50% of Teachers Quit Within 5 Years - What do I do next?
I recently got uprooted from my home school, by my county, because of boundary changes. I was chosen to leave because all but 5 of the teacher with "tenure" were chosen to leave. That means the school that I was in now only has 5 teachers that have been teaching more than 4 years. They are screwed next year.
I was already on the verge of emotional exhaustion from teaching before I got that news. My county took care of me by placing me in another school, which more than triples my commute. My new school also has the same, if not worse, high trauma life that the kids will be living. I am struggling to wrap my head around how I am going to survive being a Pre-K teacher next year. The drive will be longer and the day to day will be just as emotionally exhausting.
What do I do next though? I love affecting children's lives for the better. I love helping the students who need me. I love teaching them love through kindness and virtues. I love educating. I love working on my feet and being active. I love making a million decisions a minute.
What careers out there will allow me those things without being oppressed by the broken school system. My sister asked "Why don't you go into administration so you can fix some of these problems?" I responded "I don't want to be part of the problem." I don't believe that moving up in the school system is the right thing for me.
So steemians, do I stay or do I go? What would you do? Any teachers out there had these thoughts?
I have had multiple teachers through the past 4 years say "Get out now." I am not wanting to believe they are right. It is starting to feel like they were right though. But saying goodbye to teaching children....