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Post by AnastasiaBeaverhausn on Aug 7, 2017 0:33:59 GMT
When I'm teaching, I love the time actually teaching but I hate all the other stuff- the meetings, the requirements to do more and more for less and less, etc. I will be eligible to retire in January but fully expect to finish the school year. But it is tough to think that this is my last August of back to school sales and my last start to the year. I feel like I'm not done teaching but there is no incentive to stay beyond 30 years in my state. I still pin teaching things on Pinterest and search through TpT for lessons and try to make mine so creative. We don't need my income but I need to do something for my own sanity. I just don't know what. Maybe once I hit my time then the other things that bug will matter less and less since I know I can walk out the door. For those of you who have retired, how did you know you were ready and how did that last year go for you? TIA
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 7, 2017 0:38:25 GMT
I know 950nancy retired recently. What about a different position or a volunteer teaching position? Does your state do double dip? I would do that next year. |
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Post by AnastasiaBeaverhausn on Aug 7, 2017 0:43:42 GMT
No we're actually very restricted in the ability to double dip. The state hates teachers here. If we move states (which is a possibility), I would consider teaching again.
Oh I could sub but dh thinks if I sub, I might as well keep teaching. He doesn't quite understand the difference!
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Post by christine58 on Aug 7, 2017 0:51:16 GMT
For t,,,hose of you who have retired, how did you know you were ready and how did that last year go for you? TIA I retired this past June after 36 years. YUP..36. I loved the special ed kids I taught. I knew it was time to go when I was sick and tired of all the bullshit. It wasn't fun anymore. So last year at this time, I did a video conference with the NYS retirement system and KNEW I could afford it. My last year---was fun. I saw that light at the end of the tunnel. I knew that I had a HUGE life outside teaching and was tired of not being able to go on a trip when I wanted to and not when the calendar dictated. I kept saying..this is my last interim report/iep to write/meeting to attend and it was WONDERFUL> I will NOT sub..ever. NOPE...won't do it and I was asked to repeatedly. I will find something to do as I am not just going to sit at home. |
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kibblesandbits
Pearl Clutcher
At the corner of Awesome and Bombdiggity
Posts: 3,305 
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Post by kibblesandbits on Aug 7, 2017 0:56:13 GMT
This is my first August looking at school supplies, but I no longer have to buy them. I retired at the end of the last school year. Well, resigned. Teaching was my "encore" career. I may not be of any help to you, as I was not in the classroom nearly as long as you. I knew I was ready when I could sense my frustration with all the bullshit was boiling over into my attitude in the classroom. If only we could just TEACH, you know? I didn't need the money, and I certainly didn't need the frustration, so I bagged it. Left on a high note.
I'm looking forward to not getting up so early, and spending my time doing the teaching things I loved - I'll be volunteering with our local teen shelter and also teaching a community ed class in technology. I'm happy as a clam!
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Judy26
Pearl Clutcher
MOTFY Bitchy Nursemaid
Posts: 2,973
Location: NW PA
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Post by Judy26 on Aug 7, 2017 1:03:46 GMT
I retired one year ago for exactly the reasons you mentioned. I would have lost the retirement incentive offered by my district also. I decided I needed to go while I still liked my job. I could see the way the politics of education was moving and I had a hard time accepting the negative changes caused by our state politicians refusal to pass a balanced budget that supports education.
I have had no regrets. I am working part time in an education field that is nowhere near as draining as public school teaching. I have more time to myself as well as time to help out my parents with appointments and short trips. I have been offered several different jobs in the past year. Teachers are a hot commodity as we work well with others, are organized and efficient and don't need a lot of direction.
As for my last year teaching, I was much more relaxed and didn't sweat the small stuff. I didn't worry about the extra crap they kept throwing at us.. I figured if I messed it up, oh well. What were they going to do? Fire me?
The first day of school the year following my retirement I was sitting on top of a mountain in Wyoming drinking coffee and watching the sun come up. It may have been the happiest moment of my 35 years in public education! Retirement is a tough job but I'm sure you are up for it.😊
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Post by alexa11 on Aug 7, 2017 1:05:38 GMT
I knew I was ready when I just didn't enjoy the teaching anymore. I had been putting money in my 401K for years so that I could buy out my last 3 years if I chose to. I struggled through that last year and decided that I was done! And I have never looked back.
