If you’ve ever found yourself staring at your planning late at night and thinking, “There must be another way to teach,” you’re not alone. More and more teachers are quietly wondering if they can keep going in a system that feels increasingly rigid, rushed, and exhausting.
I remember feeling torn. Loved that I was working with children, but I was worn down by the pressure, the pace, and the constant demands that left little room for creativity or care. Not ready to give up teaching altogether, but I was ready to leave the classroom. What I really wanted was a more child-centred role, one where I could still use my skills, but in a way that felt calm, meaningful, and personal.
If you’re starting to wonder whether traditional teaching is still right for you, this post is for you. In it, I’ll share five clear signs that you might be ready to leave teaching for a more child-centred role and find an alternative career that lets you work closely with children, without the burnout.
1. You Love Teaching — But the Job Feels Like It’s Draining You
This is one of the first signs I noticed in myself and I’m sure you’ve felt it too. You walk into the classroom full of enthusiasm, ready to give your best and for the most part, you do. But, by the end of the school day, you feel completely drained. Not tired in the usual way, but deeply exhausted, like you’re running on fumes. Then, you still have staff meetings to attend, books to mark and a lesson observation to prepare for. You probably reach the end of the day having fallen asleep on the sofa, or worst still, face planted your dinner! Finally you drag yourself off to bed, but your busy mind keeps you awake, going over things: is my planning ready for tomorrow, did I reply to that parent, will my lesson observation go well etc etc.
Still Love Teaching… But Not Like This?
You wake up the next morning still tired, but you get up and do it all again. Why? Because you care. You care about the children in your class. You want to do a good job and somewhere deep down, you still love teaching; that part hasn’t gone away.
But here’s the thing. When the job leaves no space to breathe, reflect, or simply rest, that love starts to wear thin. It’s hard to feel passionate about your work when your energy is being chipped away from every angle. This overwhelm from increased workload and demand on teacher’s time is leading to poor mental health amongst the profession. Read more about the pressures on mental health and wellbeing faced by teachers in the UK here.
And if you’re feeling like this in your very first few years, it’s only natural to wonder, “Is this sustainable? Is this really what I signed up for?”
You don’t have to stop teaching to find relief. You might just need a setting that lets you focus on the part you love, the actual teaching but without all the pressure that surrounds it. That’s why some teachers choose to leave teaching for a more child-centred role. One that still uses your skills, but doesn’t demand every last bit of your energy in return.
2. You Crave More Freedom to Teach in a Way That Actually Works
Do you ever find yourself looking at your beautifully written lesson plan and thinking, “This would be so much better if I could just… tweak it a bit”? Maybe you want to follow a child’s interest, spend longer on something they’re excited about, or scrap the worksheet altogether in favour of something hands-on and meaningful. You may want to do that, but there’s simply no time. The timetable says no. The learning objectives say no. The system says no.
So much of teaching these days is about ticking boxes, following set scripts, and rushing from one task to the next. There’s little space left for spontaneity or creativity and don’t get me started on Powerpoint!
When I was a newly qualified teacher in 2000, I remember the excitement of opening my brand-new interactive whiteboard. I was working in an inner-city school with plenty of funding, and it felt like such a leap forward. During my PGCE year, I’d spent my lunchtimes preparing lessons on the reverse side of one of those traditional freestanding whiteboards. So, to have the latest teaching technology on the wall of my very first classroom felt incredible.
But fast forward a decade, and after popping in and out of schools through supply work, I started to hear the phrase “death by PowerPoint” and worse, I experienced it myself. So many schools now rely on prescribed PowerPoint lessons, and they’re rarely inspiring for the children… or the teachers delivering them.
The Freedom to Teach, Not Just Deliver Content
It’s not that teachers don’t want to be creative, it’s that they’re rarely given the time or freedom to be. When lessons are pre-written, targets take priority, and there’s pressure to “stay on track,” it’s hard to teach in a way that truly connects with the children in front of you.
