Well it’s been almost a year since I handed in my notice with my last teaching job. I worked until the end of November while they replaced me, but I made the decision about a year ago and that was the big deal as far as I’m concerned. Walking in and telling the principal was terrifying, but the relief once I had was AMAZING!
I quit because my neck pain had gotten worse and my lower back was giving me some mobility issues, in particular with lots of stairs, and I quit with a dream of getting my business completely off the ground and nothing else really. I just had to get out of there, it was scary as hell, my other half was unemployed at the time and we had practically no savings, but I was coming home crying from the pain every evening and the stress of knowing I was failing the kids was killing me! So doctors note in hand I handed in my notice.
A year on, I’m still broke and I’m still sore, but importantly I’m nowhere near as sore, my business is on the up (fingers crossed),I have a part time job essentially playing with power tools and I’m enjoying getting back into Geology. I really am a million times happier. I changed not just my job, but pretty much every aspect of my life, I’m now a veggie that doesn’t eat dairy, and yoga is a major part of my life. I’m way more mellow and my back makes me cry way less, although now I’m more likely to cry over a cute picture or a sappy movie!
Schools started back in the last few weeks and got me thinking about teaching again, wondering if a little bit of me misses it, a part of me definitely misses the kids and the really good lessons but it honestly must be one of the most stressful jobs in the world. Just after I quit a guy I didn’t know very well, an older man in his 60’s or so, told me that life was about to get much more stressful and that s no one worked harder than the self employed and teaching essentially was a sweet gig,. He was convinced that was what I’d think in a years time. He was wrong, being self employed is stressful you do work hard and you don’t have time off, but on the rare occasion I do take a break, I know it’s just my dreams that I’m “abandoning” for the day, not the dreams, hopes and possibilities of a class full of students. There is nothing like the guilt I used to feel when I gave a not great lesson, or when I couldn’t get a kid involved. Seriously teaching is high stress! So fair dues to you guys that stuck it out and that love it, but I’m much happier and healthier out of it and it was 100% the right choice for me! No regrets!
Now time to get to yoga class...
