Exploring A Common Teaching Career Path Beyond the Classroom
Whether you’re just starting out as an educator or have been in the classroom for years, you may be considering life after teaching. Explore the phases of a typical teacher career path beyond the classroom to determine if this move is right for you.
When someone decides to enter the field of education, it’s usually because they want to drive change in their community and the world. For me, becoming a teacher wasn’t a question. My mother was a special education teacher and I was honored to follow in her footsteps. I was a teacher before I earned my official degree, and loved tutoring and providing childcare for young children in high school.
Although teaching was my calling, I also knew firsthand about the challenges teachers face. My mom worked long hours and when she got home, she’d crash in her recliner. Teaching students with multiple complex needs and not enough classroom support left her exhausted and burnt out. In addition, each year came with new responsibilities. These responsibilities ranged from increased paperwork to assuming some tasks that a nurse would normally be assigned. Even after students passed away due to medical complexity, there was no time in the schedule to grieve.
Despite the challenges I witnessed, I diligently worked to earn my special education certification. I was excited to begin teaching and landed a job as a 5th-grade resource room and middle school truancy academy teacher. I loved my job but was devastated when two of my Black male students were expelled during my first months of teaching. It was then that I realized that the system wasn’t set up to support, nourish, or represent students of the global majority.
I began to question the disproportionate number of Black, Indigenous, and students of color in the special education system and wanted to know how culturally responsive, multi-tiered systems of support and co-teaching practices could disrupt inequity.
Early on in my teaching career path, I had the chance to travel to Belize to learn alongside Belizean educators. It was through this experience that I met my husband and relocated to Placencia, Belize. Soon after, I helped get a small international school off the ground. I loved my job working in an innovative environment with passionate staff and a founder committed to anti-racist pedagogy, but I knew the twelve-hour days weren’t going to fly once I started a family.
When I became pregnant with my first child in 2016, I knew I wanted to focus on growing my skills beyond the classroom. This was the first time I started seriously thinking about leaving teaching and it brought up a lot of emotions.
Thankfully, I found the Educator Forever Network and met an innovative group of educators ready to support me on my journey. It’s been over eight years since I took that leap of faith and over the years I’ve had the opportunity to build my skills and shift my mindset so I can continue to advocate for teachers and students in a multitude of capacities.
The story above illustrates my journey beyond the classroom. If you’re reading this, you’re likely looking for a change. You may be wondering how to leave teaching or even just exploring the different teaching career paths out there.
Common Phases of a Teaching Career Path Beyond the Classroom
After supporting and learning from thousands of educators over the past decade, Educator Forever has identified several common phases educators go through on their journey to build sustainable and joy-filled lives beyond the classroom.
Understanding these phases before you start a journey to leave teaching can help you persevere through the challenges each step can bring.
Stage 1: Becoming an Educator
As I described above, often Stage 1 is filled with hopes and excitement about becoming an educator. The length of this stage depends on many different factors including student teaching experience and the school where you land your first position after graduation.
If you’re lucky enough to find a position where teachers and students are supported, the curriculum represents and values all learners, and work/life balance is prioritized, it’s possible to stay in this stage for a very long time!
Common thoughts:
“My passion is to inspire students to love learning!”
“I’m called to be a teacher.” or “I plan to be a classroom teacher until I retire someday.”
What’s next?
Come up with a plan for the future. Ideas for your teaching career path might include (but are not limited to):
If you’re interested in staying in the classroom, think about how you might share your expertise with others through conferences and writing.
If you’re interested in exploring flexible jobs beyond the classroom, build your expertise through designing curriculum for your students, consulting on projects that interest you, and offering professional development for your school. Always advocate for pay!
Stage 2: Burnout/Exhaustion
Once teachers find themselves in Stage 2, or burnout, they are often depleted and mentally/physically exhausted. In this stage, we often find that teachers have low confidence and internalized toxic, limiting beliefs from working in a system that doesn’t value them or their students. Burnout can show up in many ways from diminished creativity to hypervigilance or isolation from friends and family.
According to neaToday, “research suggests that compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress is prevalent among teachers.” In addition, research from the National Child Trauma Stress Initiative suggests that more than two-thirds of children experience at least one traumatic event by age 16.
The impact of trauma makes it more difficult for teachers to teach and students to learn. If you are experiencing burnout/exhaustion, remember your feelings are valid! It is not your fault and you deserve to live a sustainable life.
