Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:14 pm
If you’re planning on nonrenewing your teaching contract this year, you may be dreading that conversation with your principal.
But if you’ve completed your contract term and simply do not wish to renew for next year, your goodbyes can be straightforward and professional.
(If you have decided to break your contract mid-year, that’s a bit more complicated, but it’s not impossible!)
My experience with nonrenewing my teaching contract
When I left teaching the most recent time, our principal scheduled Zoom meetings with us after school let out to discuss our yearly evaluations as well as contracts. I was so nervous I could hardly focus on her feedback. I actually didn’t even remember what score she gave me– I was pretty torn up about what I felt was leaving the school in the lurch.
A perk of having this conversation from the comfort of home and through a screen was that my husband positioned himself behind the screen acting out encouraging gestures. Who can say they have this kind of cheerleading available in an office setting?
Expressing that I wasn’t planning to return was hard, for multiple reasons. I didn’t want to do a disservice to the school or the families or my coworkers. I didn’t want to leave a gap on the fourth grade team. I didn’t want my principal to think I was ungrateful for all she had done for me and the school.
But I had to remind myself that this a job– and it’s fully up to me and my family how I want to spend my life. A teaching position can be filled by another candidate– my position in my family can be uniquely filled only by me.
“But I had to remind myself that this a job– and it’s fully up to me and my family how I want to spend my life. A teaching position can be filled by another candidate– my position in my family can be uniquely filled only by me.”
Charmaine, Chocolate for the Teach
Remembering my motivations as a source of strength
The decision had been months in the making. The stack of cons were outweighing the pros. I could no longer justify staying in this occupation that piled on what I believe to be an unsustainable workload. I had too many other goals in life I wanted to accomplish, and dedicating my whole existence to the job wasn’t going to move me forward in my other ventures.
I reminded myself of this and kept my explanation very simple, polite, and professional. I mentioned one of my goals– to start a family. My explanation was met with graciousness. It was straightforward. When the online meeting ended, I folded my laptop screen down and sat in the weight of the action.
I was free.
My advice for nonrenewing educators
If you’re close to having this conversation, I’d suggest keeping it as straightforward as possible. You don’t even need to explain why you don’t plan to renew– though I chose to, I kept my explanation very short.
I think it depends on your relationship and history with your school leader. Perhaps you’re leaving for reasons completely unrelated to your satisfaction at the job. There are many life factors that have nothing to do with the school and role itself– moving, having a baby, family changes, unexpected major events, etc. You might feel compelled to explain your leave based on any of these reasons. I personally admired the tutelage and encouragement of my principal during my term at the school, and l wanted her to know that my departure was related to a major life change.
That being said, you’re not obligated to provide a reason.
Or the reason could be that the job stinks. The schools or teaching in general wasn’t a good fit. In which case, I’d try my best to keep things civil. I’ve left a school and returned to the same campus two years later, so I know firsthand how important it is not to burn bridges, raze railways or crush your connections.
Keep it courteous, thank the people involved, and let it be a simple, uncomplicated part of your leaving process. This is your first step toward making the big move of quitting teaching. You’ll also need to square away the process with HR and wrap up in a way that preserves your professional accomplishments.
Feel free to comment your thoughts below or send me a message at charmaine@chocolatefortheteach.com. I’m rooting for you!
