I Quit My Job Today: A Year On…

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It’s been a year to the day that I decided to take one of the biggest risks of my life and hand in my resignation. Those of you have followed the blog for a long time will know of the mental state I found myself in a year ago, and as I sat in the classroom this morning with a group of students that I was covering on supply, I took a moment to reflect on just how much everything has changed in the last twelve months.

The unfortunate thing is, I love teaching. I love being in the classroom with the students. I love it when a child suddenly understands something that they have been struggling with. I love the banter that is possible with some of the older students. However, it was the changes made by the government and the pressures that accompanied it that made the job unbearable, and my initial idea was to leave teaching and education behind completely. Thankfully, things have worked out in a way where I still get to be in a classroom environment, but without any of the issues that caused the stress – no marking, planning, paperwork, reports, data… On some days I arrive in a morning and am told what classes I am going to be working with, I am given the work that the students need to do, I teach, then I leave. On others, I do singing workshops, rehearse with an orchestra or assist in coursework catch-up. No two days are the same – I’ve covered almost every subject and every year group – and while there are still occasionally days where I feel stressed or anxious, the good days now massively outweigh the bad, and sometimes I actually look forward to getting up and going to work when I know I’ll be spending time with a fantastic group of students

Admittedly, a large amount of my experiences have been down to the luck of being in the right place at the right time, the lack of responsibility in that I’m not married and don’t have children (which means that financially I have fewer worries than some), and the support of the people around me, including employment opportunities that were offered by my headteacher at my former school and another headteacher and teaching assistant at a primary school that I had previously worked with.

However, some of it has been a leap of faith with very little planning, and I’m genuinely grateful that it seems to be working out. I’m in the position where I can choose the hours and days that I work, along with the responsibility of being able to budget for the months ahead just in case the work dries up for a while. Consequently, I now work to live, rather than it being the other way around, and more importantly, I’m actually living it. My relationship with The Bloke is even better, I see my family and friends more and I’ve got so many things to look forward to over the coming months – parties, blog meets, events and a holiday in Scotland.

Life is good.

While I don’t feel confident enough to categorically state that it has been a successful decision as yet, I do feel comfortable to say this:

It is never too late…

Thank you for all your support – it means the world xx

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, my Pinterest page http://www.pinterest.com/suzie81speaks and my Instagram page http://www.instagram.com/suzie81speaks.

82 thoughts on “I Quit My Job Today: A Year On…”

  1. I’m so glad this has worked out for you. So many slog along in misery but you broke free 🙂

  5. ❤ you and this. I think I decided today that, not even waiting six months, I can't stay here any more. I am glad I moved closer and will stay in this town, but I am looking at very part-time, very entry-level jobs now as something to do and help offset when I have to cash out my retirement account.

  10. Suzie. I can’t believe it’s been a year already! You should feel so proud of yourself and it sounds like life has changed hugely for you and for the better! I hope in November I will be writing a similar post on how I moved to the sea one year on! Apologies for not keeping up with your blog. Life is so much fuller down here and I find myself pushed for time. I hope you are well 🙂 x

  12. I will always be here to support you in any wy that I can, Suzie. I am so thankful that things are working out for you and yours!

  14. I love this, Suzie! So glad to hear you’re going well – it seems as though you made the right decision at the right time. Often when things work out like this it’s because we are doing what we are supposed to 🙂

  18. Congrats on your anniversary of taking control of your life. Sometimes I think I would like to just chuck it all, go off the grid, but I don’t have the guts to do it. You have my complete admiration for your courageous steps and bravery.

  19. This is so heartening to hear, Suzie. You categorically made the right decision – your words tell me that! Congratulations on your choice, and may any future ones be as wise!

  21. You are successful maybe not in the bank account but where it matters most with your life on your terms. You learned how to make the best of the opportunity presented to you. And not for nothing you didn’t play the victim, you decided how to make it work …good for you!

  23. Glad to hear it’s all going well. It’s a big step to take (I know, because I’m building up to taking a similar one), so for people like me it’s heartening to know it can work out.

  26. I completely agree Susie! It is a hard decision but I feel privileged to be in education still whilst not being subject to the levels of stress or work I was previously. I’m glad you’re enjoying it so much!

  27. I am just loving reading this. I have spent a lot of this year considering stepping out of the classroom, and your post from last year has constantly been in the back of my mind as I have swayed back and forth. One year ago I stepped down from leading a large faculty to focus on “just” teaching, hoping that it would improve my quality of life and stress levels, and following a diagnosis of MS six months earlier. After much deliberation, and a timely offer of voluntary redundancy, I now find myself in a similar position to that of yours one year ago, and actually excited at the prospect of doing some supply work, enabling me to spend time with young people, and then going home without a pile of marking! Your story has inspired me, motivated me and really struck a chord with me on so many levels. I am delighted to read that your decision is working out for the best, and will continue to follow your journey as I venture out onto mine, into the unknown! Much love x

    • Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, and I’m very sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I think that supply sounds like a good option – I haven’t brought home any work to do in the evening since last June, and my evening’s are still my own. It’s certainly the best of both worlds – let me know how you get on!

  28. Suzie, I’m very pleased for you that the awful stress you felt last year is gone. Teaching in the States is just as bad a situation. Too many uneducated people getting their ideas in the mix, too many good teachers leaving, and it’s the kids who are suffering. Private schools are often no better a solution than public, just a different kind of stress and responsibility to face. Your whole attitude is very different – you sound like a happy, healthy person. I’m just sorry the solution couldn’t have been another scenario. You’re a true loss to the teaching profession. This is, however, a better way to be you.

    • Thanks so much Sharon! It’s a pretty dire situation over here – the percentages of people leaving the profession are ridiculously high… It’s going to collapse if it gets much worse!I am certainly happy – the happiest i’ve been in a long time – and I’m sort of grateful that i had to go through the stress first to appreciate how great things are now…

  31. So courageous! I am working on a structured departure myself. Having been surprised and put in a position where I need to get creative on the fly in the past, I’m looking for something much as you created for yourself: work I can be passionate about without getting caught up in the less-pleasurable Live-to-work stuff. 🙂 To many more years of passionate work-to-live days!

      • Woops! Your reply got lost in the shuffle somehow… :-} I guess I’m really putting a concerted effort in monetizing my blog while also looking into self-publishing and promoting my (more formal) writing. I feel like it affords way more flexibility for my (fast) pace of growth, my hungriness for learning, than my day job. (I’m so squished up against my glass ceiling it’s ridiculous!) LOL. Happy week!!

  33. Pleased to hear it is working out – it is criminal that so many teachers have been forced out by the pressure you speak of. It is hard to comprehend what has happened in education in the last 10 years if you haven’t been directly involved but it is truly horrific and I totally get why you quit your job. Glad you have found a compromise that enables you to teach without the pressure.

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