Should You Stay or Should You Go? Deciding What’s Next in Ag Education

It’s that time of year when teachers across the country start asking themselves the big question: Do I sign my letter of intent, or is it time to walk away?

My social media feeds are flooded with teachers venting, seeking advice, and pouring their hearts out about feeling stuck—especially my fellow ag teachers. And listen, I get it. If you’ve read my Teacher Transition Story series, you know I left my middle school ag program (the one I built from the ground up) and jumped into the Learning and Development world in the greenhouse industry.

I thought I was done with teaching. I wanted more freedom, fewer headaches, and a change of pace. And yet, here I am in the 2024-2025 academic year, back in a classroom—just a different kind. Now, I get to work with pre-service ag teachers as they begin their own journeys in ag education. Funny how life works, right?

But this post isn’t about my career plot twist—it’s about yours. If you’re at a crossroads, debating whether to leave the classroom, here are some hard-earned lessons that might help you decide what’s next.

1. All Careers Have Crappy Parts

Every job has its frustrations—whether it’s paperwork and unrealistic expectations in education or sales pressure and office politics in corporate life. The key is deciding which challenges you can handle because stress and long hours exist everywhere, just in different forms.

2. Corporate Jobs Have Just as Many Ridiculous Acronyms as Academia

Think education has too much jargon? Corporate life says hold my KPI. You might trade IEPs and CTE standards for ROI and CRM systems, but there will still be a learning curve—just with different lingo.

3. Flexibility is a Trade-Off

Sure, teaching doesn’t allow you to step out for a midday Target run, but other jobs might not have built-in breaks, summers off, or extended holidays. And unlimited PTO? Sounds dreamy, but it often benefits the company more than the employee. Do your research.

4. Your Ag Teacher Skills Are More Valuable Than You Realize

Event planning? Check. Public speaking? Check. Curriculum development? Oh, absolutely. The skill set you’ve built as an ag teacher transfers everywhere—training, program management, leadership roles, you name it.

5. The Stress Doesn’t Disappear—It Just Changes

Deadlines, expectations, and workload exist in every profession. The difference is how they show up and what support systems are in place.

6. You Might Miss the Classroom—But That Doesn’t Mean You Have to Go Back

Leaving teaching doesn’t mean you have to leave Ag Ed behind. You can mentor new teachers, consult, or even find roles in industry education that let you teach without the extra baggage.

7. Burnout Follows You If You Don’t Address the Root Cause

If overworking, people-pleasing, or lack of boundaries got you here, changing jobs won’t fix it. Setting boundaries will.

8. Financial Stability Might Look Different

Some jobs offer higher salaries but fewer benefits. Others might pay less but give you better retirement options or flexibility. Figure out what matters most to you.

9. The Grass Isn’t Always Greener—It’s Just Different Grass

No job is perfect. If you’re chasing a stress-free career, I hate to break it to you, but it doesn’t exist. Every job has trade-offs—you just have to find the right fit for where you are in life.

10. You Don’t Need a Five-Year Plan to Make a Change

Thinking of leaving but don’t have it all mapped out? That’s okay. Plenty of people pivot multiple times in their careers. You’re allowed to figure it out as you go.

11. You Are More Than Your Job Title

Walking away from the classroom does not mean you failed. It means you’re choosing what’s best for you—and that’s something to be proud of.

12. You Can Always Come Back—Or Find a New Way to Teach

Leaving doesn’t have to be forever. Education takes many forms, and you might find yourself teaching again in a way that actually works for you.

At the end of the day, only you can decide what’s best for you and your family. But here’s a little secret—if you’re deep in Teacher QuitTok, your algorithm is just feeding you more of it (just like there’s Corporate QuitTok on the other side). So maybe step away from TikTok before making any big life decisions, yeah?

I’m not here to tell you to stay or go. I’m just saying everything is hard—you just have to choose your hard.

For me, I’ve found joy in helping future ag teachers do things differently—so they can love this career without burning out. And if you’re looking for ways to fall back in love with ag teaching, you’ll want to stick around—Rooted in the Classroom has some exciting professional development opportunities coming soon.

Want to be the first to know? Join RITC’s Patreon Community here.