Whether it’s your first day or your 5,000th day in the classroom, it gets easier, but something is always a little difficult. We know that as a country we are seeing a decrease in teachers in the classroom. All of the research is saying the same thing: low pay, student behavior, terrible administration, stress, burnout, etc, etc. The list could truly be never ending.
Once you get to “that point” and start thinking of the big R-Word it becomes really serious. Teachers are resigning like never before for the reasons listed above and several more. So what next? We write the letter, turn it in and our career is ruined. I can tell you that here in South Carolina that is the general opinion. But it could be further from the truth.
When I made the decision to resign, I did not decide to leave the kids I was serving at the time. I had just reached one of my teaching goals as a reading interventionist and I was loving every second of reading intervention. Prior to getting that position, I was teaching third grade at what I thought was my forever school. I was so heartbroken to find out that the position may not be available the next school year. So, I took a chance and moved schools. In hindsight, I never was at ease with the decision, so I should’ve stuck with what I knew. But, as I mentioned, this was a big dream of mine since I started teaching. So I jumped at the opportunity.
Well…Here we are 5 months post resignation and I can’t say it's been easy. I mourned a loss. A loss of a career I’d worked hard for in school. I mourned leaving the kids I loved dearly. I mourned leaving my amazing coworkers. I even mourned having a consistent routine that I could follow. It was not easy. On top of it all, I had to deal with district threats of suspending my certification and all of that negativity. After the letter, it has been one of the toughest battles I feel that I have ever fought.
I will never tell anyone that this was an easy decision. A lot of the battle is the guilt you feel for leaving the kids that you loved as your own. The ones who you know needed you (and you needed them). Battling the feeling of failure because we’re trained to think that nothing could possibly break us in this profession. If you’re me, admitting defeat (lol)!
So guess what? There is life after the letter! There are opportunities after the letter! There is more than recess, specials, and 20 minute lunches after the letter. There is support after the letter. There are amazing naps and nights out after the letter. There is family time after the letter.
All in all, there is SOMETHING for you after the letter! That thing you have been wanting. It's waiting for you. I am in no way telling every teacher out there to go turn in a resignation letter after you read this. Please don’t! But if you are one of the people who have considered and I mean seriously considered, don’t be afraid. I promise its not as scary as you think.
There is life after the letter!
Talk soon.