Hi! Im in my first year of special ed. in college and Im getting scared about becoming a teacher because of some of the posts. I wonder if I've chosen the right profession. Do any of you really love being teachers? Im a mom, so I need to know that I can still have a life outside of my job. Please help me feel like I've chosen the right profession.
To me, teaching it what you get out of it. If you love it, you tend to spend a great deal of time outside of school working on your curriculum, taking classes, and anything else that helps you be the best you can. If you don't, you skate by on the minimum and leave 10 min. after the final bell (I know a lot of those types). Being a great teacher takes an immense amount of dedication, perseverence, patience, and adaptability, along with a few other things. Unfortunately, I've seen more of the former teachers than the latter, but if you're not too scared off by what you read, and ready to tackle anything, I'm sure you'll do fine. Oh, and the first couple years are the worst. I look back at my first year and am embarrassed, wondering how the kids learned anything (or IF they did) as I didn't know what I was doing, really. College doesn't prepare you well for the reality of teaching, at least from my experience. If I hadn't had an amazing mentor who practically adopted me that first year, I would never have made it. I would have left mid-year and I've never quit anything in my entire life before. Is teaching easy? No, but if you can make it past the first couple years (and it gets relatively easier each one), still want to be there, and look forward to more than your summer break, you'll do fine .
I think it's the best job in the world! I get the same time off as my children (generally). We have summers off together. The first couple years are tough....I spent lots of time afterschool and on weekends working on plans and such, but now it's much better. I make a point of leaving before 5.
There's not a job in the world I would rather do. The problem isn't the job so much as your timing. It's the end of March, and it's been a long rough winter for a lot of people. Record numbers of snow days, playing with planning and scheduling and vacations. (Not to mention what snow days to do the behavior of the kids we teach.) Throw in the budget crunch, with massive layoffs predicted. Then there's the ususal home-stretch griping, as the year starts to wind down. It's actually pretty cyclical. Take a look at posts dated August and September. You'll see the exact same people who are now discouraging you, all full of excitement and energy for the start of a new school year.
I adore being a teacher! Like Alice, there nothing else I would rather do. It isn't all roses and sunshine (there are thorns and clouds), but the positives far outweigh the negatives for me.
There's not much about teaching that is easy, it is a mentally and physically demanding job. Except, there is something to be said for walking into your classroom everyday and loving your job. If you're meant to be a teacher, you'll feel this way more often than not. I love my job.
As a first year teacher I am overwhelmed, stressed and feel like I don't know what I'm doing every day. But do I love teaching still? Yes! I can't imagine doing something else. I love my kids, my school and my coworkers. A lot of the times when I vent on here I am really just looking for support from people who have been there and understand. Unfortunately its often the bad things that get vented about, but that doesn't mean there's not good things happening every day
I love teaching. I wake everyday with a smile on my face excited about the day ahead of me. Have their been tough kids, parents, or situations in my career? Absolutely. But I would not give up the love of what I do because of that! I truly love what I do.
My panic mode is gone. It was there for a good portion of this year. I am now understanding some bigger pieces of the puzzle and how it all goes together. I do think next year will be better. I think I've done a lot of great things this year but there is so much I can't do (energy wise) or I just don't know how to do. I'm grateful I have great understanding parents who support me because I need that support knowing that this year really is sink or swim year and there are children involved in this equation. I couldn't be more blessed in a lot of ways this year though. I have a small class, great kids and great parents. I have worked at this school long enough to know who to go to for resources and support. I am not having to figure out a new workplace on top of a new job. I can see mistakes everywhere but I know that I work hard and I know that the kids are still learning. I think panic mode for me came for different reasons. One was that the sheer amount of learning curve that was presented this year was so great that I was always truly terrified that I wouldn't be ready for the week no matter how many hours I put into it. I always managed. Another reason is because I had a new co-worker that decided I didn't meet her minimum standards of qualifications (has nothing to do with my teaching because this was prior to me actually teaching) and stuff happened that took my confidence down a notch especially when I was already in panic mode for the sheer amount of things I was having to teach myself. I managed. I can't say I was a star teacher this year but I saw plenty of improvements, learned quite a bit and held up. I even found a few things that I implemented this year that really worked for me or were really successful. Did I want to quit mid-year? Yes I did. I hung in there though.
Don't be scared! If it's what you're meant to do then you will absolutely love it! Of course there are ups and downs, but it is so rewarding! I'm soooooo happy with my choice to become a teacher
teaching is completely what you make of it. I adore teaching and could NEVER imagine don't going in to those sweet smiles every morning. Although I love weekends as much as anyone, I genuinely miss the kids when school isn't in session.
