The Adventures After Teaching Podcast

After years as a primary class teacher and PE leader, Lauren knew it was time to leave. The decision came down to her health and wellbeing, and stepping away from teaching meant stepping into real uncertainty - trying different things, juggling multiple roles at once, and figuring out what she actually wanted. Now working with young people as a Programme Manager across the creative industries, Lau...

"Two emotions can exist at the same time. The grief can exist with the relief." Bex went into teaching straight out of university with her identity firmly attached to it. Quickly finding the environment ‘all-consuming’ and ‘energy depleting’, she spent 12 years in and out of the classroom - always getting pulled back in as she struggled to separate from a career she’d worked so hard for....

"I don't think I would have been out of teaching by now had I not joined.” After 20 years in the classroom - 13 in secondary and 7 in primary - Steph had reached a point where she was really ready for a change. She felt stuck, and not for the first time; she'd tried to leave eight years earlier and given up, resigning herself to staying put in the classroom. This time, with the righ...

"I just think you're not trapped. You have options."  Kate left teaching after 23 years in the secondary English classroom - not with a plan, but with the certainty that something had to change. Long-term supply work gave her breathing space but not direction, and by the time she found the Adventures After Teaching Academy, she was no longer burnt out, just lost. Having already inve...

"Once I'd made that decision, I just felt like a weight had been lifted." After 13 years in primary education - taking on the roles of phase leader, assistant head, and eventually acting head - Iain hit a wall. The workload became unmanageable, and he was signed off with work-related stress before handing in his notice in May without anything else lined up. Returning to a lovely new...

 "I feel like a nicer partner, a nicer mum, a better friend." After 17 years teaching PE at the same school, Lucy had begun to feel the weight of an environment she describes as an "exams factory" - constantly performing, constantly visible, and increasingly exhausted by the relentless pace. Knowing she had transferable skills but unsure how to package them, she joined the Adve...

"I don’t miss the school holidays." After 25 years in the classroom, the last several as Head of Health and Social Care, Jessica reached a point of burnout and knew she no longer wanted to teach. A Google search led her to the Adventures After Teaching Academy, where she focused on rebuilding her self-esteem before even thinking about her next career move. Now an Employment Advisor for a...

" The biggest change for me is just noticing how much more energy I have for my children." Former teacher John-Paul reached a turning point during a difficult first term following a job move and the birth of his daughter. Knowing something had to change, he sought support from those around him and found the Adventures After Teaching community, giving him that reassurance that he wasn&apo...

" We underestimate how brilliant we are as teachers. " Former primary teacher Rachel left the classroom when work-related stress began affecting her physical health. Despite loving the classroom, the long exhausting days and a particularly challenging final year made her decision clearer. After leaving at the end of August without a job lined up, Rachel took time to decompress before sec...

“Everything I put in, I know I’m building something.” Sarah had always admired entrepreneurs but never imagined starting a business of her very own. After years in teaching and reaching a point where she knew she couldn't continue full-time in the classroom, she discovered Adventures After Teaching and found her path to becoming a Virtual Assistant (VA).  Now running her own VA business part-...

"I definitely wouldn't have got there as quickly as I did without the support from the Academy.” After 18 years as a headteacher and over 30 years working in education, Kate found herself struggling with mental health and burnout. When off sick, she discovered Adventures After Teaching, taking part in our free ‘Stay or Go?’ event and then making the decision to invest in more support - a...

"Don't be afraid to speak up and negotiate your terms." Former Deputy Head and SENDCO Catherine left a role she loved when burnout, wearing too many hats, and increasing expectations became unsustainable. Despite her specialised knowledge and passion for the work, she found herself physically, emotionally, and socially exhausted - struggling to perform her multiple roles as effectiv...

“For the first time in my life I was very unsure about where I was headed and what I could do differently to teaching because I'd been doing it for so long.” Hannah, a primary school teacher for nine years, left the classroom seeking better work-life balance so she could be there more for her teenagers at home. Now a Youth Participation Advisor working globally to end malnutrition, she's...

"There is another side, and it's life-changing." Former Head of School, Sarah spent 13 years in teaching before deciding to listen to her inner voice and pivot towards a completely different path. Now an Employer Engagement Manager working in the not-for-profit sector, Sarah has found a role that utilises her communication and engagement skills across different audiences whilst offe...

“I do not feel that sheer tiredness that I did when I was finishing a school day.” Former Early Years Teacher Tina spent 13 years in the classroom, working as both an Early Years Lead and Forest School Lead, before making the decision to leave teaching. Now a Team Support Administrator at a large national energy company, she's enjoying hybrid working, better sleep, and a workplace culture tha...

"Life is far too short." Former primary school teacher Emma spent 10 years in the classroom before making the leap to a Programme Officer role at a university. While she knew early on teaching wasn't her "forever career," the decision to leave was still incredibly difficult. After facing rejection in education-adjacent roles, Emma found support through the Adventures After...

“It’s the best feeling when you’ve made that decision … it took a weight off my shoulders when I said ‘I’m gonna do this.’” Former primary school teacher Barbara spent 12 years in the classroom, mostly teaching years five and six alongside middle leadership roles. By her seventh year, some of the excitement that she once had for the classroom had waned, and trying to fix it by changing schools or...

"There is light at the end of the tunnel." Former secondary school French teacher in Scotland, Laura left the profession after five years, having experienced burnout due to staffing crises and increasing workload pressures. As the only consistent staff member in her modern languages department amid post-Brexit staffing shortages, the isolation and pressure eventually led to her being sig...

The right role at the right time for the right people. Two former primary teachers, Emma and Victoria, share their inspiring journey of leaving the classroom together - though they'd never met before! After teaching for 12 years each, they both secured roles as primary curriculum writers for Developing Experts.  Now they're enjoying creative freedom, collaborative culture, and the chance...

"I've never had so many people literally bending over backwards to support me with anything that I want to do."  Former secondary science teacher Jen left the profession after 23 years, feeling lonely and lost about what to do next. Initially unsure of her direction and at "rock bottom," she found the community and structure she needed in the Academy. Now a Project Support...

"If all these people are able to get jobs, I'm able to get a job." Former teacher Rich had been in the profession for a long time when the stress and lack of sleep began taking a physical toll. Despite working at a school he loved, he knew he needed a break from teaching itself and, after personal life events put things into a new perspective, Rich knew it was time to make the caree...

"I definitely felt loaded with more tools and belief in myself." Secondary English teacher and Head of KS3, Camilla left teaching a few years ago, seeking different ways to make an impact outside of the classroom whilst still taking the bits of teaching that she loved with her. Now a Sustainability Consultant, she's enjoying working across different industries and projects, with gro...

“I just knew that I had to make that change.” In a supportive school but with her own changing priorities, Primary and Early Years Teacher Georgia was tired of missing out on quality family time and feeling exhausted by the demands of teaching. Leaning into her subject specialism as R.E. Curriculum Lead, she’s found her “dream role” as a Regional Advisor for an education group, providing curriculu...

“If they can do it, I can do it.” Former Primary Deputy Head Natalie was on her second maternity leave when she decided to explore her career options outside of teaching. With creeping anxiety about returning to work and worries about not being present enough at home, she shares that “it had been a long time coming for me.” Now a Neurodiversity Family Support Practitioner with the NHS, Natalie is...

“It’s about the right role at the right time.” After spending 14 years teaching mostly in Further Education, Head of Faculty Gareth left the classroom to pursue new opportunities. Whilst he found his time in education both valuable and enjoyable, particularly at the start of his teaching journey, he began to question the work-life model he was providing to other members of his team.  Now a Senior...