My name is Phil Turner. I taught Chemistry in Wigan and St Helens for 28 years. I used to enjoy the teaching part of the job, but loathed meetings and marking exercise books and homeworks.
I am 58 now, I realised when I was 50, that my motivation had gone, that I needed to escape teaching. I moved to Ireland in 2003, on a 12 month contract with a private college in Cork. It did not work out, my contract was not renewed and I found a job working in the security industry from 2004 until March 2010, when I was made redundant.
So, I finally escaped teaching in 2004, or perhaps it would be fairer to say, that teaching and I parted ways, as it was not my decision.
Leaving teaching is a very difficult decision. Nobody can afford to walk away from a secure income, particularly given the current economic climate.
The income I had from my security job was roughly the same as my teaching income. Now I am unemployed, drawing dole and trying to make a living by writing articles online. I have a pension that I plan to take in the next month or so, but I still have a mortgage and need a bigger income, hence my article writing.
With my redundancy money I bought a satellite broadband system, very expensive, but the only way of gettig broadband where I live and reactivated a few websites, that I had let slide in the three years since moving into the country near Cork.
I came across InfoBarrel (link opens in new window), which is where most of my articles are located. My income from these articles is increasing month by month and I hope they are going to pay the mortgage in two years time.
I write two 1000 word articles for InfoBarrel (link opens in new window) and two or three blog posts most days. I get up at 5am, and write while the house is quiet. Writing takes time and I work for 12-14 hours most days. This IS my day job now.
Hello Phil-you sound like a real person, with a story that has echoes of my own experience.
I’m 58 too, I think it’s happening to lots of us. The world of teaching has changed so much. I’m currently on leave from teaching in Special Ed-it’s been a rollercoaster of a 37 year career, and my gut feeling is that it has come to a grinding halt, after a meltdown I had at work a few months ago. I’ve been off on sick leave since then-37 years’ worth of accumulated sick leave, nearly a year’s worth!!!!!
As you say, get out while you have still got your health. My blood pressure was terrible, diagnosed as problematic about September last year, and now I take 3 medications. I should have jumped when I had the stress attack and called the ambulance to work (one Sunday morning!!!!!)last September, but I’m a bit thick and kept doing it.
So now, as you say, what to do next?
Best wishes with your new day job! thanks for the website. I am not alone!!!!!!
Cheers
Liz South Australia
If I was to set up a proof reading / editing business, I’ll have to start with my own work….accumulated, not double mm!!!!!
Phil, have you seen the show “Breaking Bad” on AMC? (American show on American network) It’s a really good drama about a fed up chemistry teacher who gets into the synthetic drug trade.
I’ve also worked as a teacher and boy golly do I hate all the administrative sh*t that they tack on to your job. You can make the same hourly rate private tutoring.
Hi Ellie
We don’t get US programs in Ireland, so I don’t know the programme. Sounds amusing.
It is the back-covering that admin has to get into that makes a teacher’s load unbearable.
I have done a lot of private tuition in England and yes, the money is good and no hassle.
BTW, I love the title of this site! ha ha!
It was how I thought of the day job when I was still in it. Glad it gave you a laugh
Hi Phil I, too, am a teacher in an urban district. I like the art of teaching but have been disgusted by the “broken system” The way it is now, the educational system prevents me from being effective. My health had some concerns this year but thank God I recovered However, I feel it was a wake up call to get out!!
Everyone should get out of teaching before they are 55. I had lost all my motivation by the time I was 50 years old. I used to have dreams of changing the system, but the system only appoints “believers” to administrative posts high enough to change the system…
Hi Phil. I am 52 years old. My health is declining rapidly now because of teaching. It is not the fault of the students, no matter how poorley behaved. It is because schools are becoming increasingly competetive on all fronts.
It is now about the survival of the fittest – I have been alienated and bullied by senior staff simply because I was off work for 9 months following a serious operation. I have a very good record but I am being pressurised in an attempt to make me leave so that a younger cheaper teacher can take my place. Sadly, I know I will lose.
Hi William
I am sorry to hear your story, and I am certain that there are others in your position. Have you informed your union about the situation. To me it sounds like Constructive Dismissal and the very sound of those two words should scare the living daylights out of your school’s “management team”.
You should not “lose” with a union rep on your side. I have seen these cases myself and seen management have to take a different approach once someone who understands the law come into the situation.
