, and that is to rearrange my hours to suit *me* more. So that I can pursue my writing more. I hope that will keep me happier in my job when I am there.
    Great post Suzy, and just think, without teaching, think how much more time you’ll have for blogging! 🙂

    • Thanks so much – your story is so interesting! I’m so sorry that you had to experience that, and kudos to you for taking on your nephew and working in a job you dislike to care for him – he’s a very lucky person to have you! Let me know how you get on with rearranging your hours!

  32. I was forced out of my job when I was diagnosed with Menieres and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I went to University got a first class honours degree, I had my first novel published and am now looking to do a PhD. Change isn’t always a bad thing but life is far too short for you NOT to be happy. You have drive and determination so you are half way there to finding your dream job. Looking forward to reading about your new adventures
    Pam

  34. I couldn’t be happier for you Suzie. Not many people have the guts to take the leap of faith towards hapiness and fullfillment. You are a brilliant writer. Maybe there is something there. Transitions and difficult so don’t get discouraged if things don’t turn out at first. At the end of your days, you will turn back and know that at 33 you made the break of a life-time and stopped playing by other’s rules, only to play by your rules. Your health alone warrants this change. Living a stressfull will never lead you to good places. My blessings to you from Minnesota. I am cheering for you. Abrazos.

    • Thanks so much for your comment and your support – much appreciated! I have thought about writing as I seem to be receiving lots of good comments about it… It’s certainly something that I am going to look into!

  35. Congratulations on valuing yourself properly. I’ve done this twice–once was a transition from teaching, like you, the second time was moving away from corporate life. It was scary–it IS scary. I’m still in the process of figuring out how to cobble together a grownup living from writing and freelance work. But health and sanity matter more than anything. I hope your career shift makes a big difference to your health and happiness.

      • Honestly, it was the lack of control over how I could run my classroom and the disrespect I faced from both students and administrators. I was teaching junior college, yet I was expected to police the classroom vigorously without ever being “mean” to the students. I had a lot of wonderful, polite, invigorating students, but the bad ones just destroyed the environment for me.

  36. Bravissima!!!!! I couldn’t be happier for you and I know it will be a good move!! I took redundancy last Spring, happily I might add as I’d be on the edge of making that jump for 4-5 years! I haven’t looked back!! I blog full time now and although I’m not making my expenses yet I know its possible and don’t think I’ve ever been happier!! I wish you the same happiness and adventure!! :o)

  37. Congratulations! I think you’re making a good choice. I did the same thing years ago, and it was the best thing I’ve ever done.

    School is about the same here, everything, including how many students have to pass, is dictated by the government. It’s awful. It’s even affecting colleges and universities too, my sister left a job teaching at a prestigious university after being pressured to pass students, who in some cases, hadn’t even turned in all their assigned work. She’s a lot happier now too.

    • Thanks very much Jim – what did you end up doing instead? I’m sorry that your sister has had to go through that, but I’m pleased she’s happy now! Did she stay in teaching?

  38. I think you reflect the general feeling of many teachers. I see and hear this from colleagues who all wish they had taken the plunge and changed direction. Teaching has become a multitude of roles with the teaching aspect being diminished daily. Today’s generation of children are unable to think for themselves, have little respect and have poor social skills, it’s not all their fault. There some some lovely kids out there, I have had the pleasure of knowing and teaching many myself, and I am pleased that I have. Leaving is defiantly an opportunity and opens many doors for you if you are brave and strong enough to take it. Good luck, consider your strengths and interests and use them to guide you in your future decisions. Then send your post to the government. Best wishes, Andy

  39. Suzie, way to be brave and take charge. Teaching is a tough job, and when it gets to the point where you’re unhappy, that’s bound to rub off on the students. All the best to you as your figure out your next step in the upcoming months.
    BB

  40. Congratulations on your courage! New beginnings are always so exciting. Who knows what you’ll find now that you’re committing to change! Let us know how it all goes for you!

  41. Wow, good for you! My husband is a teacher here in Canada and the students are the same. They don’t care to learn or do any homework. Once, he did a review with them in class, then gave them the same review as a test the next day. The majority still failed. More often Hubby feels like a disciplinarian rather than a teacher. I just don’t get it.
    Any ideas what you will do? I have thought about leaving my Ph.D. because it is making me sick, physically and mentally, but I just have no idea what I would do.

    • Thanks so much for sharing your story, and that of your husband’s, with me. It’s so frustrating that so many students simply just don’t care, because they don’t realise how important it is so establish a good foundation for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, with age comes wisdom, and it’s in our teenage years where wisdom is needed the most!

      Sorry to hear about your Ph.D. What is the subject you’re studying? Is there any way of leaving it for a while and going back to it later?

      • Do you think teens were always this way? I think it has gotten worse. Most of my peers listened to the teachers and did their homework. There were the odd couple in a class that were off, but that was it. My husband has whole classes of them now.
        My Ph.D. is in vision loss, macular degeneration specifically. I love the topic and I love learning. It’s just a lot of stress and having my brain on 24/7 is exhausting. I might have to take time off if the only teacher job Hubby can get ends up being in Northern Canada..eek! The teaching jobs in the city are saturated.
        Do you think you’ll take your blog to the next step now that you’ll have some time to focus on it. I’ve wondered about trying that myself.

  42. Congrats on the big decision, Suzie!
    The truth is, none of us know if we’re making the right decision or what will come next, the important part is you’re doing what’s best for you right now.
    I’m sending you best wishes for now, the transition and what is to come…and I can’t wait to read the upcoming posts. 😉
    So excited for you, big hugs! 🙂

    • Thanks so much for your comment my lovely, your support is always appreciated! I totally agree – we never quite know what is around the corner but the risk is absolutely worth it!