I realised how much I’d missed that freedom when I stepped into my first governess role. Suddenly, I could plan around the child. If they were fascinated by trains, then trains became the theme for reading, maths and even art. If they were having an off day, I could adapt. I didn’t have to plough ahead for the sake of the plan. I could meet the child where they were, and teach in a way that worked.
If you’re finding yourself frustrated by scripted lessons and longing to bring the joy and flexibility back into your teaching, it might be a sign you’re ready to leave teaching for a more child-centred role, one that lets you teach with purpose, not just PowerPoint.
It’s not that teachers lack creativity, it’s that the system rarely gives them the time or freedom to use it. Schools hand out pre-written lessons, set rigid targets, and pressure teachers to stay “on track,” leaving little room to teach in a way that truly connects with the children in front of them.
When I finally Got To Teach The Way I Wanted To
I realised how much I’d missed that freedom when I stepped into my first governess role. Suddenly, I could plan around the child. If they showed an interest in trains, then trains became the theme, for reading, maths, even art. If they had an off day, I adapted. I no longer had to plough ahead just to follow a plan. Instead, I met the child where they were and taught in a way that actually worked.
If scripted lessons leave you frustrated and you’re longing to bring back the joy and flexibility in your teaching, it could be a sign that you’re ready to leave teaching for a more child-centred role, one that lets you teach with purpose, not just PowerPoint.
3. You Still Love Teaching — But the Modern Classroom Is Wearing You Down
If you’re feeling burnt out but still love working with children, you’re not alone. Many teachers are leaving teaching because they reach a point where they realise the students aren’t the issue, it’s the system around them. That’s exactly what happened to me.
I was passionate about sparking curiosity, guiding children’s learning, and making a difference. I truly loved teaching. But over time, the rigid curriculum, relentless assessments, and trying to manage 32 Year 2 children in a cramped classroom left me drained. My energy was being consumed by paperwork, policies, and pressure, not by inspiring young minds.
As someone who grew up loving school and always dreamed of becoming a teacher, I found today’s education system almost unrecognisable from what I experienced in the ‘80s and ‘90s. It’s no wonder so many educators are questioning their future.
If you find yourself staying in teaching for the children but dreading everything else, it may be time to rethink your environment, not your career. There are alternative jobs for teachers that let you use your skills in a more supportive, rewarding setting, such as working as a private governess. Leaving teaching to become a governess, was my best career move.
The Frustration of Teaching Within a Broken System
Teaching used to be about connection and creativity. Now, it can feel more like behaviour management and data collection. Between unrealistic targets, ever-changing policies, and the pressure to teach to the test, many brilliant teachers are burning out.
Teachers are realising that they didn’t train for this. They want to be present for their students, not buried in admin or policing behaviour in a classes of 30 plus children. If you’re nodding along, you’re certainly not alone, but more importantly, you’re not stuck. Teachers are leaving for alternative careers and many leave teaching for a more child-centred role, such as becoming a governess or governor.
One-to-One Teaching as a Governess: A Child-Centred Alternative
Imagine being able to teach without the red tape. As a private governess, you can truly focus fully on a child’s individual needs, their interests and development. For those roles with pre-schoolers there isn’t the pressure of exam results or box ticking, you can prepare the child for school in a much more individualised way and faster progress is made with one-to-one than in a large nursery class. For the roles that do involve exam preparation, you can tailor your lessons to meet the child’s learning style and pace. In governess roles you become part of a family’s trusted inner circle, providing bespoke education that supports the whole child: emotionally, socially, and academically.
This is what makes the governess role so appealing to ex-teachers. You still get to teach, but with the freedom, flexibility, and respect that’s often missing in schools.
Curious About Becoming a Governess? Start Here
If you’ve never heard of a governess role before, or only know the old-fashioned image from Mary Poppins, you’re not alone. But modern governess work is a growing career path, especially for experienced teachers looking for more meaningful, flexible, and child-centred roles. Discover more by reading my previous blog post Why Teachers Make The Best Governesses or Governors.
