Being a Teacher is Terrible... and Amazing

It was never in my plans, when I moved away from my home country to South America I figured teaching English may be an option for work but I never thought I would be invited to teach at an organized school.

The first few days I would walk the halls wondering if I could ever live up to the ways of the teachers around me. They all had years of experience and the students knew them and treated them like family. It was a small school and the 9th to 12th-grade section only had about 100 students. Everyone knew each other quite well and as a new teacher, I felt like I was a child teaching other children. Of course, this became an advantage with time.

I often struggled to be strict with my students, many of them had trouble sitting in class for too long. They would randomly stand up and walk around and some would even walk out of the room without telling me anything. I was told time and time again to be more strict, to put them in their place, and to show authority. I couldn’t do it the same way the other teachers did. I feel like, in the end, I found my own way to be a teacher and it was special to me. I had a very good relationship with my students they treated me with respect and I treated them the same.

Over time I wondered if the students were learning much from me, I got along well with most of them and I tried to find time to be with them during their recess time and during assemblies. Many of them would seek me out during their free time to play basketball or talk. I didn't know if I was doing things right, I doubted myself because I did things differently from other teachers. I was afraid that if I wasn't exactly like them, then I was wrong.

I spent too much time worrying about how much they understood me, how I was organizing my classes and if their parents were satisfied with my work. It was hard to know what to do at the moment but like many life lessons, we learn them by taking a glimpse in the rearview mirror. These glimpses are important for our development and they’re vital to our human experience.

Out of 15 or so teachers, 5 of us were invited to the graduation party for the senior class just last night. We were given certificates from the parents telling us how grateful they were for the work we did for their kids along with a little medal that has the school's name on it and expresses their thanks as well.

I felt real happiness for my students and I felt like I had been just a small part of their development and achievements. For the first time in my life, I felt proud of the work that I had put in and I couldn’t stop thinking about how rewarding it felt to be a teacher. It was never in my plans, when I moved away from my home country to South America I figured teaching English may be an option for work but I never thought I would be invited to teach at an organized school.

I learned that being a teacher, though frustrating, time-consuming, sometimes lonely, and always strenuous, is a one-of-a-kind way to connect with other human beings. It’s a way to make close connections that you hope will never end, even after your students graduate and move on with their lives. I wouldn’t change this last year for anything in the world.