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Post by librarylady on Aug 7, 2017 1:31:44 GMT
When it is time you know it. Initially I thought I might volunteer at the school, but each time I thought I might--I really didn't want to. I felt guilty about that until I went to lunch with some other retirees. None of us wanted to go back even for volunteering, we were just done. I do a bit of volunteering now at our historical park. During field trip season, I give a lot of school tours and that is as close as I want to be to a group of kids for instruction.  I had done some substituting when I was working on my MLS, and that was absolutely no fun. Don't want to do that again! I had a friend who did tutoring as a volunteer for many years after he retired. He felt an obligation to work for the betterment of the next generation. He also taught gardening at that school as a volunteer. I don't want a daily schedule now that I have tasted freedom. |
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zztop11
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,539
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Post by zztop11 on Aug 7, 2017 1:47:17 GMT
My doctor took me out. I was able to retire too. She looked at me and said "you're done". I looked at her like a child asking permission and said "I can?". That was it. And I have never looked back. It was SO DIFFICULT the last few years, it made me ill. I didn't worry about what I would do. You don't need to plan it out. If you are financially able to retire, I say do it. Your days will be filled. And you may find that you enjoy doing something, that you never could imagine yourself doing. It's an adventure. I started selling on Ebay and I love, love, love it. The extra money goes towards lots of traveling. Cruises, trips to see my daughter and granddaughter and 3 week vacations. It is wonderful! As a matter of fact, we leave tomorrow for a one week trip |
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 7, 2017 2:17:43 GMT
I retired after 28 years of teaching + four purchased years of Social Security. So I have the benefits of a 32 year teaching career. I knew I wasn't ready to leave teaching, but my district was becoming so bad about micromanaging us and I was really good about writing lessons and teaching well that my classes always scored top in the district. I had the passion, but I didn't have the privilege to teach the way I knew kids learned.
I was lucky that I had great relationships with my coworkers and they are my friends out of school. I offered to come back on Fridays and DIBELS test the kids. It is a reading test you do one-on-one with kids and teachers have to stop teaching to do this with the kids every week. I love that I get to still teach (really mini lessons) to kids who just need that extra five minutes a week to hear YET ANOTHER adult explain why reading is so important and how to increase their reading ability. Since the teachers are "graded" on their kids' scores on these tests (for the next year's renewal), the teachers appreciate my time. I also write their reading curriculum to fill in the gaps in certain areas. I love doing this too.
My old principal asked me to apply for a job that was part-time. It is in evaluation of financial literacy programs. I mostly work from home and have learned so much. I have gone to Florida and Georgia to watch different programs in action. I love that I am still involved in education through my new job and my volunteering. It makes me feel like I am valuable and using my skills.
I was lucky to leave when I still loved teaching. You gotta go out on a high note. The kids deserve that. It also helped that I would have only made 20 cents on the dollar more if I had stayed. My new job more than makes up for 20% less salary teaching since I retired. Plus I get a 2% raise each year on my retirement and most of the districts around here aren't giving raises.
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Post by beachbum on Aug 7, 2017 2:40:19 GMT
I retired at the end of the 2013 school year. I taught for 18 years. I didn't finish my degree until after all 3 of our children were born, and then I didn't start teaching until the youngest went to K. I loved it, teaching was the only thing I ever wanted to do. I was one of those 'outside the box' teachers, and loved that all 3 of the principals at my school allowed me the freedom to teach my way. I guess as long as my test scores stayed where they were I could have taught standing on my head. But then things changed. All the joy began to be sucked out of my job. I understand that there should be a county wide curriculum so that everyone in each grade level is teaching the same things. I get that and agree. Even agree with what order / roughly when things should be taught, because we had a very mobile population (rent due? time to move across town) and some 3rd graders were missing multiplication totally. But when you start telling me on what day to teach things and HOW TO TEACH - oh hell no. I'm gone, I'm no Stepford teacher. After years of PD telling us to differentiate, differentiate, differentiate... no two students learn the same, no two classes learn the same, change it up... now they come and tell us that all the teachers in our grade level need to teach the same way? Kiss my ass good-bye.
