Job Discussion Forums

[nomad soul]

10 career choices for teachers who have had enough of the classroom
By Z.R. Khan, Teach Middle East Magazine | 27 May 2018
Source: http://teachmiddleeastmag.com/10-career-choices-for-teachers-who-have-had-enough-of-the-classroom/

It 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 to consider starting from the obvious to the not so obvious:

1. School Administrator
2. Teacher Trainer/Education Consultant
3. Corporate Trainer
4. Private Tutor to the Stars
5. Curriculum Writer
6. College/University Academic Advisor
7. Public Speaker
8. Vlogger/Blogger
9. Writer
10. Radio and Television Broadcasting

This list is by no means comprehensive; ex teachers are suited to a myriad of careers. If you are a teacher who has simply had enough of the classroom and none of the above resonates with you, there are so many other options to consider. Remember to keep an open mind, network, get additional training in a new field if necessary, think outside the box, and stay persistent. The level of dedication and discipline required to survive as a teacher will serve you well in any other career that you may choose.

(End of excerpt)

[psychedelicacy]

I do 4 and a bit of 3.

[Yanklonigan]

I'm still in the classroom, but I have been working on 7, 8 and 9. My progress has been slow but steady.

[nomad soul]

For those who expect to move or have transitioned out of the classroom, what steps did you take toward making your plan a reality?

[suphanburi]

1,2 and 7. You can also add academic researcher to the list of non-classroom related things that I do.

For #1 you usually need post grad credentials (often a related MA is enough to get your foot in the door) and significant experience in mainstream school settings. Often times however you will be competing with Ed.D or PhD applicants for those school administrator jobs.

Getting into DOS positions it is usually enough to have a BA, TEFL/TESOL and several years of experience (5-10 is common). Some managerial experience or training is also beneficial since human resource management is a big part of the DOS job.

For #2 it is a lot of the same background as #1 to be a teacher trainer.
I do a lot of teacher "professional development" workshops for mainstream teachers. It is largely a word of mouth thing to get started. Now, I am at the point where I have to decline more than accept due to time limitations.

You can probably get into TEFL course instructor with a BA, CELTA/DELTA or similar and a few years of classroom experience. Beach TEFL providers are not even that fussy, usually.

For #7 it was a combination of networking, academic background and experience that lead to being asked to speak at conferences. After you do the first few they seem to come more and more often if you are an engaging speaker that your audience responds well to. The people in your audience are often the people who are also on the selection committee for other, similar conferences.

I don't do the "Tony Robbins" type of "motivational" speaking. I leave that to others who are so inclined.

.

[scot47]

It is strange that school staffrooms are full of people who do not want to be teachers !

[Yanklonigan]

Scot 47, it could be that many teachers think outside of the box and are restless by nature....especially English teachers.

As for as becoming a writer and a public speaker, it takes time to construct a full-time job out of it...and I haven't reached that point as of yet. I do have an internet presence after many years of writing articles, reviews, interviews, press releases and poems for online magazines, journals and blogs. I have put together an electronic portfolio of my best writings on my own web page that I use as advertisement for my writing abilities.

I have given presentations at conventions, libraries, clubs (Lion's Club for example) and here at my college. I have my presentations filmed and they're available at youtube and on my web page. I have also had an Irish film production film a ten-minute concept film based upon a screenplay I have written.

[Non Sequitur]

There's a thread somewhere about moving from teaching to entrepreneur in China.
I'll bump it if i can find it.

[Non Sequitur]

Here:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=28310&highlight=entrepreneur
Some of the ideas overlap with this thread.

[spanglish]

[getbehindthemule]

Some alternative choices for teachers who really have had enough of the classroom:

1. Open a bar / small restaurant / sandwich shop.
2. Run a small guesthouse.
3. Aquaponics and other sustainable agricultural systems.
4. Import/Export business.
5. Blag your way into a company with a very high paid 'foreign expert' type job.
6. Invest your time researching and investing in stocks and shares.

I've known people who had left teaching to do the above with varying degrees of success.

[JZer]

[JZer]

[Vince]

[nomad soul]

Staying within the field of education/training... Add educational voice-over actor to the list.