There’s no doubt that the past few years have been challenging for everyone, and particularly difficult for educators. After being hailed as heroes during the initial stages of the pandemic, teachers faced a constantly-changing landscape of remote learning, hybrid, and in-person instruction, plagued with quarantines, staffing shortages, and controversy over school policies. On top of that, children returned to school with increased academic and social-emotional needs. It’s no wonder there’s been a significant increase in the number of teachers seeking to leave the classroom!
At Teaching Channel, we’re devoted to meeting educators’ needs for professional development, throughout your career. We wanted to create a course to support those who may be thinking, “I can’t do this anymore, but what could be next?” As two former classroom teachers who made the difficult decision to leave, we decided to write the guide we wished we’d had when we were thinking about changing our professional path – 5219: Building on Your Strengths for Professional Wellbeing.
If you’ve been thinking about making a change, but find yourself unsure how to move forward–please know you’re not alone! In the video below, the course writers and instructor share our stories. We hope that hearing about our experiences, and the reasons we decided to write this course at this time, may inspire you to explore your options!
Have we sparked your interest? Read on to learn more about what to expect when you register for 5219: Building on Your Strengths for Professional Wellbeing!
In Module 1, you’ll engage in self-reflection to better understand what kind of change you might need. You’ll contemplate why you teach, your specific joys and challenges in the classroom, and how your identity is tied to your role as teacher.
Then, in Module 2, you’ll select from 3 pathways, each with different activities and resources to meet your needs:
- Staying in your current role, but making positive changes
- Transitioning to a different role in your school or district
- Leaving teaching altogether and exploring a different role in education or another career path
Once you’ve chosen your path, you’ll complete activities to help you understand your options and how to move forward! You’ll explore manageable steps and recommended resources to guide you in research, upskilling, and more. Then, in Module 3, you’ll create your vision for the future and an actionable plan, so you’ll be ready to take the next step whenever you choose to do so.
As you watched the video above, perhaps you could relate as we described the considerations that led us to think about a change, the different roles we pursued, and where we landed in the end. Although we’re no longer working directly with students, we continue to connect with teachers and impact students in a different way through the professional development we provide. Whichever path you choose, Teaching Channel is here for you every step of the way!
