How I Got Out of Teaching (And Built a Business Alongside It)

This isn’t a “quit teaching overnight” story. If you’re side-eyeing your career this January and wondering what life could look like beyond the classroom, this is for you. My journey took six years—six years of juggling full-time teaching, parenting twins, and building something on the side. I did not wake up one day and suddenly decide to leave. I loved teaching, and I never left because I hated it. I left because my business allowed me to build a different kind of life.

My Teaching Foundations

Before I ever thought about leaving, I was fully invested in my classroom. I studied biology at the University of Nottingham and completed my PGCE in Secondary Science there. My first three years of teaching were in Sheffield, before moving to North London, where I took on my first leadership role. I eventually spent over ten years at a school in North East London, working as Head of Biology, Head of Science, Study Skills Lead, and Sixth Form Tutor. Teaching wasn’t a placeholder career—it was my identity, my passion, and something I thought I’d do forever.

The Accidental Beginning

Like many side hustles, mine started quietly and almost by accident. In 2017, I attended a CPD session on flipped learning and decided to make videos for my students. I started a YouTube channel purely as a teaching tool—rough, unbranded, and with zero strategy. At the time, it felt insignificant. It wasn’t meant to be a business. I had no idea this little experiment would eventually change everything.

The “Hmm” Moment

Two years later, I checked the channel and was surprised to see hundreds of views on my old lessons. Suddenly, I realised there was demand beyond my classroom. Around the same time, I was thinking about family life, financial stability, and time flexibility. That’s when I made the decision to take YouTube seriously—not just as a hobby, but as a potential income stream.

Pandemic Acceleration

Then came 2020. Schools closed, and there was a huge lack of A-level Biology resources online. I started creating full A-level content during lockdown, all while pregnant with twins. The days were long, the pressure intense, and the work relentless. Growth happened, but it wasn’t glamorous—it was reactive and exhausting.

Maternity Leave and My First Product

During maternity leave, I found myself isolated, struggling with loss of identity, and desperate to create something meaningful. Nap times and evenings became my work hours. I turned my teaching resources into my first paid product: A-level Biology notes. I kept posting on YouTube consistently, and I slowly began to see that consistency mattered more than perfection.

The Slow Transition Out

I returned to teaching full time in July 2021 as Head of Science. Financially, I could have left by 2022, but I wasn’t emotionally ready. I worried about missing students, losing classroom relevance, or regretting the decision. Teaching had been my life for over a decade, and leaving wasn’t just about money—it was about timing and readiness.

By September 2023, I went part-time and dropped my Head of Science role, focusing more on the business. Within one term, I knew I would leave for good. By summer 2024, after exam classes were over, I finally stepped away. Timing, as much as income, was crucial.

Why I Left

I left teaching even though I loved it. I loved the students, the subject, and the creativity it offered. But I needed more control, fewer hoops, more stability, and flexible time. Teaching was becoming harder year on year, with increasing cuts and pressures. I didn’t leave because teaching failed me—I left because my business allowed me to create a life that aligned with my priorities.

How I Made It Possible

I didn’t rely on one income stream. Over the years, I built multiple: tutoring, YouTube monetisation, selling resources, live group lessons, a Biology Study Club membership, brand deals, authoring, and coaching. Together, these streams eventually made leaving teaching realistic. But it took six years of evenings, weekends, and holidays. It required learning to film, edit, market, build websites, email lists, and run live sessions—all self-taught and often through trial and error. This was deferred income, not passive income.

Where I Am Now

Today, I’m fully self-employed, earning over four times my part-time teacher salary, with the time flexibility and financial security I wanted. I have no regrets, because the timing was right. I left teaching with intention, not desperation.

For Teachers Curious About the Next Step

You don’t have to leave teaching—but knowing that you could is powerful. If this story sparks curiosity, I offer 1:1 coaching to help teachers audit social media, clarify their niche, build marketing strategies, and grow email lists. With over 30k email subscribers and 200k followers across platforms, I help teachers move from curiosity to action.

Teaching will always be part of who I am. Leaving it didn’t mean giving up on it—it meant creating space for something new.

Want More Teaching Education Like This?

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