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I'm a high school teacher, and I like it, but I've seen teachers stay too long and I sure don't wanna be "that guy."
I can probably get 60% of my current pay if I pull the trigger. I could wait till 65 but I want to have a long, happy retirement and want to jump on it. It's 10k a year more if I wait till 65.
Keeping stuff vague on purpose. Want to see what gets said. No grandkids, will probably work in some way after while I pull the pension.
Thoughts?
I went at 62 (actually 61) with a couple more years than you'll have. I was done.
My pension increase wouldn't have as much waiting until 65 as yours, Maryland tops the pension out at 30 years and any increase after that is literally almost pennies (at 65 the increase would have been a bit over $200/year) so the only reason to work past that is for Social Security purposes.
I'm a high school teacher, and I like it, but I've seen teachers stay too long and I sure don't wanna be "that guy."
I can probably get 60% of my current pay if I pull the trigger. I could wait till 65 but I want to have a long, happy retirement and want to jump on it. It's 10k a year more if I wait till 65.
Keeping stuff vague on purpose. Want to see what gets said. No grandkids, will probably work in some way after while I pull the pension.
Thoughts?
Time > Money. As long as you have things to occupy yourself... RETIRE
I'm a high school teacher, and I like it, but I've seen teachers stay too long and I sure don't wanna be "that guy."
I can probably get 60% of my current pay if I pull the trigger. I could wait till 65 but I want to have a long, happy retirement and want to jump on it. It's 10k a year more if I wait till 65.
Keeping stuff vague on purpose. Want to see what gets said. No grandkids, will probably work in some way after while I pull the pension.
Thoughts?
Have hobbies and new plans for living upon retirement. Needless to say, do the math to have enough money saved up and coming in where you aren't pinching pennies just to live.
Too many people retire without what I stated above and drive themselves crazy. If you've got what's stated above, go for it. Whatever makes you happiest. Being a teacher and retiring isn't any different than just what anyone looking at retirement needs to do.
I retired at 60.5 in California, then moved to Maui. After a few months, I started subbing here and LOVE it.
The kids are so much better than I had in Cali. I make an extra $30k each year subbing, so I came out ahead by retiring.
They keep trying to get me to become full-time again, but I like this carefree life instead. This is my 9th year as a sub.
I may do this route also, and i could then call my shots about what day to work, etc.
This is why it's a tough call for me. I've seen the teachers that stay in the game too long, but I feel fine and viable and valuable. Love my high school teaching job. Kids like me, and admins are happy. I am "only 59."
Teaching IS my identity, it is what I do and it is also who I am. I'm a shirt-and-tie guy (while many teachers aren't that any more, but I think it's important to model that mindset to the kids and staff, and especially to myself).
Work is important, and I'm proud of what I do. I could never see me whiling away my time on a porch whittling, or fishing, etc. I mean, once in a while, but daily lounging around is just not me. I'm not much of a "wish I could do my hobbies 24/7" guy. Seen that with some retirees and they are relaxed, but hardly fulfilled.
But I LOVE my time off. Maybe educational consulting......maybe. Maybe book sales. Maybe a university job working with student teachers, etc. (but that would be full time and then why retire).
When professional athletes retire many say the one thing they miss the most is the locker room, the communal experience, the collective focus toward a goal, etc. That is definitely me. I'll miss the hum and the action of the building and the classroom and the people.
The conflict for me isn't really the money, it's free time (which I love) and the identity-driven mindset of being a teacher in an actual building (which i equally love).
It's unbelievably complex: and there's even more details. I'm not the "take this job and shove it" guy at all now.
Still sorting it all out folks........thanks.
I have “retired” multiple times…. then I seem to turn right around and un-retire myself. I would swear yet again that I am done after this year but I decided to quit making a liar out of myself. The teacher shortage is very real and the building administrator shortage is looming, as is the problematically growing paraprofessional shortage, so retirees of all ilk who are willing to work in the actual school building with students in any capacity are very welcome to come back.
There are no shortages of educators desiring Central Office positions, of course.
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I have “retired” multiple times…. then I seem to turn right around and un-retire myself. I would swear yet again that I am done after this year but I decided to quit making a liar out of myself. The teacher shortage is very real and the building administrator shortage is looming, as is the problematically growing paraprofessional shortage, so retirees of all ilk who are willing to work in the actual school building with students in any capacity are very welcome to come back.
There are no shortages of educators desiring Central Office positions, of course.
I'd like to hear more about your retirement-unretirement journey please.....
My conflict is really about free time vs. self-identity. And I just miss home. I'm a high school history teacher in a town far away (1900 miles) from home, on a Navajo reservation. Great kids and school, but it's not home, and it's wearing on me hard.
I'd like to hear more about your retirement-unretirement journey please.....
My conflict is really about free time vs. self-identity. And I just miss home. I'm a high school history teacher in a town far away (1900 miles) from home, on a Navajo reservation. Great kids and school, but it's not home, and it's wearing on me hard.
This last post of yours makes it easy in my mind. Simply put, retire and go home. Once there, join the ranks of the substitute teachers. I don't care WHERE home is for you, substitutes are in massive demand. In most cases, the pay is actually pretty good and you have total control of when you work and when you don't.
I'm not a teacher, but a business owner. I'm like you in that it's kind of my identity. I'll NEVER be one to quit and stroll into a workshop and start building bird houses for something to do. I'm slowly transitioning from pursuing business to just handling existing customer's needs. In other words, working less than full time with a schedule of my own choosing.
If you have taught extra-curriculars like sports, plays, debate etc., a very large number of schools are happy to get people not in their full time employ to work in these.
Few occupations have as easy of a transition from full time work to doing what you're still trained for, but as a semi-retirement position.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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It's up to you, and how much you enjoy your work. My wife just retired from an elementary school last year at age 69. Now she is volunteering once a week in our grandson's classroom which helps her transition. She has many hobbies and other activities but was always able to do those along with working, now spends more time on them. When I asked her she said she does not regret working as long as she did.
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This is my 9th year as a sub.
