I Quit Teaching

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I finally decided to hang it up. I taught full time for 33 years, always in a multi grade setting where I had to keep a million things going at once. I was good at keeping the kids in line and making sure no one fell through the cracks and that they all learned what they were supposed to. I hated parent teacher conferences where I had to talk to another adult. I hated home visits (I always visited the home of every child) because I am not a conversationalist. I hated any social school gatherings. I started teaching decades before I knew I had ASD. Now it makes sense why all that stuff made me so uncomfortable.

These past few years I just taught part time. But I am 63 now and I don't think I could even handle part time now. It's the end of an era though. I do have a part time job in the office of the K-12 school where my husband is principal and teacher. I take care of all the finances and things like transcripts for the high school kids and making sure they take the right classes so they have enough credits to graduate. I guess I am the registrar now. I don't interact with people much. I mainly work on Quick Books on the computer. I can start collecting my teaching pension in two years. I guess my husband is disappointed though, we always taught at the same school. He's got 37 years of full time teaching in and three more to go. I hope he understands I just can't teach anymore. And I for sure don't want to sub. I've tried that and can't handle it because I have to try to do things the way someone else wants and I am not familiar with the kids. I just can't handle any form of teaching anymore. I feel like my husband is real disappointed though, not about the income, but that I won't be involved with the kids or other teachers. Thanks for listening.

you have a lot of toughness/grit, that is admirable that you could power through [what a lot of us would run screaming from] despite your AS. you have to do what is right for you, even if your husband doesn't quite understand. I take it your husband is not on the spectrum?

You should celebrate your 37 years of teaching and having the "grit" to face it every day. I gave up after 25 years of working as a programmer. There is nothing wrong or shameful in realizing that continuing to teach is not worth the daily struggle after so many years. Use your new freedom to find a way to contribute to your husband, family and school.

Your 37 years of dedicated service to all the children in your charge should be praised from the mountain top.

Thanks for the encouragement. You are correct, my husband is NT.

does he miss your company in the classroom? why does he want you to still teach even though you put in decades there?

He thinks I am isolating myself by just sitting at a computer using Quick Books and not interacting with students and faculty. He's slowly understanding that I am much less stressed and much happier just working alone.

i hope eventually he comes around to appreciating that you are happier this way.

33 years teaching in a classroom in a school is quite an accomplishment!
I student taught, and after that semester decided I would never teach in a school.
Actually *teaching* the kids and running the classroom was fine, but it was dealing with the parents, administration, and other teachers that I couldn't deal with. And I didn't even get a full taste of that, being a student teacher!
I still teach, but privately. And I run my own little music school where I teach small group classes. But I don't have to deal with the politics of a real school.
I also found it hard to keep track of all the papers and grading of a large classroom.

I agree with everyone else that you should celebrate your accomplishment! I know NTs who got to the end of their teaching careers and just couldn't take it anymore for one reason or another. I'm sure you will find a way to stay connected in your new position.

Hve you considered tutoring?

i taught for 3 years initially he wanted teachers as theirs was a small organisation. but over the years they prospered and they didnt want a quiet, shy person like me who couldnt play politics and handle the management, peers, colleagues. so they got nasty and insulted humiliated me

its been two years now i am at home and not earning, not working,

you really need to appreciate yourself and you could earn and be part of some use to society which is good