Common thoughts:
“I see opportunities for working within my district, but the pay is not the best, and I’m not aware of other ways I can use my expertise.”
“I’m being asked to do things that are not aligned with my beliefs about teaching, learning, and equity.”
“My degree is in teaching, so it’s all I can do. I have no other choice. I feel stuck.”
What’s next?
Tap into a system of support to manage burnout along your teaching career path. Ideas include (but are not limited to):
Attend coaching calls and wellness circles in the Educator Forever Network
Connect with educators in your school/district who are experiencing burnout
Talk with family and friends to share your feelings
Find a therapist to get additional mental health support
Set boundaries and prioritize your wellness – what can you simplify in your life?
Stage 3: Finding Community for Teachers
If you’re in this stage of your teaching career path, you may already be part of the Educator Forever Network, or you might have other innovative educators in your life whom you can safely speak to about your hopes and aspirations. You’re probably starting to seriously think about leaving teaching or at least exploring alternative careers for teachers.
Stage 3 is all about finding a community of support to guide you and cheer you on as you dream about a more sustainable future. In this stage, you understand that the education system is flawed. Right now you’re invested in connecting with other like-minded educators and filling your cup as you navigate the next steps.
Common thoughts:
“I know I can’t do this alone.”
“Community matters to me and I look forward to learning from other innovative educators driving change beyond the classroom.”
“I know my strengths but seek to gain skills and knowledge from others.”
What’s next?
Prioritize community. Ideas include (but are not limited to):
Join the Educator Forever Network and attend weekly coaching, coworking, creativity, and wellness circles
Listen and grow from your conversations with educators who have grown their businesses and careers beyond the classroom
Network with other educators on LinkedIn, through email, and in person
Stage 4: Seeing Possibilities
Stage 4 is very exciting and is a really pivotal part of a teaching career journey beyond the classroom. In this stage, educators realize that there are so many options outside of teaching. Even more, they realize that they can stay in education without self-sacrificing in a district or school that doesn’t value them as a whole human.
If you are in Stage 4, you recognize that you’ve been limited by a false narrative that tells teachers they can only stay in education as educators or administrators.
Common thoughts:
“I never realized that ed tech companies, educational publishers, nonprofits, and corporations hire educators.”
“Maybe I am an education expert after all.”
“There are so many ways to drive change in education.”
“I can make a wider impact in education and increase my income while still working in education (on the side or full-time).”
What’s next?
Hone in on your goals beyond the classroom. Ideas include (but are not limited to):
Explore skill-based programs like the Curriculum Development Foundations Certification or Education Business Foundations
Connect with educators on LinkedIn who hold positions you’re interested in
Revamp your resume and cover letter to align with the positions you’d like to land
Attend mindset and skill-based workshops in the Educator Forever Network
Stage 5: Overwhelm
In this stage, the multitude of possibilities causes overwhelm. Many of the teachers we work with at Educator Forever are multi-passionate people. If this resonates with you, you might have many different interests from curriculum design to consulting to creating your own education business to support families and students locally or globally.
Stage 5 can give you important information about the next steps, but it’s also important to practice self-care so you don’t experience the same burnout that often accompanies Stage 2.
Common thoughts:
“There are so many possibilities that I feel overwhelmed.”
“How can I support my family while I’m taking a leap on myself?”
“How do I figure this all out on my own? I wish I had support, guidance, a network, etc.”
What’s next?
Gain clarity. Ideas include (but are not limited to):
Revisit the Beyond the Classroom course in the Educator Forever Network
Join the Educator Forever Network and attend weekly coaching, coworking, creativity, and wellness circles
Read through job descriptions on platforms like Indeed and jot down the parts of each position that resonate with you – can you find themes?
Stage 6: Imposter Syndrome
Stage 6 can pop up along your teaching career path beyond the classroom multiple times, and has likely affected your life before transitioning from the classroom.
Although people debate whether or not imposter syndrome should be used to describe the exclusion and systemic bias marginalized communities face in the workplace, this stage can help us understand the importance of building our confidence and dismantling the systems that don’t create equitable futures for all of us.
In this stage, we can move from pathologizing ourselves as individuals to acknowledging that the systems are created to keep us on the treadmill. We can also begin speaking to ourselves with compassion.
Common thoughts:
“I see other educators using the same skills I possess outside of the classroom, but I’m not sure if my experience is valuable.”
“I didn’t get the first jobs I applied for. I’m not sure this is the right path for me.”
“Transitioning out of the classroom is harder than I thought.”
