Educator Dating: This Page is Specifically Designed for Teachers and Educators Looking for Meaningful Connections within the Education Community

Last updated on 2 April 2024

     The education sector is an ever-growing industry and is one that is far busier and more complicated than most people may realize. Many people think that educators only work between the hours of 08:30 and 15:00 and then they go home. This is most certainly not the case. Most, if not all, educators work many more hours including evenings and weekends which has a big impact on their personal lives! Most people who do not work in the education sector do not fully understand what it entails and find it hard to adapt when dating an educator. This is because educators, at all levels, work extremely hard and much longer hours than most people realize. This is because of planning, marking, and meetings (both within their setting and visiting others). They also tend to work at weekends as well as there is often not enough time, whether at work or home, during the week! This can be a lot to get used to if you are not an educator as well. 

     Educators often find it difficult to date or enter into a relationship with someone in their own place of work as it could become very difficult if things were to go wrong. However, they often hope to meet someone who works within the same profession so that their working hours are similar, they both understand the work that is brought home and, more importantly, understand the stresses of the job. 

While dating someone from a different profession has its benefits it could be argued that successful relationships are formed when two people share the same profession. This is because, potentially, they both will think about things the same way. Here we look at some of the positives of dating another educator. 

1. The first positive is that they have the same professional background as you. Meeting people from different backgrounds, including their career, is not a negative but dating someone with the same, or similar, career to you definitely has its bonuses. The first of these bonuses is that both of you will be able to relate to the other when the topic of work comes up. While, if you are working in different establishments, you cannot discuss names, there will be times you can ask each other for advice about certain situations or discuss potential ideas for lessons, meetings, etc. You will be romantically involved and able to help your date professionally - win, win!
2. As previously mentioned, another educator will understand the hours you work. While others will know the hours you work they may not be as understanding. This understanding will stretch to the work you bring home. Your educator partner will understand when you bring home marking or have plans to do. Non-educators will not, necessarily, be as understanding when you have altered plans because of bringing work home.
3. You could argue that all educators have very similar personality traits. Some of those traits are adaptability, empathy, active listening, patience, respect, and collaboration. Educators will look for people with similar traits, such as other educators. Now, this does not mean that every educator will be the perfect partner but you will enter into a relationship with another educator knowing that they, should, have most, if not all, of these traits!

It could be argued that there are just as many positives to dating another member of the education system as there are to dating someone who is not part of it at all. You may find dating another member of the education system predictable but at the same time feel secure knowing you both understand the other person's situation and goals. 

Tips & Advice for Online Messaging in Educator Dating

     You may think that because you and your prospective date both work within the same profession you know exactly what to talk about and the topics you may need to avoid. However, this is not necessarily true. There are in fact questions that you should not ask (at least in the beginning) and topics that you should avoid (again, especially in the beginning). Just because you share your area of work does not mean that the conversation will come naturally easy.  The first reason for this is that while you both might be educators, you could be working in very different areas. First, we are going to look at the questions and topics to avoid.

• You do not want to delve too deep into their personal life. This could be said when dating anyone. Information about their financial situation and/ or relationship history should only be shared when each person is ready and a connection based on mutual trust has been well established. Do not ask questions such as ‘How much do you earn in a year?’, ‘why aren’t you married yet?’, ‘why did your last relationship fail?’ etc as you are likely to put your new friend off rather than encourage a relationship.  Only discuss past relationships if they bring it up and are happy to discuss them.
• Do not focus too much on work. While we suggest that you discuss your respective careers this should not be the sole focus of your discussions. More often than not most educators do not want to discuss their work too much, especially when trying to establish romantic connections, as they want to get to know you, not discuss their work! Of course, it is only natural that you will end up talking about the part of the education system you both work in, different experiences, etc but you do not want to end up having this as your main topic of conversation
• You must avoid talking about particular students or staff when sharing stories or talking about work. Confidentiality plays a HUGE part within most education systems and protocols must be adhered to. By all means, discuss funny stories or ask for advice but make sure you do not name anyone and that they also follow the same rules!
• Avoid being boring. Yes, you may be nervous but if you are bored then your new educational acquaintance will surely walk away. While your day-to-day work life may differ slightly your overall experiences will remain the same. Do not bore your new date with the same stories or topics!

Now, the most important things to remember are the topics you should discuss and the questions that are a definite must to ask! Here, we are going to look at the topics and questions that are definitely appropriate when dating a member of the education system and talking with them (whether online or in person).

• Teachers and education staff spend 100% of their time worrying about and caring for other people’s children/ young people. It is rare that they get asked how they are or how their day is going unless it is a brief lunchtime encounter in the staff room! Ask them how they are and how their day has gone. They will appreciate the fact that someone genuinely cares about how THEY are!
• Most education staff don’t have spare time that often during the week and even their weekends can be taken up with work. Ask about their plans for their free time, what they like to do to relax etc. The long-term goal here is to get to the point where you make joint plans together…that is if you both can escape the marking for long enough!
• It is always good to find out about your dates journey. We do not mean that you should pry into their dating history or find out every private piece of information. You could ask about their professional journey and see if there are any similarities! You could discuss where you both studied,  why you entered into that particular aspect of the education system, and, possibly, what your long-term goals are. This will show your interest in the ‘whole them’, not just their social or career side. 
• It is likely that your prospective date would much rather talk about something other than their profession. You could talk about memories from your childhood, ask them about their family, or discuss your hobbies. Not only is this a wonderful way of getting to know each other but also works wonders as a back-and-forth conversation. You can discuss the similarities and differences between you both (for all of the aforementioned topics), share comical stories from the past, and see how your families compare. One piece of advice here though. When discussing families make sure you do not ask too deep a question. You do not want to upset your educator date!
• If you have started your dating journey with your date online then we hope that you will have taken the time to read their profile. This is the best thing you can do to make a fantastic impression. If you comment on what they write or ask questions relating to their profile it will show you have taken the time to find out more about them before engaging them in conversation. Education staff are caring by nature so showing your nurturing side!
• This next one could be said of dating anyone, no matter their profession. Ask general, open-ended questions. Try not to ask closed questions (those that seek a yes or no answer). You want to make sure the conversation flows at all times. You could discuss a whole host of topics such as films, cooking, music, travel, etc. Just make sure that the topics you pick are of interest to you both! If you do all of the talking they will get bored very quickly!

Anyone who has a career in education does so because they are caring and want to ensure that future generations are given the best start possible and are equipped with all the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in life. Whether you are a professor, teacher, or teaching assistant you must make sure to treat each other fairly. If you are both educators you already have something wonderful in common and a great foundation for a beautiful relationship!

Date Ideas for Educators!

      You may either start your educator dating journey in the offline world or move there from the online world. Either way, you will want to make sure your dates are enjoyable for both parties involved and that you plan dates that help take you from friends to a romantic couple. You, as educators, may find your dating journey tricky when you consider how much it will be impacted by the added elements of your career. Your free time may need to be carefully planned depending on the time of year and how much extra work you both need to do!

• Plan your weekends/ free time accordingly. This could be the only spare time you have and you do not want to waste (all of) it watching television. You could plan to head off to street festivals, food events, or live music. You may want to avoid areas with lots of children (unless you have them already) as you will have spent all week with them!. You need to make sure that you both plan your dates with each other in mind. You want your time together to be time well spent, not time wasted with one of you wishing for a different activity!
• If you have been stuck in a classroom or lecture theatre all week you will want to head outdoors! Why not head out for a picnic together? You will both benefit from some fresh air, good food (not a school-packed lunch!) and some wonderful company.
• Who doesn’t enjoy a classic date? You could take your date out for a romantic meal, head for a coffee date, or just go for a romantic walk. As the old saying goes, if ain't broke why fix it? Just make sure you pick a date that gives you both the opportunity to talk and get to know each other. The old classic of going to the ‘pictures’ (cinema) is not really viable as you will not have the chance to actually speak with each other. You do not want to spend up to two hours in silence, staring at a screen!
• A themed dinner date is another fantastic date idea. This is where you pick a particular cuisine and run with it! You pick a cuisine that you both like and either cook that meal together or order it in! Open a bottle of wine, eat some delicious food, and spend some quality time together!
• If you have dated for a little while, you can start introducing new date ideas. Some of this will be dependent on your interests. You could get a nice bottle of wine, turn off the television, turn on some music, and have a cheese and wine night. One fun game that all people, not just educators, do, is the date night choosing game. People play rock, paper, scissors. Whoever wins each round picks something different for the night, for example, the first winner picks the starter, the second the main, the third the desserts, the fourth the drinks, etc. You could do the same to pick your activity. Not only is this fun, and different every time, but it provides you with a wonderful evening!
• If you are both in the physical education sector or just like keeping healthy then an outside, active date could be the best idea for you. Whether you go on a bike ride, hike, or take part in a sport together. On the flip side, you may want a quieter date where you spend more time together. One of the quieter date ideas is a games night together. Look into how to play a game with just two players, have some lovely food, and enjoy playing a game together. This is a great idea as it will completely distract you both from work while giving you time to chat and build more of a connection. Just make sure that if you pick an active date idea you both want to do it and will enjoy it! 
• If you have been dating for a little while, a fantastic idea is to do the raffle idea. This is where you both have scraps of paper and write down different date ideas you would like to go on. You fold these pieces of paper and put them in a jar or container of some sort. When it comes to planning a date you pick one of the pieces of paper and go on that date! Just make sure you both only put ideas that you will both be, at least, happy to try. This gives you both something to look forward to when you’re planning lessons, marking books, and attending after-school meetings!

More Dating Sites and Apps for Educators

     There are many, many dating sites out there which can sometimes make the online dating world a complicated place to visit! This used to be especially difficult when looking for something specific. However, these days it is much easier to find what you are looking for. If you are working within the education system and want to find another educator to establish a friendship and, who knows, a romantic connection with it could not be easier! 

• Teacher Dating Site: This site is specifically designed for teachers and educators looking for meaningful connections within the education community.
• Educated Singles: While not exclusively for educators, this site attracts individuals with higher education backgrounds, including many educators.
• EliteSingles: This platform is known for attracting highly educated professionals, including educators, and focuses on creating compatible matches based on personality traits and preferences.
• Match.com: A popular mainstream dating site where educators can find like-minded individuals among its diverse user base.
• eHarmony: Another well-known dating site that emphasizes compatibility matching based on personality, which can be beneficial for educators seeking meaningful relationships.
• Single Teachers Dating: A site dedicated specifically to teachers seeking romance, friendship, and companionship with fellow educators.
• Slavic-Girl.com: Dating site with educators, teachers, and single women from Slavic countries.

These sites cater to educators who want to connect with others who share their interests, values, and lifestyles.