  43. It’s not just British, but the same problem with the education system is in the USA, too. One of my friends was a teacher for years. She commented about the frequent UTI’s because she couldn’t go to the bathroom when she needed to do so. The problem with teaching vs. passing a test was at the forefront of her complaints, too.

    The kids graduating from high school can’t spell, nor can they write a sentence. But they can pass a test on a computer. Cursive writing is no longer part of the curriculum. I’m waiting for the day when pens will be replaced by crayons.

    I took a giant risk about 18 years ago. The field I work in is Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities. I was working for an agency and the office manager was doing everything in her power to sabotage me (including deleting several of the 10+ page plans that had to be written each year for the 25 people i served. Fortunately, I had backups for most of them). A friend who was already doing the same job as a self-employed provider helped me through the process. Never in my life did self-employment seem realistic to me, yet I became one of the best in the state, loved the freedom of it. I worked for an agency for 4 years and was self-employed for 7–until health problems made it too difficult.

    Now I’m a self-employed consultant working about 15 hours a week and have been doing this for the same non-profit organization for 11 years (for a total of 22 years in the field).

    One of the perks of working part time was the ability to finish my first book and get it published. Writing is what I love to do.

    Have you considered getting a part-time job and writing stories or books at home?

    • Thanks so much for your comment and for sharing your story with me. I’ve had so many comments from Americans and Canadians about the similarities in the apathetic nature of the students.

      I have thought about writing – I always get lovely feedback on my posts, but I don’t know where to even start with that! Do you have any advice?

      • I read the comment by experiencedtutor. If you can live with part-time work, that option might be able to provide you time to write an hour a day, or more. This could give you time to write. Or you could organize (through your blog) other excellent teachers who left the profession for the same reason and get a reporter to write the story so that parents and other teachers can put massive pressure on the “powers that be” to change the system.

        One of my relatives homeschooled her grandson. She found an “umbrella” system where qualified teachers (who had been dissatisfied with the school system) met with families at the public library to make certain the students were meeting the criteria needed to pass from one grade to the next. The school system didn’t tell parents about this option, instead leading those interested in homeschooling toward options that wouldn’t result in a high school diploma and were quite expensive. The “umbrella” system would lead to a regular high school diploma–providing parent/caregiver the materials to use for teaching their child each month–but at the same time, parents/caregivers were in control of what was being taught and were able to present an opposing concept or help their child do the research and learn critical thinking. And it didn’t cost huge amounts of money.

        I have no idea what the rules are in England for homeschooling–or if it’s possible to provide mentorship to parents wanting to do it.

        One of the things that I did after disability forced me out of the job that I loved was to take a vacation (like the person who replied that she walked hundreds of miles through Spain). There’s nothing like a walkabout (whether it’s 5 miles or 500) to clear the mind. 🙂

        That’s all I have to offer.

  44. First off, I just want to applaud you for your courage to take a risk and be who YOU want to be. That is the first step in happiness. By day I am an analyst at a bank but by night and weekend (and in the day between my meetings and reports I run) I have been working on a start-up with three friends. We call ourselves Insert Ellipsis and we are aimed at helping people (targeting millenials and those affected by “quarter life crisis” mostly) find their way in the world by doing what they want to, not necessarily what is expected of them. We have a finance guru, a networking/career subject matter expert, and someone who is passionate about the mind/body/health experience. I am overseeing happiness/funny/social media sections. We are trying to push a message: “Dare to be you!” We officially have our soft launch on 4/1 (targeted date). Feel free to stop by and just read some things we have to say! http://www.insertellipsis.com – we are engaging on Twitter mostly right now but have plans for Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube as well. Best of luck in finding who you are 🙂

  46. Congratulations!! You won’t regret it. Very similar thing happened to me — despite always wanting to be a writer, I somehow managed to end up in another profession (social work) and doing well at it but wasting away because it wasn’t my true passion. You deserve to be happy in your work. Best wishes to you!

  47. That is great you recognize what your dreams and true passions are. This took a lot of courage to do as well as write about. And you are YOUNG enough to move onto your passion. Glad you have someone to support and encourage you. I took a huge risk and retired at 55. I’m ridiculously happy now. I have 8 months completely off, then I go back to part-time university teaching. I love teaching young adults (I coudn’t handle middle schoolers, so more power to you there). You will do great and you do have some time to prepare. If you get a minute, read this post: https://terriwebsterschrandt.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/why-retire-at-55-part-1/
    And congratulations on your decision!

    • Thanks Terri – that sounds amazing! Really pleased that you’re happy! I don’t think I can afford to take time off, but I can certainly afford to take a job with little responsibility and less pay! I’m very lucky!

  48. Congratulations on taking this step! I have reached a similar sort of point in an entirely different field. I had a job that was starting to become a career. I had been going up the ranks, promotions and responsibility, all that. The thing was, I was also working on my Master’s in Library Science part time throughout the same time. I had always intended to be in a library, but there I was, doing something else, stressed out trying to do it right, trying to finish my degree. I recognize a lot of the physical signs you talked about, the panic attacks, all that. I quit and left in one day – I didn’t stick around. It was so hard to make the decision though. I’m still working my way into work at the library – but I’m so much happier for it. The risk can pay off!

  49. Congrats! I too quit my career in my early 30s and am making a go at writing novels. It’s taking me longer to achieve this than I expected, but I’m still much happier than I was before. Like you, I thought to myself, “Now is the time! I have no kids and a bit of savings. Let’s do this!”

    So best of luck! I only know you through the blogosphere, but you sound like a super smart and talented person who is sure to land on her feet no matter what you set your mind to.

    • That’s really inspiring – thanks Heather! It has been suggested a few times that I look into writing -have you got any advice as to how I could go about it?

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