This Is for Anyone Who Feels Like Quitting
In this video, Dr. Justin Baeder speaks directly to educators considering leaving the profession, acknowledging their feelings while encouraging them to evaluate their options carefully.
Key Takeaways
- Your feelings are valid - The profession has become genuinely harder, and wanting to leave is a reasonable response
- Evaluate your specific situation - Some schools and districts are better than others; a change of environment might solve the problem
- The profession needs you - If you're good at this work and care about it, consider whether there's a way to stay under better conditions
Transcript
This video is for anyone in education who's thinking about quitting.
My family's in Target, so I've got a minute and I figured I would share some perspective for anyone who is thinking that this career is just too stressful for them, that this job is just too stressful, that it is just undoable.
Here's my advice.
Consider working in a different school rather than leaving the profession.
None of the properties of your job that are causing it to be stressful are the same everywhere else, right?
Now, there are some structural things that are going on in education.
There are some things that are widespread.
But every school is different and every job is different.
And if you're looking to lower your stress or get different working conditions or just, you know, find something that works better for you, whatever is not working for you currently...
Know that that's out there.
Know that there are educators who are very happy with their careers, very happy with their jobs, very happy with their bosses, very happy with their coworkers, very happy with their students.
It is possible.
And I know it may not feel that way if things in your school are crazy right now, but I just want to encourage you to A, hold on, and B, don't settle for something that is not good for you.
And C, don't walk away from the profession entirely.
If this is what you're meant to do, look for a place that will allow you to do that work that you are meant to do.
I guarantee it is out there.
They will be hiring.
Now, the thing about those places is they don't have as much turnover.
So it's easy to get a job in a terrible, terrible school, right?
They have lots and lots of turnover.
If they have terrible policies, those policies are going to continually churn through people and they're going to do lots of hiring.
So like definitely if you took your job to get your foot in the door or because it was available, use the experience that you have now to as leverage to get that job that is going to be a sustainable career for you.
Don't feel like it's all or nothing, that you have to just walk away from education or put up with a very, very bad job.
You're not quitting on students.
You're not quitting on the profession to find a different job.
Everybody has the right to work in a place that is a you know, a supportive supervision that has, you know, an effective principal that has students who, you know, even if they're not the most respectful in the world, you know, at least are safe.
And, you know, maybe you worry about them, but, you know, it is at least possible to get through the day safely.
So hang in there.
And we have lots of job search resources at the Principal Center for administrators.
I don't have anything that's specifically geared toward teachers, but I've done a lot of hiring.
So if you have questions about the job search, feel free to ask.
And if you have left one job, but stayed in education for a less stressful job, for a better job, for a better fit, like if you've changed jobs, but stayed in education in order to improve your situation, I leave a comment and let me know what change you made and maybe you'll encourage someone else.