Since my last column, one of the official resignation dates for teachers has been and gone. It's a peculiar time of year for those who have decided to move on. The prospect of leaving a community that a teacher has sometimes served for decades can understandably cause apprehension and sadness.

It's a position with which I can sympathise myself. After eleven years at the helm at Teacher Support Network, April will be my last month in the job. Whilst thoroughly looking forward to my next move, it is simultaneously very difficult to deal with the fact that the organisation that I have worked for – and the teachers that I have played a part in helping – will soon no longer be part of my daily life.

Our organisation has gone through tremendous changes since I arrived at the Teachers' Benevolent Fund in 1998. In order to reflect better the needs of the profession, we've instigated many new projects and radically re-hauled many others. Although I've had some time now to adjust to the prospect of change, my last few months here suddenly seem like an infinitesimal period considering the amount of work that needs to be done in that time: preparation, handovers and tying up lose ends. While for over a decade it was perfectly ok for some of the information needed to do my job existed solely in my head, I must now work hard to ensure that it is transmitted in full to my colleagues. As well as the needs of our charity, everyday aspects of my own life – friendships, routines and my lifestyle – are about to be radically altered too.

Teachers who have made the decision to move may well be going through similar experiences. There are many reasons why teachers may have handed in their resignation at the end of February: moving to another part of the country, wanting new challenges or simply retiring from the profession all together. Whatever the motivation, it is important that teachers prepare themselves – both professional and emotionally – for a significant change in their circumstances. Even those who have been at the school for a short period will have accumulated unique and valuable insights into the workings of the school and the learning needs of their classes. Those who have served their community for years or even decades may well be feeling a sudden and dramatic sensation that there is too little time to ensure that their departure goes smoothly.

Teachers are right in these circumstances to want to do everything they can to help their school face the challenge of change. Remember, however, that it is not just the school whose needs are altered by a teacher moving on to pastures new. As a teacher, you will be well used to change: new pupils, new colleagues, new curricula and new regulations. As you will therefore know, change – both professional and personal – can have a negative impact if not managed effectively. Nevertheless change, although difficult, can always provide new opportunities and your retirement or moving to a new school is no exception.

The key element in ensuring that the organisational and educational needs of the school and your own wellbeing is trying to maintain strong relationships with your colleagues. This will enable you to share information with each other and also provide mutual support. Just as importantly, make sure you discuss your situation with your family and friends. Their support can be invaluable. Additionally, ensure you make full use of our confidential support services to help you through your move to another school or into retirement.

Whatever the cause of your decision to move on, you should already be taking steps to invest in your future. You may find yourself feeling stressed owing to changes in personal relationships, such as finding you are suddenly spending more time together or mutually deciding your futures. Retirement particularly may bring changes in your circumstances which require you to make important decisions about your life. Remember that Teacher Support Network is there for teachers at any stage of their life, training, serving or retired and our coaches are on hand to offer advice or lend support as you begin your new life away from the classroom.

These last few weeks at Teacher Support Network are likely to be an emotional rollercoaster. It will be wonderful spending time with my colleagues reminiscing about the past, helping the organisation plan for the future and discussing my own. Although, as ever, the prospect of change can be intimidating, it's better approached not as an insurmountable disruption, but as a challenging opportunity.