It's two and half years since I took early retirement. We moved from a busy town life, bought a house on Orkney islands, paid off the mortgage and everything else. We owe not a penny. I earn just over a quarter of my old salary. We love it.Sure money is tight but I get supply work every so often when I get the chance to go back into the classroom and meet eager faces who want to learn. Make no mistake, I loved my job. I hated the long hours, every Sunday taken up with planning no matter what, most nights an hour or two,the last days of the term holiday working a fever pitch to plan,writing reports, case conference reports, rushing round to do the parent bit and take my kids to dance, acting, singing, scouts etc etc. BUT that was nearly always made up for by the kid that "switched on the light" when they knew they knew something.By watching a kid that I'd know for years grow into a young adult, becoming responsible. By watching kids grow in stature when they achieved something new or more complex.The system stinks, no matter what the uninformed say. This scheme, that scheme, new this new that, inspections, assessments, self-assessments, whole school development plans, mission statements, stakeholder statements, etc etc. It has not one jot to do with teaching.It's just words and someone elses agenda. I loved teaching and getting the best for and from my kids is the most important thing.

But, I wouldn't swop the quality time I have had in the last few years for anything. To do what we liked, what we wanted, when we wanted. Mrs viking and I have been together for twenty five years, we enjoy every day together. Maybe not doing very much, knocking around the garden, reading, walking the dog, playing music, what ever we want.

Any teacher that escapes from the system goes for it in my view. I taught special needs for 30 years, complex abused and abusing children, druggies and prossies, muggers,buggers and thieves for 15 years. It was the greatest fun I have ever had.The last 15 years they were a bit less complex but with different special needs, some of them terminal. Unless you have been where I've been, you wouldn't know what the job involved. But of all the things that made it hard, the endless changes, the shifting goal posts, the inspection process etc spoilt it. I've seen good teachers loose all the faith in themselves during the inspection process. I've seen practitioners who are really poor teachers and failures sitting in judgement on good teachers. Crazy.

You can always find children who need you if you look hard enough. So quitting teaching isn't the end, it's not your failure, it's a new beginning.