I decided around Thanksgiving that last year - and it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I didn't tell anyone except my P and Asst. P and wanted to keep it secret until spring break, but P let the cat out of the bag at a faculty meeting in January. As in - Well this is for next year, but Beachbum won't have to worry about that! HaHa. After that I just walked around school with a large smile. I didn't feel the need to save extra copies of things 'for next year'. I gave things away, let students take things home, threw a lot away. Freedom.
And I never looked back.
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maurchclt
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,649
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Post by maurchclt on Aug 7, 2017 2:46:25 GMT
Retired 12 years ago and never looked back, hated the politics, the micromanaging of teaching. All the joy, the creativity was taken out with the emphasis on testing.
I still scrap, read a lot, visit with friends, exercise and have become more politically active since Nov than I could have ever imagined. Go for it, you won't regret it.
Like many others have said, the last year is fun, a different mind set. I still bought clothes, but only "play" clothes for retirement. I didn't sweat the small stuff.
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Post by grammadee on Aug 7, 2017 2:56:06 GMT
I took up scrapbooking!
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Post by christine58 on Aug 7, 2017 11:13:06 GMT
The first day of school the year following my retirement I was sitting on top of a mountain in Wyoming drinking coffee and watching the sun come up. It may have been the happiest moment of my 35 years in public education! Retirement is a tough job but I'm sure you are up for it.😊 Four of us are going to spend the first day of school at her lake house...drinking mimosas, burning old lesson plans, and texting our friends who are still working... |
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Post by peasapie on Aug 7, 2017 11:26:31 GMT
I missed the "August Rush" when I left teaching -- getting ready for the new school year with supplies and bulletin boards and plans.
But I also knew I was running low on tolerance for annoyance -- and too many things were starting to seem annoying, things that used to just be part of the job.
I started my own business ten years ago after leaving teaching and have not missed the classroom since. Maybe find something else you like to do?
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,483
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Aug 7, 2017 11:30:12 GMT
I stopped teaching 7.5 years ago, when we moved from Australia to Germany after my DH was asked to transfer here with his work. My last year of teaching there was awful - I was moved to a new grade level, even though my principal knew it was my last year, to take a class with a very difficult student. I got very little support from admin with him, just empty promises, and I ended up on sick leave after the first 7 weeks of the year, due to blood pressure issues. As the year went on, I felt like I was just treading water - I had no motivation left to make things fun - and I was also constantly ill.
My first year here decided I would first take a proper break and get to know my new home city. Then I started doing a language course, as I knew I needed at least some German if we were going to stay here. That was plenty for me for a year, then I started to get a bit itchy for something meaningful to do.
A friend from my knitting group told me the family center where she took her children was looking for English speakers to run playgroups for both ex-pat families, and for German families who wanted their kids exposed to English from a young age. So I have been there for 4 years now and I love it. I am basically a volunteer - I get paid a monthly amount which covers my travel costs - and it is very flexible - I can take vacations when I want, so long as I can find someone to cover for me the 2 mornings a week I work. I have a group of 10 children between 18 months and 3 years old, and we meet up for 3 hours, twice a week. No reports, no planning, just games, singing and craft.
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CeeScraps
Pearl Clutcher
~~occupied entertaining my brain~~
Posts: 3,907
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Post by CeeScraps on Aug 7, 2017 13:05:43 GMT
I retired last June after teaching for 38 years!
At the start of the 16-17 year I got teary eyed setting up my classroom for the last time. It was hard the first few classes I had. Once I got into a routine I was fine and very glad it was my final year. It was not fun anymore. I also accepted that once I was gone that someone else will have my position and they need to make it their own.
I was ready. The amount of stuff (being nice) that is being dumped onto teachers is just sad. Let them teach. In my district they spend more time testing than anything else. I keep telling myself the younger teachers do not know any better. It's the staff that has one foot out the door and those stuck in the middle of their teaching years who do.
What am I going to do? I've spent the summer pondering that question. I have a couple of places I may apply to work. I'm not sure I even want to do that. I have signed up to sub. I'm not sure I want to do that. If I do I may try my hand at the upper grades (above K-3).
