I remember making the decision to quit my job as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) with Interac like it was yesterday. I remember the anxiety. I remember thinking, “How am I going to explain my reasoning to people?”

Why did I stop? Where do I begin? Well, I guess we’ll just take it from the top...

I had been working as an ALT with the dispatch company Interac for about a year and a half when I decided to stop teaching. This decision wasn’t a sudden one at all; it was one that I had been contemplating for a several months. There are four major reasons why I decided to stop teaching as an ALT: time constraints, pay, health-related reasons and a personal promise.

Before I discuss these reasons, I have to mention that I didn’t leave Interac because I was dissatisfied with my school, with my fellow teachers, or the Interac staff. I was at an amazing school with great kids and super-friendly teachers. I also met some other great teachers at Interac—people who I will continue be friends with even beyond the job.

As far as the staff members go, I really felt like I got good support when I started to question whether or not I wanted to stay. The branch manager simply treated me like a person, and it really meant a lot to me. He would call me and talk to me, check on me, and see how he could make things better for me. Overall, I think I learned a lot from my job and had fun doing it. Unfortunately, something inside of me just wouldn’t allow me to stay.

So, here's why I left...