What’s next?
Build your confidence. Ideas include (but are not limited to):
Jot down all your strengths and evidence that illustrates ways you’ve used your strengths in the past
Find companies that align with your values
Take care of yourself by joining the Educator Forever Network and attending weekly coaching, coworking, creativity, and wellness circles
Stage 7: Growth Mindset
During this stage, you recognize that change happens when we step outside of our comfort zones. You understand that learning things is hard and uncomfortable, but instead of resisting those feelings, you embrace challenges to make progress and meet your goals. Embracing Stage 7 and a growth mindset allows you to learn through messy moments of struggle and move toward greater self-awareness.
Common thoughts:
“I’m learning how to market myself beyond the classroom.”
“This is hard, but I’m learning so much.”
“I can embrace “mistakes” and “failure” as a normal part of the journey and see them as opportunities for personal and professional growth.
What’s next?
Continue to embrace a growth mindset. Ideas include (but are not limited to):
Take imperfect action
Find risks that allow you to grow
Reflect on which risks lead you to new opportunities and connections
Stage 8: Imperfect Success
In Stage 8, you’ve likely experienced successful contracts or full-time positions beyond the classroom. You may have built a business! Alternatively, you may have taken on consulting positions or part-time curriculum jobs while still teaching because it excites you and builds your skills.
You’ve come so far on your teaching career path beyond the classroom! But even though you’ve grown in many ways and learned more about yourself, it’s still important to take the time to reflect on your needs and aspirations moving forward.
Common thoughts:
“I’m a work in progress! This is working for me right now and I know that I can change course to meet my needs.”
“Even if this job isn’t aligned perfectly with my aspirations, I’m using it as a building block to create the life I dream about.”
“Every opportunity is a learning experience, and I celebrate progress on my journey.”
“Success isn’t usually a linear path. Imperfect, messy action will lead me to more success.”
What’s next?
Reflect on your hopes and financial needs for the future. Ideas include (but are not limited to):
Jot down the roles you’ve held and what you enjoyed
Reflect on the challenges and learning curves you experienced
Think about how your position aligns with your values – are you driving change in education?
Set goals for yourself moving forward. If there is a certain amount of money you’d like to bring in or a job you’ve been eyeing but haven’t applied to, now is the time to do it!
I’m ready to pursue a different teaching career path…now what?
As you navigate your transition, remember that your passion for education can shine just as brightly, if not more, in new and exciting roles. Explore the possibilities, challenge the norms, and create a path that aligns with your aspirations.
If you’re considering new opportunities (whether freelance jobs, side hustles, or full-time work), explore those that align with your purpose, values, and goals. There are so many ways to work as an educator beyond the classroom today, including many jobs you can do flexibly from home.
A few of the many alternative careers for teachers include:
Ready to take the next step in your journey and positively impact education in innovative ways? Remember you don’t have to do it alone!
The Educator Forever Network is designed for passionate educators just like you - who want to stay in education without staying in the classroom.
We've helped thousands of teachers like you embrace the 4 C’s (Clarity, Confidence, Community, and Commitment), reimagine their role as an educator, and successfully land flexible new careers. We’d love to help you do the same!
By joining the Educator Forever Network, you'll gain instant access to our signature Beyond the Classroom course, where you'll learn exactly where to find flexible jobs in education, discover your career possibilities, and receive the support and everything you need to land those jobs.
You’ll also become part of an inspiring community of like-minded educators who are passionate about expanding their impact and income in education.
Sign up now to empower yourself and take your education career to the next level!
Have questions? Contact Educator Forever any time!
About the Author
April Brown (M.Ed) is Educator Forever’s Director of Learning and Development and a curriculum coach for the Curriculum Development Foundations and Advanced Curriculum certification programs. In 2015, April began designing curriculum and writing articles for an EdTech company as a side gig while teaching in Placencia, Belize. After having her daughter in 2016, April was eager to use her unique experience teaching and leading in mainstream and alternative settings in the United States and internationally to work remotely while still making a difference in education.
The Beyond the Classroom course empowered April to leverage her skills as a compassionate disruptor and out-of-the-box thinker to excel as an instructional/well-being coach, adjunct instructor of Trauma Supportive Schools and Mindfulness courses, curriculum developer, and writer for publications such as PBS SoCal, Education.com, and Britannica for Parents. April is an advocate for teachers and students – inside and outside of the classroom. You can find April in rural Vermont spending time with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and charming rottweilers.