Teachers make a difference.
They provide students with motivation and the hard and soft skills they’ll need to tackle everyday life. And no matter what careers those pupils enter later, they’ll rely on classroom teachings for years to come.
Thanks to the impact teachers make, this career path can be incredibly rewarding. They gain the satisfaction of watching pupils confront challenges, grow, and succeed — sometimes forming lifelong bonds with them.
But these rewards imply great responsibility and hard work. No matter how many years of experience they have, some teachers experience stress and fatigue. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers actually experienced more burnout than healthcare professionals, primarily because they had to adapt so quickly to new methods of teaching while keeping their classrooms safe.
If you’re an educator feeling stressed or stuck in your career, you’re not alone. But your emotional and physical well-being comes first. You deserve to be in a rewarding role that provides plenty of time for self-care without constant burnout.
A teacher career coach can help you identify your needs and decide if you need to transition into a new position, whether that means adjusting your schedule and commitment or making a career move into a new industry entirely.
What is teacher career coaching?
Teacher career coaching is a niche type of professional coaching. These specialized life or career coaches can help you find clarity about professional goals and create strategic plans for different situations, like changing jobs or industries.
Career or life coaches for teachers may help you set goals, improve interview skills, and navigate stressful situations on the job — whatever your needs are. These career experts could also help you develop confidence and self-awareness, giving you the tools to take on new challenges.
Coaching is about creating a long-term relationship, with self-discovery as the main finish line. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it. In fact, according to a study from BetterUp, people working with coaches were able to rapidly improve stress management and self-awareness in only three months.
Keep in mind that a coach is different from a mentor or a therapist. A mentor is likely a peer or manager who has experience in your field and can offer career advice based on that experience.
And a therapist is a mental health professional whose goal is to find the root of your problems and create coping mechanisms to help you thrive. A coach is someone different entirely — a professional development expert who supports you as you grow.
5 benefits of hiring a teacher career coach
According to a 2022 Gallup survey, 44% percent of K–12 teachers feel burnt out very often or always — which is 14% higher than the average of 30% for all workers. The survey references low average salaries, coupled with the intense, hands-on nature of the work, can make teaching an exhausting career. And pressure from administrators, parents, and students can also induce stress in teachers.
If you suffer from teacher burnout or are looking for a career change, you may not know where to start. Here’s how a teacher’s career coach can help you at this moment of flux.
1. Get an outside perspective
If you feel stuck in a dead-end role or emotionally exhausted, an outside perspective can help you see your situation from a new angle. Your coach can brainstorm with you, provide insights, and push you to understand what aspects of your work have become unsatisfying.
Maybe you adore teaching and have no desire to leave the field, but are struggling to create interactive presentations that engage your students because you have no time. A coach could help you establish a better work-life balance and find time to prepare for lessons. Or they could guide you to decide on a different teaching method that has the same effect but takes less time.
And if you’re sensing education may not be for you, a coach can help you uncover transferable skills and explore new careers for teachers. Say you’re a high school math teacher — a coach could help you brainstorm how feasible it would be to use your skills in a data science or analysis role.
2. Beat burnout
According to a study from BetterUp, clients report a 19% reduction in burnout upon working with a coach. This isn’t just the result of adjusting schedules or taking breaks.
The process of working with a coach itself can reduce your stress and take a weight off. It reminds you you’re not alone, reduces any feelings of isolation, and gives you a safe, supportive environment in which to flush out your concerns and insecurities.
If you’ve been feeling stressed for some time and have already shared your thoughts with other teachers experiencing the same, they may offer validation. But they could also create a feedback loop in which you’re unlikely to gain new insights or hope since everyone’s drawing on similar experiences.
Instead, coaches listen actively to your concerns and help you visualize and plot a clear route to improvement, whether over the next month or 10 years.
3. Gain self-awareness
Your internal monologue might tell you it’s impossible to change careers at 40 or 50, leaving you stuck where you are. But if you’re unsatisfied with your career, you have the power to make a change. A coach will help you mediate a conversation with yourself about inner motivations, strengths, and areas of opportunity.
All of this work leads to self-awareness, which can help drive success in your career. It brings you in touch with your strengths and weaknesses and helps you understand what’s holding you back — so you can circumvent imposter syndrome and start building the life you want.
If you’re a teacher who’s worked for years to develop resonant lesson plans and an engaging classroom, you likely have deep bonds with current and former students. But if you’re so tired that your self-care is slipping, and you can’t spend quality time with loved ones, you need to be honest with yourself about that.
