“I am desperate to leave the classroom. I am looking for any job that will pay me what I need.”

This was a comment I received from a teacher on her registration form for my upcoming webinar focused on different roles available in the corporate world. My question had been, “What role you are gravitating toward currently?”

I get this answer a lot.

The problem with looking for any job

 The trouble with that answer is that it is directionless. In desperation, the person wants to run away from the current situation. But without a plan and a purpose, what they run to might be another difficult situation that could lead them to regret the choice they made.

For too many teachers, the thought of leaving the classroom feels directionless. Many teachers haven’t worked outside of the classroom before, and knowing where to start can feel daunting. Where will they go? What are they qualified to do? How does the corporate world work? Will anyone give them a chance to try? How do they even start? And these fears can cause them to become immobile in their job search.

Teachers considering a career change often feel paralyzed with fear and uncertainty. They feel guilty for considering leaving their career, and they have lived in the world of education for so long that they often don’t have the confidence to know what roles fit them in the corporate setting.

Instead of looking for any job, reflect on what makes the right job.

Teachers considering a job change should not just be looking for any job. Start with reflection. Start with what you know. What do you love about teaching? Why did you go into teaching in the first place? Don’t think about the students. That sounds terrible, I know! But almost every teacher will say they went into teaching because of their love for children or teens. That’s a given. What else do you love about teaching? Is it that lightbulb moment when someone gets the concept you are teaching? Is it creating fantastic new units of instruction? Is it mentoring other teachers, analyzing data to see progress over time, or learning effective new ways of teaching concepts and sharing them with others? Or did you need to have summers off so you could be with your children? What else, besides your love of students, excites (or excited) you about teaching?

Tap into that first! Think of everything that you can about what you loved about teaching. Write those down!

It’s important to consider what brings you joy with teaching – or what you at least appreciate about the role. Take the time this week to think through this. Next week, we will look at some other areas to explore to help you determine a good next career step.

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Want help with finding your focus? Consider my Preparing for Change course. Or join my Facebook group for transitioning teachers. You can also subscribe to my newsletter to learn more about upcoming events.