Teacher wants to be talked out of quitting mid-year

Q: I’m a public elementary school teacher in Maryland, and I am burnt out. We’re talking “crispy around the edges” burnt out. I’m so tired of working in a system that prioritizes the needs of misbehaving kids and disrespectful parents over the needs of the vast majority of students and their families. I have wanted to quit all year, but I’ve felt too guilty to leave my students (and colleagues, who I know would have to cover for me until they somehow found a sub mid-year). To deal with feeling stuck, I started to apply out. I unexpectedly landed the perfect “escape hatch” much faster than expected, and that’s making it much, much harder to stay put. Especially since I know I’ll leave at the end of the school year no matter what.

Much to my surprise, the first organization I interviewed with offered me a job. A GREAT job at a nonprofit that’s closer to my home. I will get paid more and be treated like a professional, or at minimum get to use the restroom whenever I want, and I will likely have much more energy left for my own family. I can think of a million and one reasons to leave my teaching job, but I worry that I’m not thinking clearly. Can you play devil’s advocate and convince me that I shouldn’t quit mid-year? I at least want to be thoughtful, especially since this would involve acting out of character. I usually stick with obligations until the bitter end. Thank you.

A: No one can decide for you, but I can help you take a deeper dive. I’ll first reiterate the two reasons you provided. You don’t want to leave your students and colleagues in the lurch mid-year, and you recognize that leaving would be out of sync with your values. Explore both of those reasons in depth. You may need to give yourself some emotional distance. Ask yourself questions such as: “How do I think I’ll feel about this decision in five weeks, five months, or five years?” and “How would I advise a colleague in the same situation?” Or try imagining you’re in a hot air balloon looking down on the scenario. What do you think is likely to happen after you leave? How would it impact your students or your relationships with your colleagues? Would it damage your own self-concept?