The Truth About Teaching

Teaching. It is considered to be one of the most fulfilling careers. It is the type of job where you truly have to be passionate about it to enjoy it. Lucky for me, I have known that teaching was my calling since I created a “school” out of my garage for the neighborhood kids when I was only eleven years old. It became my dream to have my own classroom one day and make a difference in my students’ lives.

I worked tirelessly towards that goal. Every volunteer opportunity, every job, every chance to observe in a classroom, I took. For a decade, I never once strayed from that path. I took special high school classes that allowed me to learn about childhood development, develop lesson plans and get hands-on experience in the classroom. I got into a special university program that would fast track me to becoming certified as an elementary school teacher. My dream was quickly becoming a reality. As I barreled towards my graduation, I started to feel more like I was becoming trapped based on a choice I made as a kid. I started second-guessing what I truly wanted in life. With three months to go before I graduated, I veered off the teacher track and decided to look into what else was out there.

Turns out it is harder to completely change your course in life than it seems. Dealing with other people’s expectations, disappointment, and doubt. On top of this, you still have to manage your own doubts and stress. My focus shifted to event coordination. In the end, I did not stray too far from the education field. I started working as a traveling event manager for professional development seminars for educators all over the country. I was traveling seven days a week, living out of my suitcase. It was the best decision I have made so far in my life. In two and a half years, I was able to travel to every state and to several other countries. I found it was possible to have a passion equally as strong as the one I have for teaching. The presenters I worked with were masters in their specific field and I soaked up what I could from them to help me when I became a teacher down the road. It was never really a question of if, but when. On March 13th, 2020, I received an email from my manager saying that we were being grounded. Just like that, everything changed.

I found myself needing to adjust to the “new normal.” This included finding a place to live and adjusting to the virtual world. I had to get used to being in one place and sitting at a computer all day. For me, this did not work. I like being active and in the midst of chaos. This new reality forced me to sit back and reevaluate what I want out of life. Eventually, an opportunity presented itself to teach and I felt pulled to take it. I jumped back into education without hesitation.

Getting back on the teaching track has been a rewarding, yet eye-opening experience. Knowing the pros and cons of teaching and experiencing them are completely different. The fact that as a teacher with a bachelors degree, I am making the same or less than a teenager working retail or in fast food, is frankly absurd. That’s not to say that they don’t deserve the wage they are earning; however, a job that requires a degree and special training should be making more than the bare minimum. There is a common phrase that says “teachers teach for the outcome, not the income.” I despise that phrase. It’s a way to excuse the fact that teachers are being paid a disgraceful salary. Of course we teach for the outcome. Similar to how doctors or lawyers do their jobs for the outcome. No one expects them to work insane hours and put in the amount of work they do for $16.50/hour. There is no unwritten expectation or need for them to put in a ridiculous amount of unpaid overtime. They are not expected to use their own money for equipment or supplies needed to do their jobs properly. Teachers teach for the outcome. That is true and they also deserve a salary that reflects what they bring to the profession. They deserve to be paid in a manner that accounts for how much time, money, and effort they put into their classrooms and their students.

My students are the only thing keeping me in this career. It feels so natural to be in the classroom and I love the hours I spend with my kids. Seeing how much progress my students have made in just the first few months amazes me. A majority of my kindergarten class are English Language Learners and several spoke no English at all in September. I am not only attempting to give them the basic building blocks they need for first grade but also teaching them a second language. Some of my parents are great and open to collaborating to enhance their child’s education; however, I am also dealing with several families that aren’t. This could be because they have a job or commitments that take up too much time and cannot work with their child. It is also sometimes because they believe that they don’t need to be part of it. That their child’s education is entirely on the teacher. I work the best I can with these families, yet I am often faced with them brushing me off.

More than forty-four percent of teachers leave the profession in their first five years of teaching, according to an article on new teacher burnout by Gretchen Brown. When I started my university program, they told us two-thirds of us would modify the track we were on or switch programs entirely before our senior year. I never thought I’d be part of that statistic. I did indeed modify the track I was on, initially to graduate early and go get my credential and masters. Now, I am afraid that I may be another statistic. One more teacher to leave the profession so soon after starting. I am a teacher, through and through. I know in my heart that this is who I am and what I am meant to be doing. I don’t want to just be a teacher, though. I have to make what is going to be the best decision for me overall.

“If I stay in education, it will be because of the kids. If I leave education, it will be because of the adults.”- Will M. Dunn. If I stay in teaching it is because I truly love what I do and watching my kids grow up and progress in their learning. It will be because I love how every day is unique and fun and chaotic. If I leave, it will be because I hate how I don’t have the resources I need for them. It will be because I hate that I have to put my own money into getting supplies for my classroom. It will be because of how unappreciated I feel after how much of myself I put into creating meaningful and engaging lesson plans that teach my students to love learning. It will be because I am burnt out with the increased expectations and criticism of classroom teachers. This is the reality that so many others like me are facing. The truth is I love teaching, but I hate being a teacher.