For many teachers, quitting their teaching jobs is frequently on their minds. But why? Aren’t teachers one of the most important jobs on the planet?

Yes, and that’s one of many reasons teachers quit. The job pressure, especially over the last few years, has created a new sense of teacher burnout that hasn’t been felt in this capacity before.

In August 2020, there was a peak in teachers leaving the profession, with 133k teachers quitting—not being laid off or other separations—and again in 2022, with more than 120k quitting. Both quitting floods have created an education crisis with teacher shortages nationwide, stretching current teachers even thinner and perpetuating teacher burnout.

So what happened in the last few years to cause such an exodus of teachers quitting from elementary, middle, high schools, and even colleges?

Why are teachers quitting?

Low Salaries

Given teachers' importance to society, they’ve long been under-appreciated in the salary department. The average starting salary for a teacher in the United States is $42,844, well below the nationwide average wage of $59,384.

And, unfortunately, the low salary continues to get lower with inflation. According to the National Education Association, “teachers are making $3,644 less, on average, than they did ten years ago, adjusted for inflation.”

Criticism and Scrutiny

Teachers also face intense criticism and scrutiny from parents, administrators, and other members of society despite working overtime and going above and beyond to keep up with their classrooms and students.

The rise in censorship and cultural, political, and lifestyle divide have also contributed to intense criticism against educators who must tip-toe around beliefs when teaching students about history, racism, and other sensitive subjects.

Challenging Student/Parent Relationships

Criticism from challenging student and parent relationships contributes to a teacher’s emotional burnout. Especially during the pandemic, when students and their families were solely responsible for logging into virtual school, the challenges of managing students’ families were immense.

More than 80% of U.S. public schools reported a negative impact on student behavior and socio-emotional development caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing classroom disruptions and emotional exhaustion for teachers.

Instability and Lack of Support

Changing policies, teaching restrictions, and overall lack of stability regarding classroom support have caused teachers to feel underappreciated and unimportant. Similarly, fears associated with a lack of security and school violence leave teachers afraid for their (and their students) lives.

Are you experiencing teacher burnout? 

The constant challenges teachers face are leading to increased teacher burnout, characterized as chronic stress caused by a teacher’s occupation. The National Education Association defines it as “a condition in which an educator has exhausted the personal and professional resources necessary to do the job.”

Symptoms of teacher burnout include:

• Feeling stressed or irritable all the time
• Feeling tired 
• Having sleep issues (sleeping too much or having insomnia from worry) 
• Feeling sad or overwhelmed when thinking about teaching
• Not enjoying teaching
• Gaining or losing weight
• Unexplained hair loss 

Out of all industries in the U.S., K-12 teachers report experiencing burnout more than any other career. It’s the primary reason teachers are quitting the traditional education system at alarming rates. 

What can former teachers do after quitting teaching?

If you’re suffering from teacher burnout and consider yourself one of the many teachers quitting, you’ve no reason to worry about finding another job. Former teachers have quit traditional teaching to become social workers, human resources managers, tutors, and instructional designers.

If you want to hear from other former teachers before you decide to quit, listen to our podcast, Leaving the Classroom. It’s filled with real-life stories of ex-teachers transitioning from the traditional education system into new roles.

Becoming an instructional designer is a simple next step for former teachers. And, the average salary is higher with better work-life balance too.

As an instructional designer, you’ll continue to teach students and develop curriculum without stepping foot in a traditional classroom (typically). You’ll find work creating courses and designing learning materials for almost any industry, from technology to retail and healthcare to automotive. 

Instructional designers don’t need additional formal education, so don’t worry about returning to school. You can learn everything you need to know at IDOL Academy in as little as 24 weeks.

Take courses on your own time, virtually, and learn as you go with support in your journey to change your career. Build a portfolio, gain real-world experience, and get business and career coaching from those in your shoes! Our graduates have been hired by the top companies in the world, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce.