The One Who Got Away: Why Good Teachers Leave Education

Why are good teachers leaving education?In this episode of the SLT Podcast, Ziggy sits down with Hugo Trace, a former Head of Humanities who left teaching and moved into digital marketing as the founder of his own company.Titled “The One Who Got Away: Why Good Teachers Leave,” this conversation explores the reality behind teacher retention, burnout, school culture, workload, pay, staffroom politics, and why some talented educators decide to build a new path outside the classroom.Hugo reflects honestly on what he loved about teaching, why working with young people was the best part of the job, and why the wider system eventually became too heavy to stay in. He also shares the transferable skills teachers often underestimate, including communication, versatility, relationship-building, storytelling, and leadership.This episode also looks at the future of work, AI in schools, personal branding, business, startups, and what teachers can do if they are thinking about transitioning out of education.💬 “Teachers can go and do anything afterwards.”📱 Join Our FREE WhatsApp Community→ ‎https://chat.whatsapp.com/LiTpC4FbUA2CqWHP1Mcrwz📲 Follow Us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_slt_podcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@slt.podcastListen to us on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13hI6StbuMcYhX8LmYtt5S?si=73aaabe9fa394d43Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-slt-podcast-serious-leaders-talking/id1778833145⸻⏰ Chapters:0:00 - Intro: The One Who Got Away0:30 - Why good teachers are leaving education1:00 - Are teachers respected but still replaceable?3:00 - Finding the right school and classroom fit4:30 - Why Hugo walked away from teaching6:00 - Loving the students but struggling with the system8:00 - Staffroom politics and teacher frustration10:00 - Do teachers feel undervalued?12:00 - Pay, workload, and the reality of teacher life14:00 - Is teacher retention a people problem or a system problem?17:00 - Why education feels behind the real world19:00 - AI, admin, and outdated school systems23:00 - Transferable skills teachers do not realise they have25:00 - Communication, versatility, and people skills28:00 - Storytelling and leadership beyond the classroom31:00 - Teachers who want to leave but feel scared33:00 - Building a business before leaving teaching35:00 - Personal branding and career transition37:00 - Would Hugo ever go back to teaching?39:00 - Final reflections and outro⸻📢 About SLT Podcast:Hosted by Rena Johnson — Deputy Head, Designated Teacher, SENDco & DSL — and Ziggy Moore — Assistant Headteacher & Founder of Moore Education — the SLT Podcast is a bi-weekly series featuring powerful conversations with leaders doing impactful work in education and youth development.Each guest joins us for two episodes: one exploring their story, and one answering real questions submitted by parents, teachers, leaders, and the wider community.#SLTPodcast #TeacherRetention #TeacherBurnout #EducationPodcast #TeacherLife #LeavingTeaching #CareerChange #DigitalMarketing #SchoolLeadership #SeriousLeadersTalking