Considering leaving your teaching job?
Jessica Doering 
Read about some considerations for teachers who are thinking about turning in their notice.
Considering leaving your teaching job? Here are some tips to help you decide when it's a good time to leave and when staying makes sense. (We cannot know all of your financial and life circumstances, so this is not financial or legal advice. Seek financial, legal, and career advice from the appropriate professionals!)
(1) You are physically sick from the stress. It may be time to consider finding another job. Physical ailments from toxic stress can lead to lasting detrimental health impacts. Take care of your body--you only get one!
(2) Your coworkers don't have a heart for sharing resources with you, but you share nonstop. This might be a great opportunity for healthy conflict resolution. They may not realize what's going on, and you may need to community clearly with them what your expectations are for participating in your professional community. Share that you would love to see collaboration on resources and put healthy boundaries in place. Avoid pettiness or revenge, as these don't move the culture in the direction you want it to go.
(3) Students have many challenging behaviors and you haven't been taught how to handle those. This is an opportunity for better training! Advocate for yourself with admin, and join communities that help teachers with compassionate classroom management techniques.
(4) Students physically harm you and your administration doesn't help you. Just as students have the right to feel safe in the classroom, teachers should be able to come to work in a safe environment. Barring any special circumstances that you may have known about prior to getting the job (e.g. working with a particular special needs population that may involve physical behaviors), this shouldn't be tolerated. And even in the situation where you are expected to encounter some physical contact, you are entitled to adequate training to handle these. If you don't get it, it might be time to leave.
(5) Administrators aren't supportive, offering only criticism and no resources or mentorship. This is a massive red flag. Administrators who cannot mentor teachers who need help are unlikely to be able to handle the massive demands of the job that involve building the kind of community that cares for everyone with compassion and grace. Start with a frank conversation about the lack of support you've received, give suggestions for the ways you would like to be supported, and then consider leaving if there's no change.
Friend, we would love to support you. Connect with us by email (drjessicadoering@gmail.com) or with our free online community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/tdinetwork. See you soon!