I understand the way things work in schools, with lots of subtlety that is difficult to pin down and quote afterwards, that is why you need to get the union rep on board, and if your rep is useless go up a level to the area union official or change unions.
Stay in touch
Phil
Hello Phil
I am a young, talented teacher in South Africa and I cannot make ends meet with my salary. Teaching used to be worth the sacrifice of lifestyle but in the last two years working in a school has become a hated activity. Can I really make money by doing this? I have so much to share with other teachers.
Warm regards,
Helen
Hi Helen
If you cannot make ends meet on your teaching salary then you HAVE to do something. It is certainly possible to make a living online, but it takes a couple of years to reach that level. It takes hard work and time, but hardly any money.
I suggest you start thinking about how you are going to do it straightaway, then DO IT, in parallel with your teaching until you have a decent income.
@ Helen
Hi Helen, me too. I’m teaching at a Primary School in Durban North, South Africa. I returned here in 2006 from a 7 yr stint in London. The pay shocked me. As a teacher with 14 yrs experience I’m now on R11 000 a month, pathetic. I soon realised I couldn’t live like this and started teaching Salsa dancing which i’d learned in London. I never imagined it would become a way of income. It’s supplemented my teachign income nicely. I’ve also done some Freelance Copywriting for ad agencies. But I’m actively looking for ways of making a complete break from teaching. It’s like a bad marriage. It’s an abusive system that just takes advantage of good willed people. But like a bad marriage, you can’t just walk out or you’ll end up in a shelter, you need an exit strategy, so start working on other forms of income, build up some experience, a clientele etc, then when it’s time to take the leap, you’ll be ok.
Good luck.
Mike
Hi Phil – For the last 7 years, my secondary education teaching has played havok on my health, as I juggled motherhood, keeping up with the housework, being a semi-decent wife, friend, daughter… For the last 3 years, I have been saying outloud ‘This job is slowly killing me’…Sunday night involved me feeling sick to my stomach anticipating the day to come. My weekdays involved coming from school, picking up the children, making dinner, putting children to bed, cleaning kitching, and sitting down for 4-5 hours well into past midnight EVERY NIGHT to prepare/mark for the next day. On the third week of September this year, I was diagnosed with incurable cancer – I’m only 37!!!! Can I blame it on the job? yes and no. I blame it on the fact that I felt i was stuck in the job with no way out. We have a fairly nice lifestyle and my salary is a part of that…we could not afford for me to quit and continue with the lifestyle. I am now on my 4th month of full pay leave and went to my headteacher to disclose my interest of NEVER returning to the classroom as a teacher. Since then, my latest CT scan showed that my 3.9 tumour is “unmeasurable” and “not visible”. My bone has thickened up and is back to normal level and my liver lesions have reduced by 60%. People ask me “How are you?” and I answer “I’m great!!!!” and it’s true! the thought of not having to return to work, I believe has helped me in my recovery for now. I still have another 8 chemo treatments left before my next scan but I’m confident that I am going to achieve more very good results. My body isn’t fighting itself. My immune system has kick started after years of dragging myself in when I feel poorly due to the fact that I can’t possible face sending in 6 Spanish/French lesson plans for a cover teacher. However long I have left on this Earth, I WILL NOT step in a classroom as a teacher again. This is how I arrived at your website. I am now looking for ways to get some income before my pay stops completely! marking exams is my new idea, translating/interpreting???? writing teacher book for use in classroom?
Thank you for making me feel that i’m not the only one that finds teaching difficult! I salute all others who can find a balance between teaching and life outside teaching, who are motivated and don’t feel like throwing up every Sunday night with the thought of the week ahead.
Mildred
Hey Mildred
My prayers are with you. Your story is not atypical. Everyone I know who leaves teaching feels better. All that negativity that we live with every day has all sorts of effects that we are only beginning to understand now.
Exam marking is a good place to start, also think about private tuition. I did a lot of both for 20 years. the tuition is very rewarding mentallyy and financially, totally different from standing in front of 32 year 9 kids who don’t want to be there. No discipline hassles. I was doing 40 hours a week on top of full-time teaching, so I do know what I am talking about.
Writing online/having your own website takes time to earn money and it is no way a get rich quick scheme. If you have something you feel strongly about then your own website is a good idea. I can give you a few pointers if you need them…
Take care & stay in touch please
Phil