So what are the options for a teacher who has been laid off? It may seem hopeless; after all, can you really compete with thousands of other educators for the few remaining education jobs? What makes matters worse is that it’s the tenured teachers with years of experience who are finding it hardest to obtain a new position. Principals would rather pay half the price for a teacher just out of school, or worse yet, one who has not even qualified for the position! For those teachers who refuse to stand by during the summer helplessly, there are options!

First off, for teachers who want to continue teaching, note that teacher jobs do not have to be positions in the Department of Education. Many parents seek tutors during the summer, and there’s no better tutor than a teacher. Tutoring can bring in extra money to help you deal with your job loss, and may even continue into the Fall.

Another option for those educators who can’t stay away from teaching is to teach at colleges and universities, as well as online campuses. While these types of jobs do not offer the same steady pay and benefits as a K-12 position, they do allow for a more flexible schedule. Additionally, some teachers find it more enjoyable working with a more mature audience.

In some cases, teachers find that they are so frustrated with their situation that they decide to leave teaching altogether. For these burnt out, stressed out teachers there are also many solutions. If being laid off made you feel free, then you’re probably ready for a new career. Consider things you’ve always loved doing, and take your time off in the summer to pursue them. You never know – by the end of summer, you may smile every time you read about budget cuts.

Finally, teachers always have the option of starting their own business. The benefits of starting a new business are that you no longer have to answer to anyone else. Anyone who has dealt with the bureaucracies of teaching knows that oftentimes the things you are asked to do make no sense. This is what makes teaching so stressful at times. Also, when you run your own business, you control what you make. You can work as hard, or as little as you want depending on your needs and goals. And best of all? No one can fire you!

It’s a good time to examine the reasons you quit teaching. What brought you to this decision? A lot of times educators lose focus because there are so many politics staring them in the face. Sometimes the cons outweigh the pros. One con is definitely the low pay. Putting up with those who control the way you choose to do your job is seldom easy and most teachers know they do not get paid enough to do that. But the real issue is if it’s the thing you love to do the most or not. If you love what you do, then lack of pay and questionable administration mean nothing in the face of knowing you are planting seeds into young lives.

On the other hand, there are those who entered the profession for the wrong reasons. Maybe they could not see themselves in another career, they thought it would be more fulfilling, or they thought it was an easy job. If education is not the career for you, it’s okay to quit teaching. You may not know what else you can do and you may not feel qualified to do anything else, but that is untrue. Discovering where to go next could be like treading water. Try something new until you find the thing you want to do.

As an accredited teacher there are possibilities you probably have not considered. Many businesses are open to anyone with a degree and good work history. Consider starting your own business, what better time is there? Get an online job, you may find you love it or it’s just a stepping stone to your next adventure. Do what you love to do, not what you have to. That could involve teaching or any other profession.

There are steps you can take when you feel you might be dismissed or you feel you’re being monitored for possible action. Keep in mind, one tiny slip up is usually not going to get you fired. For the most part, it’s a multitude of these slip-ups that cause the documentation police to go into action. Every time you’re given a write-up, you need to write your point of view as a rebuttal. Always seek others who will back up your side of the story. If possible, have them put in writing what happened for you to submit with the write up. You always have the right to look at your personnel record, so if you feel you’re being railroaded into a write-up, ask to see what is being entered. In addition, wait a few weeks after the episode is over and ask again to make sure nothing additional has been added after the fact.

No matter how much you perceive that you’re disliked or targeted, the school cannot discharge you without a disciplinary meeting. You will be notified in advance so that you can begin to prepare your defense. Note, the school disciplinary board is required to assume your innocence until it’s proven otherwise, just like in the justice system. You also have the right to examine all the documents and “evidence” they are using against you. A word to the wise. Pay your union dues and stay in the teacher’s union! This way, you’ll always have someone on your side to help you fight unjust charges and to present your side of the story in case of a misunderstanding.

If you’ve gotten fired, you’ve got to brush off your pants and move on. Dwelling on the situation if you were wronged is not going to change any one’s mind or get your job back. Secondly, apply for unemployment insurance. If you’ve been fired for misconduct, this may not be approved, but you can always submit your side of what happened. If it’s unclear about exactly what happened, the unemployment office may side with you the job hunter.

When you interview for future jobs, be honest, be concise and move on. Practice ahead of time what you’re going to say and keep the same story regardless. Don’t lie, admit if you made a mistake and talk about the lesson you learned, but keep it moving. Remember to never insult or talk bad about your former school or employer. That only makes you look bad. Like the old song says, accentuate the positive. You may decide to take a break after the dismissal and go into a different field. Perhaps you’ll decide to look for online opportunities or look into educational software positions. There are always options for a well-educated, well-spoken individual. Focus on all that you’ve learned and the skills you obtained while teaching. These can benefit many industries or corporations. Most of all, if the worst does happen to you, remember that it’s an isolated incident in your life. It shouldn’t define you or what your future has the capability of becoming.

Trouble students can often cause a lot of stress for teachers. Some teachers have been teaching so long that they can not handle the stress involved in teaching any longer. A person’s health should be considered very important. If stress is causing a teacher health problems, they should resign from teaching. While many teachers feel guilty about resigning, there are many legitimate reasons why resignation is the best route for some people. Emergencies come up. Sometimes the health of a teacher deteriorates for reasons not related to stress, but they can not teach because of their health problems. Some teachers need to move because of a better job offer or their spouse’s job.

If a teacher finds the need to resign, they should be sure to give their employer notice about the resignation. Students can not depend on substitute teachers to educate them until the school finds a replacement for negligent teachers who have left unexpectedly. It is most responsible to wait until the end of the school year to resign from teaching. Sometimes this is not possible, but a teacher should at least try to wait until midterm or winter recess to resign. A resignation should always be presented in a letter of resignation to an employer. A teacher should also express their gratitude to their employer, and ask for a reference letter. A teacher should also be open with their students. No personal details are needed, but a teacher should inform students of the fact that they are leaving and discuss it with the class. This should especially happen if a teacher is leaving during the year.