Personal Development
10 CAREER CHOICES FOR TEACHERS WHO
HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THE CLASSROOM
I
t is noble to think that once you
become a teacher you will dedicate
your entire working life to the
profession and some people do,
but for those who have simply had
enough of the classroom and would
like a change, here are ten career
choices for you to consider starting,
from the obvious to the not so obvious.
Before I go any further, let me stress
that making a career change is not
something that should be taken lightly
and chances are, you already know
this, after all you are teachers. It is
advisable to examine the cause of your
discontent, sometimes all you need is
a change of school or a good rest and
you may begin to see things differently.
In the last issue we dealt with the topic
of teacher burnout and how to spot it.
Ensure that any decisions you make
about your career and life, are done
when you are well rested and in a
place where you can think clearly and
objectively.
1. School Administrator
Most school administrators begin their
careers as classroom teachers, in fact,
I believe that administrators who were
once teachers are better suited to
leading a school. Please be aware that
many school administrators still teach,
so if you want to never teach again this
might not be possible in some schools.
Teachers are ideally suited to rise the
ranks into administration and this can
be a great way to get a break from
the rigours of classroom teaching,
while still remaining in education and
serving students. Be sure that you are
ready for the role of an administrator,
as it can be just as or even more taxing
than being a teacher. Look into, good
management training programmes
and find a mentor if this is something
that you are seriously considering.
2. Teacher Trainer/
Education Consultant
This position is not only for retired
educators, more and more educators
are making the move into teacher
training and consultancy, midway
in their careers. If you believe that
you have what it takes to help other
teachers and schools improve, then
this could be a perfect fit for you.
Please be aware that many consultants
in education are self-employed,
so if this is not something that you
are ready for, then you may want to
start off by becoming a lecturer on a
teacher training course. It does not
take you out of the classroom, but it
does allow you to teach adults rather
than children.
3. Corporate Trainer
Training other professionals in a
business setting can be a fantastic
way to use your presentation,
communication,
and
leadership
skills. In fact, many former teachers
prefer this career to having a job in a
traditional classroom setting, since
they get to teach without dealing with
the bureaucracy of a school. Aside
from training groups of business
professionals, corporate trainers can
also coach individual executives or put
their services to work for non-profit
organisations. Many job adverts for
cooperate trainers ask for teaching
experience as a pre-requisite.
4. Private Tutor to The Stars
Many teachers would rather help
individual students rather than trying
to control an entire class. Many
celebrities and wealthy individuals
have turned to home-schooling as a
viable alternative for their children.
Home-schooling allows them to be
able to travel with their kids and live