The high stakes associated with teaching aren’t a secret. As educators, we’re acutely aware of the significant demands of our job. When I hear people outside the profession refer to teaching as “a little bit stressful,” I can’t help but bless their little hearts. Since education impact lives, not products, calling it “a little stressful” is like calling Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos just “a little unqualified.”
Many of us have fallen prey to the pressures and opted out of the classroom for the sake of our mental and/or physical health.
Though no longer teaching in the traditional sense, some still want to remain connected to education. I can certainly relate! Here are 10 alternate jobs that will get you out of the classroom but not out of the profession.
1. Educational Policy Expert
If you’re considering leaving the classroom, chances are it’s because you don’t agree with a mandated policy … or 30. Be the change and all that jazz by becoming a policy expert: a person who has hands-on administrative experience with a desire to review and adjust policies within educational institutions.
2. Curriculum Writer/Director
Want to improve the quality of what students learn? Interested in working with teachers? Informing curriculum is a great way to directly impact what goes on in the classroom, without actually being in it! It’s also among the highest-paying jobs in education. Ka-ching!
3. School Librarian
You’re surrounded by books and students and none of that high-stakes pressure. Say it with me: BEST. JOB. EVER.
4. Educational Consultant
In the interest of transparency, I had to look this one up. What does an educational consultant actually do?! Apparently there are several different ways in which an ed consultant helps schools, the most common being maintaining what’s working (curriculum, resources, budget) and replacing what’s not. Learn more about this gig here.
5. Online Educator
Red tape and pressure still apply, but becoming an online educator has been a game changer for many of us, myself included. The pay, even when salaried, is less, but so is the stress. Fair trade-off, I think!
6. Community Director
Think your local YMCA or youth center. A teacher is the perfect person to organize and facilitate educational and athletic programs and events. It’s a form of education, sprinkled with some dodgeball.
7. Guidance Counselor
Distant cousin of the librarian, guidance counselors are in a unique position to help students and make improvements to the school. While still working within a school district, counselors serve as personal advocates for students in need and are responsible for organizing programs to help the masses.
8. Director of Technology
I found this example of a director of technology’s job description online, and though it’s from 2013, it’s consistent with today’s expectations. WARNING: If you don’t want to keep up with ever-changing technology or if punting your laptop when it won’t connect to the network sounds like a reasonable solution, this gig is probably not for you.
9. Educational Curator for the Public
Pretty sure that’s just a fancy way of saying a person who manages and implements educational events and programs at places like museums and zoos. It’s like teaching but with a high-stakes potential of having monkey poo thrown at you.
If none of the aforementioned jobs sound appealing to you, perhaps the following and final option is just the thing to get you out of the classroom while retaining ties to education. Though I should warn you, the stakes are even higher and the pay sucks.
10. Parent
The potential of royally screwing up a kid increases ten-fold in this position. The demands of this job are a moving bulls-eye, so keeping up with changing technology and policies is a must. The pay is nonexistent, and if you think strewn monkey poo is a job hazard, just you wait. Yet this gig, much like its counterpart, teaching, is one of the most rewarding jobs on the planet. Lasting contributions to the greater good and a full heart at the end of an exhausting day are somehow enough to keep us going.
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You seem to imply that librarians do not teach. School librarians are certified teachers, just like every “classroom” teacher in our schools. We are observed and evaluated just like them, as well. As for no pressure? Try being a librarian, who is split among 2 or 3 schools, or who is the only librarian in the entire district.
You have done every school librarian a disservice by this post and
minimized our profession.
Indeed. This is a very lazily written article that amounts to clickbait with no useful information at all.
I’m sorry that you don’t think school librarians are teachers. I have 15 classes every 4 days in my elementary school plus lunch and recess duty. Don’t forget that while the classroom teacher may have aides to help with the special ed students, I do not. I have less prep time than many teachers, but I not only have to prepare for 6 different class levels, I have clerical and admin work to do too. I am also assigned to the high school in my district. I have no aides and no volunteers. I work almost 60 hours a week trying to keep up, but it is a losing proposition.
Try my position for a week or so. Why do you think there is a shortage of school librarians??
PS. I may be surrounded by books, but I spend most of my time teaching technology.
Very well said! As I read this article, my blood began to boil and my mind began trying to put into words how very much I disagreed with the author’s point regarding school librarians. Last year my job consisted of being the school librarian; this year I was required to teach one section of 7th grade ELA with no adjustments made to my library responsibilities from the previous year! So, now I’m doing a job and a third with no real planning time for my ELA class, no time maintain a great library, and I’m still being paid for only 1 full-time job! I sarcastically have to say, “Sure, be a librarian!”
I agree with Rita above. What an unhelpful (read: ignorant) comment to make about school librarians…time to do some research and find out all the skills and responsibilities we have, that is, in those schools where administrators haven’t believed the lie that we sit around all day reading books.
I believe this article was good intentioned, meant to helpful and humorous, but as a school media coordinator with 22 years of experience, I must agree with Ms. Foran’s comment. There is much more to a librarian’s role than meets the eye. They often teach all day, plan lessons each week for multiple grade levels and have no planning period at all. In addition, they have all the administrative duties of managing a library. Often they are expected to be the instructional and technology leaders in their schools. It is incredibly stressful work.
Teacher Librarians –
* Can plan one lesson and present it to 15 different classes.
* Have a very prescriptive lesson duration (usually 30 minutes).
* Do not have to devise accountable assessment tasks.
* Do not have to mark assessment tasks.
* Do not write individual student reports.
* Do not do Parent Teacher Interviews.
* Do not have to start accepting classes until Term 1 Week 5, when the library is pretty enough.
* Can stop accepting classes 5 weeks from the end of Term 4, while they do a stock take.
* Teacher Librarians wouldn’t go back to being a Classroom Teacher for love nor money.
Thanks for the light-hearted article.
True about the “Teacher” part, but you have no idea the responsibilities of the “librarian” part. Obviously you are a classroom teacher who doesn’t understand what is involved. I’m sorry your school librarian has not been able to work with you so that you can understand. Have a good year.
Really? How long have you been a librarian? And in what country. I AM a teacher/librarian and I teach across 4 grade levels. In my previous school, it was across 15 grade levels. I plan and teach different lessons to align with every different class. Yes, we stop accepting classes before end of year. Library inventories are mandated and take time. Perhaps we should do it during the summer while you are on holidays? We are here for PT interviews, we act as student advisors, and we begin and end every day long past when students are in classrooms. It sounds like a bit of sour grapes on your part David. Perhaps if you think it’s such a cakewalk, you should go BACK to school, get your MLIS and come out and spend some time in our shoes before you start slinging stones.
Stephanie, I always appreciate your insights and humor. I heard Dr. Wayne Dyer say that people spend a high percentage of time being offended, something like 45% (I can’t remember the exact quote/percentage). After I got over being offended that he would say I spend so much time being offended, I laughed and realized he was right. Keep on being insightful, helpful, funny, and in touch with your inner-crazy. I like you just the way you are. (Another misquote, I’m sure, from Mr. Rogers).