When you begin your career in education, you might have big dreams of making a difference in the lives of hundreds of children. But as your career progresses, perhaps you become a little disenchanted with the role you play. It’s easy to feel like you’re not making the change that you wanted to make, or like your career is going nowhere fast.
However, perhaps you’re not ready to leave the world of education just yet. If you want to continue working in education but you also want something new, you can consider a few ways to reboot your career in education.
Find a New Employer
The most obvious thing for many people who are unhappy in their job is to look for a new employer. You don’t want to give up your educational career, but you’re not happy in your current workplace. The first thing you should do is consider what it is that makes you unhappy in your role.
Is it the management, the resources (or lack of them), the location or even the students themselves? Once you have identified what is causing you to be less than satisfied in your current job, you can look for opportunities that might be more suitable for you.
Switch Directions
Perhaps you want to keep working in education but you’re reconsidering your role. Whether you’re a teacher, classroom assistant or something else, maybe you’ve felt the call of a different position. You might think about going back to school to study an online masters in school counseling, aiming to take on a more supportive role for students instead of an educational one.
Or perhaps you want to spend less time in the classroom and more time helping with the organizational side of an educational establishment. You might consider aiming for a promotion or changing roles altogether.
Look for Opportunities Abroad
Another interesting way to get something new from your career in education is to think about looking for opportunities abroad. This could mean finding a new job or even spending some time volunteering. One thing to consider is your education and experience, and how they might be received in another country.
If you’re looking for international work opportunities, you could think about finding a position at an international school. Another alternative is to look for opportunities to teach English, which sometimes requires a specific qualification and other times might not.
Start Your Own Business
If you have a background in education, you could even consider starting your own company. One possibility is to offer tutoring services using your qualifications and experience. You might find that you prefer working with no more than a handful of children at one time, and you could eventually step back from tutoring altogether and simply run the business.
You could sell online courses and educational materials, start extra-curricular and after-school activities or even run a summer camp.
If you think your career in education needs a jumpstart, there are several avenues to explore. You can continue working in education and find something to inspire you.