4. Leaving Teaching — For A Better Work-Life Balance
Teaching is more than a job; it’s a lifestyle. But for many teachers, that lifestyle has become overwhelming. The evenings and weekends you once thought you’d use to relax are now filled with lesson planning, data entry, marking books, writing reports and prepping for inspections. Many teachers experience “The Sunday Scaries” (a general sense of dread that the weekend is over and work stress is about to begin again).
I was once in this position and I hated it. I resented having to use my own personal time to ‘work’ and became increasingly more annoyed that my ‘work’ was never ‘finished’. Social events were missed because I didn’t have the energy or time to attend them. Then one October night when I couldn’t get back to sleep, I decided enough was enough and I resigned that half term. This was one of the best decisions I ever made and accepting my first governess role was the next best decision I ever made.
I remember dragging bags of work home every Friday, only to spend hours catching up instead of recharging. Add in parent meetings, after-school clubs, and never-ending admin, and it’s easy to see why so many teachers feel like they’re constantly running on empty.
The latest State of Education: Workload and Wellbeing survey by the National Education Union found that 78% of teachers describe their workload as significant, and 95% cited poor work-life balance as a top cause of stress. With average working hours well above the legal limit, it’s no surprise that so many teachers feel overwhelmed, undervalued, and unable to keep up. These findings reflect what thousands of teachers already know, that the profession has become unsustainable for many.
Leaving Teaching to Achieve a Work-Life Balance
Wanting your time back doesn’t make you any less committed to children. In fact, a well-rested, fulfilled teacher is far more effective than one who’s stretched thin and burned out. After resigning I became a supply teacher, working day to day in different schools throughout the week. I loved it. Evenings and weekends became my own again and I could enjoy spending my free time on hobbies without the guilt. Eight years later was when I had the opportunity to become a governess and I have never looked back.
One of the biggest appeals of private governess roles is the balance they offer. You work consistent hours, often with evenings and weekends free. There’s no late-night marking, no 10 p.m. emails and no looming observations. You still get to teach, but on your terms. For those teachers who transition into this career, it gives them the best of both worlds; the ability to teach but also that work-life balance they crave.
5. You’re Exploring Alternative Careers — But Feel Stuck in Teaching
If you’ve ever found yourself late at night, secretly searching “alternative careers for teachers” after another exhausting day, you’re not alone. Thousands of brilliant teachers that are thinking about leaving teaching are quietly wondering if there’s a better way to use their skills, outside the traditional classroom.
For many teachers, the idea of leaving teaching feels overwhelming. Teaching is more than a job, it’s an identity. You’ve spent years training, planning, and shaping young lives. The thought of walking away feels like a risk, especially when it’s all you’ve ever known.
It’s Hard to Leave When No One Understands What It’s Really Like
One of the biggest fears teachers face when considering a career change is how others will react. You worry what your colleagues, friends, or family will think. Many people still believe teaching is a 9 to 3 job with long summer holidays, they don’t see the unpaid overtime, the endless marking, the data tracking, or the emotional toll.
In 2025, teaching is under more scrutiny than ever before. While glossy adverts paint the profession as joyful and fulfilling, those in the classroom know a different story. You’re managing behaviour, adapting to constant policy changes and working evenings and weekends just to keep up. It’s no wonder so many teachers feel stuck, undervalued, and burnt out.
But here’s the truth: feeling curious about what else is out there doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re ready for more. Ready to leave teaching for a more child-centred role.
Leaving teaching and Ready to Take the First Step?
If any of these signs resonated with you, you’re not alone and you’re not stuck. Whether they’re leaving teaching due to craving more balance, more freedom, or a fresh start outside the classroom, teachers are building careers that work for them, not against them. You could too!
Thousands of teachers are already making the leap into more rewarding, child-focused roles. Teachers are leaving teaching for roles such as tutoring, mentoring or becoming a private governess or VIP nanny. And I’m here to help you explore that path.
Learn what a governess really does, how to get started, and the steps to transition with confidence, even if you’ve never worked in private households before.
