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Ask for help > Retiring from teaching
Retiring from teaching
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elderberrywine
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Retiring from teaching
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You�re approaching retirement? You have been teaching all your life?
Teaching children and teaching languages has been much more than a job for you, it has been a way of life, it has been a calling, a vocation, it has given your life sense and meaning. You have been aware of the fact that you have been fulfilling an important function in your society, an important task that gave your life purpose. Surely you found it more and more difficult to put up with the noise, the ever-increasing paperwork, the diversity of children, the fact that your society might expect far too much from school that parents are not willing or able to give their children any more. You came home more and more tired and relied on that little nap after school, before you pulled yourself together to prepare the lessons for the following day. But you had this purpose and this function and you loved to see those kids� or young people�s faces and enjoyed their moments of eagerness and interest.
Now this is soon going to be over, you are reaching your expiration date as a highly functional member of your society.
School has been such an important and such a large part of your life ... are you afraid of being left with too little? Of being bored, feeling useless? Or are you eager to do all the things that had to be put off for so many years because somehow between your own kids and those you taught in school you never had time?
Did you prepare yourself for this moment? Did you have illusions about it and have to unexpectedly re-define your post-teaching life? How do you deal with the big hole that is left in your day, your mind, your way of thinking?
How long after retirement do you think you will stop reading and coming across things and automatically reflecting on how they could be put to use in class?
Are you afraid that you, who had to juggle so many things at the same time and who ate "multitasking" for breakfast, lunch and dinner for decades, will soon find little chores tiring and complex that got done
Please share your thoughts and experiences with me. I�ve got a while to go, but many of the co-workers I�ve been with are leaving or have recently left, so these thoughts preoccupy me.
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17 Jul 2019
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karagozian
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Dear friend, You are describing exactly what happened to me for years and came to an end about two years ago. Well, now I have loads of activities and especially very happy to be able to go on by uploading my work as well as making new worksheets. I hope and do think they are helpful to teachers who have to juggle between school, their own kids etc... loss of time in traffic jams etc........ Days were always too short to do my work properly. Thank you for that post. Monique |
17 Jul 2019
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elderberrywine
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Monique, if you have stopped teaching, who are you making new worksheets for? Just for the other teachers here? |
17 Jul 2019
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karagozian
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Well, Also for myself. I�m taking pleasure. Really. |
17 Jul 2019
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karagozian
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I don�t think I�m an exception here, unable to stop the process completely. Teaching is a fantastic job !!! |
17 Jul 2019
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teresasimoes
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Hello, My dear friend, Your words echo in my ears as a familiar situation. I have retired from school for almost five months now, but I´m not actually retired from teaching. As matter of fact, I am doing voluntary work, teaching my peers once a week and also at the University of Third Age. I am also thinking of publishing my book that has been being written for some time and home improvements are being done too. It is true that now I have time to do what has been waiting to be done for so many years, but I don´t deny that I miss my work daily routine, my students and my peers and I feel lonely sometimes. Uselessness is not an absent word in my mind, but it loses its value when I do some gardening or needlework. I think it´s a huge change, but the key is to do different activities and make the most of your freedom to do what you enjoy doing. All the best, Teresa |
17 Jul 2019
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cunliffe
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Hi guys, I�m retired - I got voluntary redundancy when I was 58 - but I�m too busy just now to reply fully - busy preparing lessons. I am teaching for four weeks at a summer school in the south of England. It is very full-on (hard work), but fun too. I have made some great friends and the age range is from 25 to 69. Yes, I have teamed up with two gals about to turn seventy! Suffice it to say, I am the baby;-) Last October, I taught for one hour a day on a cruise. Like Monique, I enjoy making resources. It might be sacrilege on here, but I also sell some. One ppt has made me quite a sum on TES. If anybody wants to know how much, send me a pm. It wouldn�t really be English to say in public;-))) One day, I�m going to tour the world meeting up with eslp members. And write a book, plant some trees, rescue cats. I must not lie on the sofa watching TV, eating chocolate and drinking Prosecco. Oh how I wish I was right now! Lynne |
17 Jul 2019
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karagozian
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On your tour don�t forget to make a halt in Toulouse. |
18 Jul 2019
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yanogator
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and when you get to the US, Lynne, be sure to visit The Queen City of the West, Cincinnati. Bruce :)
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23 Jul 2019
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