Make this year what you want it to be!
I look forward to...................
I look forward to getting up when I choose.
I look forward to spending time with my retired friends.
I look forward to appointments when I want to make them instead of around teaching.
I look forward to traveling when I choose.
I look forward to cleaning out closets when I choose and not during the holidays or summer.
I look forward to baking when I choose not doing it late at night or over the weekends.
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Post by monklady123 on Aug 7, 2017 13:15:06 GMT
No we're actually very restricted in the ability to double dip. The state hates teachers here. If we move states (which is a possibility), I would consider teaching again. Oh I could sub but dh thinks if I sub, I might as well keep teaching. He doesn't quite understand the difference! I'm a sub. There's a HUGE difference between a full-time teacher and a sub! omg. I love kids and I love teaching so I get to have both of those. I also love having a flexible schedule. And I see what the regular teachers go through with parents and state testing and behavior problems and principal and/or colleague issues. Etc. omg, a huge difference. I love subbing and I'd recommend it to anyone who says they like teaching but doesn't want all the administrative stuff. And I'm sure teachers would love to sign up a retired teacher to sub for them. |
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Post by phoenixcov on Aug 7, 2017 13:27:08 GMT
In my voluntary role as an Appropriate Adult (AA) for the Police I have often been grateful that I can read and write so well. Many of the adults that I help can neither read nor write and are usually ashamed to admit that. I have often been able to refer people to Adult Education and the people who teach adults sometimes are retired teachers. Do you have Adult Education and might it suit you?
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desertgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,646
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Post by desertgirl on Aug 7, 2017 13:51:24 GMT
I knew I was ready because I stayed aware the last few years of "maybe" and knew the day was coming closer and closer. That final year, I kept a list of things I did not want to do any more (grade long papers, follow asinine new edicts and unworkable initiatives from Central, ignore the emotional needs of my kids in order to follow the testing schedule, keep training new teachers who should never have been hired, work activities that are unpaid like working at home, school dances, afternoon bus duty, etc.).
If this is your last year, make it as awesome and personal to your teaching style as you can. Keep a journal of each day, writing down names of kids and the amazing ways they have grown and learned. Make a point to keep a few notes in your planner/phone and write a daily gratitude of something that happened at school - be sure to make each one specific so you'll truly remember them. That way, if you get melancholy when you are retired, you can refer to the awesomeness and be thankful you had such a great career, forgetting the bad as you move forward in life. I have never once looked at mine, but I reread it during the last year and loved doing it.
I left after 37 years and have deliberately recreated myself. I cannot tell you how many good things come up each week and how many I am forced to decline because I am either busy with something else, or I want to write by myself and not engage. I am hoping you have some activities you can turn to (really a mini "lesson" plan), but that said, I have stopped some of my long-time hobbies to start others. Between travel/camping, some of it alone and life-changing, and my numerous hobbies, political interests and responsibilities, church, friends, family, and a focus on healthy eating and exercise, I am good to go every week. There are not enough hours in the day, even as a retiree.
People ask me, "Don't you miss the kids?" I do not miss kids I never knew by not teaching them!! I only miss former students, the ones I taught already. And I've always missed those!
From time to time, I tutor writing for a few kids. I charge very little (gas money, really) because we are fine financially, and I do it with kids whose English is not their first language. It gives me an opportunity to get to really know a person one on one and it helps me maintain my own writing skills. I often get fresh tamales, too!
Your life will change when you retire and you are in charge of making it work for you. Retired teachers would come back to sub and tell me how great it is not to have the pressures all teachers have while working. I appreciated their wisdom, but I was the only person who could make the decision to leave a career I loved and excelled at daily. The only person.
You will feel it when it's time. I reread your post and I believe you are on the final leg of your teaching journey. Start that daily recording of your amazing career and the emotions it brings and then decide if you want something else. Make that "else" as fine as your career and you'll not look back. I promise.
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Post by christine58 on Aug 7, 2017 13:54:39 GMT
I knew I was ready because I stayed aware the last few years of "maybe" and knew the day was coming closer and closer. That final year, I kept a list of things I did not want to do any more (grade long papers, follow asinine new edicts and unworkable initiatives from Central, ignore the emotional needs of my kids in order to follow the testing schedule, keep training new teachers who should never have been hired, work activities that are unpaid like working at home, school dances, afternoon bus duty, etc.).
If this is your last year, make it as awesome and personal to your teaching style as you can. Keep a journal of each day, writing down names of kids and the amazing ways they have grown and learned. Make a point to keep a few notes in your planner/phone and write a daily gratitude of something that happened at school - be sure to make each one specific so you'll truly remember them. That way, if you get melancholy when you are retired, you can refer to the awesomeness and be thankful you had such a great career, forgetting the bad as you move forward in life. I have never once looked at mine, but I reread it during the last year and loved doing it. I left after 37 years and have deliberately recreated myself. I cannot tell you how many good things come up each week and how many I am forced to decline because I am either busy with something else, or I want to write by myself and not engage. I am hoping you have some activities you can turn to (really a mini "lesson" plan), but that said, I have stopped some of my long-time hobbies to start others. Between travel/camping, some of it alone and life-changing, and my numerous hobbies, political interests and responsibilities, church, friends, family, and a focus on healthy eating and exercise, I am good to go every week. There are not enough hours in the day, even as a retiree. People ask me, "Don't you miss the kids?" I do not miss kids I never knew by not teaching them!! I only miss former students, the ones I taught already. And I've always missed those! From time to time, I tutor writing for a few kids. I charge very little (gas money, really) because we are fine financially, and I do it with kids whose English is not their first language. It gives me an opportunity to get to really know a person one on one and it helps me maintain my own writing skills. I often get fresh tamales, too! Your life will change when you retire and you are in charge of making it work for you. Retired teachers would come back to sub and tell me how great it is not to have the pressures all teachers have while working. I appreciated their wisdom, but I was the only person who could make the decision to leave a career I loved and excelled at daily. The only person. You will feel it when it's time. I reread your post and I believe you are on the final leg of your teaching journey. Start that daily recording of your amazing career and the emotions it brings and then decide if you want something else. Make that "else" as fine as your career and you'll not look back. I promise. You wrote what I tried to!~ I don't think being retired will hit till the first day of school. I need to find some volunteer opportunities and maybe a small part time job. Maybe.... |
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Post by AnastasiaBeaverhausn on Aug 7, 2017 14:25:15 GMT
Wow! Thank you all so much. A couple more things to know (just because I think it is important) - I can retire in January with 25 years served and 5 years purchased. When I bought my 5 (or started the process) and taught beyond the 30 year mark (served + purchased), we would get an increased pension for working over 30. That is no longer the case. That is why I think I have to go after this year because otherwise I wasted buying my 5 years. As it is, I will have already wasted about 6 months by finishing the year. We are seriously looking to move to either Texas or Arizona for dh's work and I think I would be happy to return to the classroom for a couple of years after we move. I am fine to sub until we make the decision. Dh and I really like to travel but going during my "vacation" time is so expensive compared to the spring or the fall. I have been a middle school teacher for nearly my entire career and while I love my time with them, it is the evals and the day to day micromanaging that is driving me crazy and annoying me. Dh just keeps asking what I will do when I retire and I just don't know. I will be 47 years old and should do something. He is fine with me taking a year or so to figure that out which is nice but teaching is all I know!
Some of your quotes that resonated with me are:
"My last year---was fun. I saw that light at the end of the tunnel. I knew that I had a HUGE life outside teaching and was tired of not being able to go on a trip when I wanted to and not when the calendar dictated. I kept saying..this is my last interim report/iep to write/meeting to attend and it was WONDERFUL" - Maybe this is my shift in thinking for this year.
"If only we could just TEACH, you know?" - Oh, I know. It is what I fight admin for constantly.
"I decided I needed to go while I still liked my job." - I never thought of it like this!
"I knew I wasn't ready to leave teaching, but my district was becoming so bad about micromanaging us and I was really good about writing lessons and teaching well that my classes always scored top in the district. I had the passion, but I didn't have the privilege to teach the way I knew kids learned." - Yep, this is me too. I'm starting to put my lessons on Teachers Pay Teachers just to see what kind of income that brings in. I am not hopeful because I hate to charge teachers to help them!
