Why I Let My Teaching Certificate Expire—and Felt Free

Archambault had left teaching a couple of years earlier, after her health deteriorated and she could no longer finish the school year. She took several months off to focus on her health, but her symptoms flared when she returned. Soon after leaving for good, she was diagnosed with endometriosis, which she said explained why she had been getting increasingly sick over the previous five years. She has since had two major surgeries in two years and spends much of her time managing symptoms and trying to regain physical function.

When her certificate came up for renewal, she struggled with the thought of letting go of something she had worked hard to obtain. But paying and going through the steps to keep it current made little sense when she did not intend to teach again. She was initially concerned she might regret the choice. A friend’s mention of a recertification course briefly made her doubt it, and she searched online for others’ experiences, finding mixed advice.

Archambault says she needed the credential to stop being a route back to a job her health made nearly impossible. She still misses teaching and grieves the person she was before her endometriosis progressed. A recent visit to the junior high where she once taught, while attending an away basketball game for her son, brought back the pull of the work. She caught herself imagining a return when her son was older or her health improved, then reminded herself that her condition was not going away.

Letting the certificate lapse has helped her focus on what comes next. She plans to volunteer with her son’s after-school art club and is considering ways to support teachers, including creating resources for students and advocating for better working conditions. She hopes to use her teaching skills in future work without returning to the classroom.