Why I Left Teaching

For the past 5 years, I have been a middle school math teacher at a public school. In college, I studied to be a math teacher and I received my 7-12 mathematics teaching certification. Teaching was my first “real adult” job out of college. I was so excited to be a math educator. Therefore, it has been a whirlwind of a process to decide to leave the classroom. 

When I was in college studying to be a math teacher, I remember hearing the statistic that 44% of teachers quit within the first five years of teaching. I vividly remember hearing that and thinking “well that is NOT going to be me. I am NOT going to be a part of that statistic.” And here I am 5 years later with a completely new career. 

I do not want this blog to become a rant of me explaining all the things bad and wrong with education. I just wanted to share my side of the story and my “why” for leaving the profession that I was so passionate about. 

I am, however, not going to sugar coat things. I want to be honest and real without seeming like I’m just putting my complaints out into the world. 

There is not just one reason why I decided to take a break from the classroom. There are a lot of variables that played into making this decision. 

Yes, the rumors are true. Some students can be really disrespectful and rude and have no care for authority. That made the job hard. But there were also some students that were amazing, brilliant, respectful and funny. That made me love the job. 

Yes, the rumors are true. Some students are really not excited about learning math (shocking, right?!). I was told daily how much some students hate math/my class. That made the job hard. But there were also some students that loved learning and math. Some even opened their minds to see how cool math really is! That made me love the job. 

Yes, the rumors are true. Some parents are rude or don’t even parent at all. That made the job hard. But there were also some parents that I adored - it really felt like we were in a partnership to help their student become a lifelong learner and member of society. I even had some parents this last school year tell me that they were praying for me. How cool is that?! That made me love the job. 

Yes, the rumors are true. Taking time off is difficult at times. Not only does it require more time than your normal prep to prepare for a sub, but there was also no guarantee that you could secure a substitute teacher for your absence. This led to my coworkers having to cover for me during their conference period while I was out. That made me feel really guilty. Not only that, but I would always dread coming back in fear of the possibility of my sub leaving a note saying my students did not behave. That made the job hard. But there were times when a sub would pick up the job really quickly so I would feel confident leaving my students. I even got lucky a few times and the subs were able to help my students with the math. Even though I hated that my coworkers had to cover for me, I was super thankful that they stepped up and did support me and my students. That made me love the job. 

Yes, the rumors are true. Classes are overloaded with students that each have individual needs and struggles. I could not help all students or give them the attention they needed (even though I tried). In one classroom of 28, I had students that needed one-on-one attention that I legally had to give them. I also had students that just really wanted to work hard and learn the math. I had students that were constantly off task because they hate school or math or there was something else going on in their personal life. I did NOT have the capacity to help all of the diverse needs in my class, even though I desperately wanted to. That made the job hard. It made it really hard. I love my students so much and wanted them to get the help they deserve. I just could not. It was physically impossible, even when I had a teacher aide in high-need classrooms. But when I did get to witness student growth in math abilities, growth in confidence, and growth in ownership of their learning it made it all so worth it. That made me love the job. A LOT.

Like most jobs, there are pros and cons. Advantages and disadvantages. Likes and dislikes. I feel like as an educator, though, you get the extremes of both. The lows felt really low, but the highs felt really high. 

Despite all the pros and cons I listed above, those are not the main reasons that led me to leave teaching. What led me to leave teaching is the stress, trauma, and overwhelming tiredness that I would take home with me everyday. I loved my students so much. Yet I still felt like I was not doing enough. I still felt like I could have given more. Despite the fact that I would stay at least an hour (if not more) after contract time. As hard as I tried to “leave work at work”, I could not fully do it. 

On October 1, 2022, I saw a graphic on instagram that said “Sis, it’s time to live your best life.” It hit me like a ton of bricks that the life that I wanted was out there and that I could have it. I could have a work-life balance. I could find a job that would allow me to work from home part of the time. I could find something that still fueled my passions and skills in life. It was not an easy decision, though. I feel like everyone says that, but it really was difficult. I struggled so much with trying to “get over” the stress, feeling like I wasn’t doing enough, and leaving work at work. I got better at it, but it still wasn’t enough. I wrestled with leaving a career that God called me to. I was so excited to become a teacher in college, so it was sad to think that this is what it has come to. 

I am a few weeks into my new job and I am LOVING it. Yes, it’s hard at times and yes, it will still bring me stress at times. But it has been so refreshing to try something new, become a learner again, and be in a new work atmosphere. I also love that my new job still impacts student learning at the end of the day. Because after all, that is still where my passion lies. 

I won’t say I’ll never go back to teaching. I’m telling people I’m taking a break. I may or may not ever go back to the classroom and I’m trying to be ok with that. I will miss my students. If you’re a former student reading this, please know that I love you, I support you, and I fully believe in you. Forming relationships with my students was my favorite part about being a teacher. I will miss that the most!

I hope my story can provide some insight into what educators are going through. Not everyone has the same story as me. Not everyone has the same experiences as me. I can say for sure, though, that each teacher deserves respect and love. So, please, be kind to teachers and show your support!