"I was lucky to leave when I still loved teaching. You gotta go out on a high note. The kids deserve that." - Again, another thought that I believe is important. I don't want to go out on a bad note or being "that" teacher who should have retired long ago!
"All the joy, the creativity was taken out with the emphasis on testing." - Sigh! Yes.
"I understand that there should be a county wide curriculum so that everyone in each grade level is teaching the same things. I get that and agree. Even agree with what order / roughly when things should be taught, because we had a very mobile population (rent due? time to move across town) and some 3rd graders were missing multiplication totally. But when you start telling me on what day to teach things and HOW TO TEACH - oh hell no. I'm gone, I'm no Stepford teacher. After years of PD telling us to differentiate, differentiate, differentiate... no two students learn the same, no two classes learn the same, change it up... now they come and tell us that all the teachers in our grade level need to teach the same way? Kiss my ass good-bye. " - If this weren't a mile long, I'd get it tattooed somewhere on my body!
"I keep telling myself the younger teachers do not know any better. It's the staff that has one foot out the door and those stuck in the middle of their teaching years who do." - Yeah, I mentor a newbie teacher and I have a tough time bottling the edge (annoyance over where teaching is going) but I really feel sorry for those who have 15-20 years in and have to slog it out for quite a bit longer.
"I'm a sub. There's a HUGE difference between a full-time teacher and a sub! omg. I love kids and I love teaching so I get to have both of those. I also love having a flexible schedule. And I see what the regular teachers go through with parents and state testing and behavior problems and principal and/or colleague issues. Etc. omg, a huge difference. I love subbing and I'd recommend it to anyone who says they like teaching but doesn't want all the administrative stuff. And I'm sure teachers would love to sign up a retired teacher to sub for them." - I understand the difference and every chance I get, I make sure dh understands the difference but maybe I need a "Take your hubby to work" day so he can see what goes on that a sub doesn't have to do.
That final year, I kept a list of things I did not want to do any more (grade long papers, follow asinine new edicts and unworkable initiatives from Central, ignore the emotional needs of my kids in order to follow the testing schedule, keep training new teachers who should never have been hired, work activities that are unpaid like working at home, school dances, afternoon bus duty, etc.).
If this is your last year, make it as awesome and personal to your teaching style as you can. - I love this last line. What are they going to do? Fire me?
Thank you all so much. Your words have helped immensely. Oddly, I can retire the same time my certificate comes up for renewal. I will renew just in case we change states and I already met the criteria to renew. I just have to pay the money. Might as well!
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,458
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Post by katybee on Aug 7, 2017 14:44:35 GMT
I am a LONG ways from retiring, but I am very close to being burned out. I go back in two days. Normally, I am super excited and well rested. This has been a difficult summer, and the fact that I am so tired of all the stuff you guys mentioned (Love the kids, hate the crap). I'm getting more and more anxious and depressed. i used to get so excited to set my room up every fall. Now I feel like I JUST did it. I am dreading the aching back, the aching feet, moving furniture myself, making all of the copies, putting up more bulletin board paper and borders, getting hangnails, lesson planning (I love writing the actual lessons, HATE all the stupid stuff we have to add because my principal is a micro-manager).
I am supposed to be able to get into my room on Thursday, August 11. School starts on August 22. My room is completely packed up--everything shoved in random bookshelves or boxes, all of the furniture stacked in one corner of the room, we have trainings (laughable) or meetings from 8-11:30 and 12:30-3:30 every day. We get 1/2 day to ourselves to lesson plan and set up our rooms. So I will be there every day until 9 and both weekends. It is exhausting.
Sorry--didn't mean to hijack. I say do what others have suggested. Focus on the kids and the fun parts of the job. Don't worry about all the stupid useless crap you're supposed to do, And then ENJOY your retirement!