A coach can help you discover what you need to feel truly fulfilled and either implement a self-care plan or navigate the decision to leave your field. If you do choose to leave, your transition resume or cover letter will list years of experience building soft skills that help you stand out as an applicant during your job search.
4. Take support
You need emotional support during times of change, and a teaching career coach offers an unbiased perspective that friends and family can’t often bring. These specialized coaches are familiar with the situation you’re in, whether they’re former educators themselves or have walked many clients through similar processes.
Coaches provide support by offering clarity when you don’t have it. They push you to open up and create a safe, confidential space for you to do so. In a coaching session, you can freely express your feelings and make discoveries about yourself without worrying about judgment or bias. And with that information, they can help you set realistic goals you feel confident about and hold you accountable to action items.
5. Create an action plan
Deciding to make any change takes confidence and mental fitness. But determining that you need a shift is just the start — you have to make, execute, and reflect on an action plan to make it a reality.
An action plan is a strategic step-by-step plan toward a goal. These plans drive focus, prevent you from taking on more than you can commit to, and determine a clear timeline for goal-setting. They also help you track progress and understand how risks could affect outcomes when you hit the job market.
A career coach for teachers will help you create this document, with due dates for different milestones and plans for potential roadblocks. They’ll guide you through breaking down large goals, like getting a certification to hold a new position, and cheer you on along the way.
How to find a teacher career coach
Feeling burnt out, unsatisfied, or stagnant are all strong signs you would benefit from working with a coach. You don’t have to navigate those feelings or brainstorm solutions alone. A coach can help you discover the right path — and feel comfortable and confident taking it.
But taking the leap can be difficult, especially if you aren’t sure where to start. Here’s how and where to find a coach you truly connect with:
1. Register with a coaching platform
Sign up for a coaching service like BetterUp and gain access to a network of experts online. You can find career coaching for teachers, but there are also coaches who specialize in other topics, like career transitions, communication, or your whole life.
It’s also a good idea to ask around your professional network of teachers to ask if anyone has been through a coaching experience and what their opinion was. They might have insight as to what works best for people in your position or a recommendation for a certain coach.
2. Find a coach who aligns with your needs
BetterUp will match you with a coach with the right experience for your goals when you sign up for the program. Opt for a person with the training, skills, and history to suit your needs. Like mentors and therapists, every coach has a different background and level of experience, so do your research to find someone who resonates with you.
If you start your first session, or develop a relationship with your coach, and realize they aren’t the right fit, it’s okay to speak up and move on to someone else. Since a coach is a professional — not a friend or peer — you won’t offend them with the change. And with BetterUp, you can try out new coaches without committing to test your match first.
3. Know what to expect
Prepare for your first 1:1 coaching session by reflecting on your experience as a teacher and the reasons why you’ve decided to start this process. You might try answering questions like:
- What would I have done differently in my career?
- Where do I see myself in five years?
- What are my innate skills?
- What parts of my career do I love?
- What parts of my career need to change?
- When did I feel most fulfilled at my job?
- What situations stress me out or overwhelm me?
- What new roles do I picture myself in?
Keeping a journal is also a great way to reflect and remember specific moments in your career. You could bring it to your sessions and share relevant insights to spark conversation with your coach. It also might help to take a career assessment or personality test to better understand your strengths, areas of opportunity, and preferences.
Use this information to adopt a growth mindset. Prepare to share openly with your coach and accept the answers that come to you, even if they’re not the ones you’d expected to hear. You’ll have to approach coaching with an open mind, get vulnerable, and be upfront with yourself if you really want to grow.
Showing unfiltered honesty to a stranger can be challenging, especially if you’re struggling at work. But don’t worry about getting a coach to like you, or feeling embarrassed about previous decisions. A coach can do more profound work with you if you let your walls down. They’re not expecting you to have all the answers. It’s their job to focus on the future — not the past.
Learning never stops
Whether you have two or 30 years of experience in the classroom, you’ve made a positive difference in students’ lives. And if this role or your current setting is no longer serving you, it’s reasonable and healthy to make a change.
You may find yourself in a new position helping an even greater number of students — like working as an educational consultant or instructional designer advising on curriculum. A coach will help you work on your resume-writing skills and rebuild your LinkedIn. Or maybe all you need is to reflect on past experiences and work on your soft skills.
A teacher career coach can take the fear out of decision-making and help you feel ready and excited for new beginnings. Transitioning teachers don’t often have an opportunity to prioritize themselves thanks to their busy days and high-energy roles, and coaching could provide a new opportunity for reflection.
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