The Real Reason You Haven’t Left Teaching Yet

It’s not just fear. It’s identity, uncertainty, and the story you’re still telling yourself.

If you’re a teacher who’s been thinking about leaving for months -  maybe even years -  but still haven’t made a move, I want to tell you this:

You’re not lazy. You’re not flaky. You’re not ungrateful.

You’re stuck -  and there’s a reason for that.

It’s not just about job security or pensions or the “golden holidays.” It’s something deeper and more human: fear of change, and more importantly, fear of losing who you are.

A 2020 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that when people undergo major career transitions, one of the most significant barriers is identity loss -  the deep fear that if you’re not “Miss,” “Sir,” or “Teacher,” then who are you?

Psychologist Herminia Ibarra, in her work on career change, calls this the “liminal space” -  the uncomfortable in-between where your old identity no longer fits, but your new one isn’t clear yet. It's where self-doubt creeps in. And it's also where people tend to freeze.

So what do we do when we’re stuck?

We scroll job boards like Indeed, hoping inspiration will strike. We search for “jobs for ex-teachers” and bookmark roles we don’t feel qualified for. We spend hours in Facebook groups asking strangers what they’re doing next.

But without a vision, those job boards can feel like fishing for a sardine in a massive lake. (Let’s call it Lake Career Crisis, and you're searching for Simon the Sardine.) You cast your line, reel in confusion, and end up no closer to catching the clarity you need.

This week, I worked with a teacher who had been in this exact place.

She wanted to change. She was burnt out and ready to move on -  but she had no idea what to do next!

After just one 90-minute session together, everything shifted.

We explored what she truly valued in a job -  not just the tasks, but the feel of her future life. We uncovered her untapped strengths and what she needed from a working environment. By the end of the session, she had not only identified the heritage sector as her next direction, but she had already begun mentally positioning herself within it.

She was excited.

She felt grounded.

She finally saw a way forward -  and it was hers!

I can’t wait for our next session, where we’ll begin turning that clarity into an actionable plan.

The Result!

This is what happens when you stop fishing blindly and start designing your path with intention.

You move from:

❌ Self-doubt                      →            ✅ Self-trust

❌ Overwhelm                    →            ✅ Clarity

❌ “I can’t do this”            →            ✅ “I know exactly where I’m headed”

The real reason you haven’t left teaching yet isn’t because you’re incapable -  it’s because you haven’t had the right space to figure out where you’re going.

That’s where I come in…

For a limited time, I’m offering a FREE 60-minute 1:1 coaching session designed specifically for teachers who are ready to explore life beyond the classroom but don’t know where to start.

In this session, we’ll:

• Clarify what you really want from your next role

• Identify what’s been keeping you stuck

• Start creating a career direction that aligns with your life

👉 Click here to book your free session

Places are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis -  so if you’re ready to stop scrolling and start moving forward, now’s your chance.

You don’t need to have all the answers -  you just need the courage to take the first step.