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desertgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,646
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Post by desertgirl on Aug 7, 2017 15:14:04 GMT
christine58 - I thought I needed a part-time job until I realized it would tie me down to be unable to be spontaneous or to accept future opportunities that I wanted to pursue. If a person needs the money, or is willing to accept the limitations on her/his time with a job for mental health or stability, then it's necessary. Some folks manage that very well. What is the harm in trying a PT job? You can give it 6 months and then re-evaluate. For me, my brain needed to rest and re-order itself and I could not even apply to shelve books at our local library for $8 an hour. I literally passed time each day that first few months or so by making myself do one tangible thing a day - bake a treat for the neighborhood kids, visit a neighbor, make calls for candidates, re-do a closet or our deck or porch, cut out squares for a scrappy quilt, etc. One of my favorites was to put a huge bulletin board on the wall in front of my desk and each day search for a quote or a photo that was about recreating or moving forward. One of my favorites by Drake: "Where you movin?" I said, "Onto better things." You are no longer obligated to school but you can make your own bulletin board LOL! Try things. Discard those that don't fit and move on. You'll love your new life and figure it all out. I still wake up each day, not excited about a sale on Ticonderoga pencils, but excited for a day full of my wishes, my needs, my new way of living. "Sometimes good things fall apart fo better things can fall together." Gotta love Marilyn Monroe.
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Judy26
Pearl Clutcher
MOTFY Bitchy Nursemaid
Posts: 2,973
Location: NW PA
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Post by Judy26 on Aug 7, 2017 19:10:48 GMT
If you still have the urge to teach I highly recommend Adult Education. There is a great need for teachers and every student who walks in the door has a reason to be there and a unique story as to why they want to further their education. I work part time as a transition specialist in adult ed. Classrooms and many days I get chills listening to the stories these students have to tell. Today I worked with a 45 year old who was raped and impregnated at the age of 13. She raised her family and put her son through college. After getting out of an abusive relationship her son told her it was her turn to thrive. He said he would help to support her in whatever dream she had. He is helping her financially while she gets her GED and goes to culinary school. She has always wanted to open a family restaurant in their neighborhood and her son said he would make that happen. I literally bawled as we worked through the steps she needed to take to achieve her dream.
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Post by mom2rjcr on Aug 7, 2017 20:41:03 GMT
I am getting ready to start my 22nd year in the classroom. I am beginning to feel the joy of teaching, less and less each year. I switched to special education 4 years ago, because I was burned out teaching 4th grade. I love working with the special babies, but the paperwork, politics, and testing are wearing me down. It's exhausting fighting for kids each and every day for everything they need, but I do it because I love them dearly. I have 6 more years before I can retire with full benefits. I may end up retiring sooner than that because I also have Lupus, as my condition worsens, it is harder and harder to go to work. We have a new principal this year so I am hoping that will have some positive changes at my school. The last few years were rough. This month we are paying off our house, so no more mortgage...that helps me feel better about retiring.
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Post by shamrockpea on Aug 8, 2017 2:05:39 GMT
It is sad that so many teachers retire so young. In our state teachers only earn 1% of their pay for each year worked. I started when I was 50 and if I work until I am 70 I will make 20% of my annual pay. Yikes. Luckily I have a retirement from prior work. I am going back to school now at age 59 for my Administrator certificate. Is that something you might consider?
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Post by kluski on Aug 8, 2017 2:49:09 GMT
Oh dear I am ready now but have seven years left. I so wish we could retire after 25 years. This is so not the profession to stay in until you can retire. I say go for it!!
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Post by monklady123 on Aug 9, 2017 21:01:06 GMT
This thread makes me sad.  Two of my dd's roommates will be starting their very first teaching jobs next week, one in a small town here in Virginia and the other in North Carolina. They are SO excited and full of ideas and cute and happy. And I so hope that the system doesn't beat them down too quickly. As a sub I see and hear so much that makes me even sadder. |
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Post by Leone on Aug 9, 2017 21:17:30 GMT
Took early retirement 13 years ago and have never regretted it. I do not miss it at all. I love my mornings of not going to work. I enjoyed teaching. Taught everything from kindergarten to adults and taught all over the world. But I regret sticking with it for 30 years. Wish I had quit earlier.
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Two of my dd's roommates will be starting their very first teaching jobs next week, one in a small town here in Virginia and the other in North Carolina. They are SO excited and full of ideas and cute and happy. And I so hope that the system doesn't beat them down too quickly. 