You’re not ready for the real answer
“Why did you leave teaching?”
I hated this question when I left teaching in 2014.
Every former educator has encountered this question at least once, but people from other professions aren’t subjected to this line of questioning.
No one cares if you left sales, finance, or tech. But for some reason, it’s different for teachers.
Whether it’s intentional or not, the question is loaded with a lot of judgement. The real question isn’t “Why did you leave teaching?”
The real question is “How dare you leave teaching? Don’t you feel guilty? What about the kids? Were you a bad teacher?”
Where to begin?
Maybe it’s the unrealistic demands of being a teacher-parent-nurse-counselor?
Maybe it’s the parents who make teachers out to be the villain.
Maybe it’s the corrupt school district that cuts teacher pay, freezes their raises, and threatens to nullify teaching licenses if they go on strike.
Maybe it’s the school shooter drills that are designed to respond to a crisis rather prevent them.