I love it! I taught at the same school for ten years. There were times when I had to step back and re-evaluate. About five years ago, I felt I needed a change. The remedy, I switched grade levels. Last year, I felt I was no longer a fit for my school, so I resigned. At this point I am subbing, and finding small joys while I look for a job. It is hard looking for a job, but I can't imagine doing anything else.
Oh, I was also thinking, I can't imagine there is a job anywhere, where the work is 100% happy and satisfied 24/7!
yea I don't think any job is like that - but I definitely see that teaching (for me) is more positives than negatives.
My first year was awesome! Great coworkers, sweetest kids in the world, and I was full of excitement and enthusiasm. Then, I got pink slipped. But, I was able to get another job! I worked hard to get it to. This is my fifth year. This year I teach half day math to elementary school students. I love it. I think I found my niche. Teaching one subject and only working half day. There are a lot of ups and downs. It's frustrating to work so hard to help a student understand a concept, and at this time of the year, he still can't do simple basic math... well, it's hard. But, then you think about all of the other goals that your students have made.
That's a good point, Alice. This might be a bit of a side track, but for student teaching, would a fall placement be also a bit more forgiving, given the factors you've mentioned above? I am looking at a fall ST assignment after falling on my face in the spring.
^I don't think any of it matters, I found student teaching to just be bad all around. I performed fine, but at no point did I feel like a real teacher and the kids knew I was not a real teacher and would try to take advantage of that fact. I find it as something you just have to endure and take some learning from. It's the minor league of teaching.
I love this job. There isn't a dull moment. Every day is different. There are many disappointments, but the victories more than make up for those. It's a hands-on, creative job--nothing like working in a cubicle or a regular 9-5. The catch is that in order to do this job well, you have to work more than you've probably ever worked. Sure, I have my bad days (and weeks), and the end of the year is particularly insane, but overall the job is amazing.
I'm not sure what posts might be scaring you... For me teaching is a passion. Sure there are other jobs I could do, but teaching is joyful to me. What a blessing to be able to do what you love. Yes, it's a tough job, and people come here to share, give advice celebrate and also to vent, let their hair down...but for the most part, many members here are dedicated professionals doing the best for their students every day.
I'm in my second year. Since about February, the thought has crossed my mind about quitting nearly once a week. But I would never do it. Why? Because you have mere moments that make everything worth it - a sweet apology note, a birthday card, an "aha" moment, or a teachable moment that turns out to be a lot of fun. I'm finding teaching to be a "hella" amount of work (as my bf calls it,) but at the end of the year, after a nice rest, I want to come back and do it all over.
Orange, If you've ever spent any time in a teacher lounge, you'll quickly find that teachers favorite pastime is complaining.
I wouldn't say that's my favorite past time...In fact, I LOVE my job. I spend a lot of time engaging in professional dialog with my colleagues. I spend time mentoring new teachers. I spend time planning dynamic lessons. I spend time working on professional development. I spend time working on committees. I spend time facilitating learning for my students...But I don't spend a lot of time complaining.
I never said YOU did; but you will concede that teachers do a lot of complaining wouldn't you? (For the record, I've visited probably 25-50teacher staff rooms in my career, on a semi-regular to regular basis, going back to 2002. It's an observation that I had back then, when I really had no teaching aspirations... to now.)
I think it's necessarily teachers, but certain people. I have held MANY different jobs outside of the school, and there are always a handful of people that like to complain or gossip, no matter if it is a bank, dental office, florist, retailer, library, college book store (well, you get the picture). At the school I currently visit, there are times in the day when the "gossips" do meet in the staff room, but it would be unfair to base the character of all the teachers on that handful of staff members (not all of them are teachers).
I love our faculty room!!! Do we talk work? Sure-- it's a common bond. But we talk about everything from yesterday's Yankee game (I"m a Mets fan, but you couldn't NOT talk about that game!!!) to our families to our summer plans. It's a nice place to be, and I wouldn't think of eating anywhere else!
gosh, Im so relieved to read what you wrote about the two first years being the hardest. I´ve been working as a full time teacher just 4 months by now and honestly, I feel like freaking out almost every day:lol::lol:! I´m hanging on anyway but what I really miss is to have somebody to be my mentor. I gess I´ll have to learn it all by myself.
I'm a career changer. If I let the comments about the state certification subject area tests scare me, I wouldn't have stuck with it and PASSED the test the other day....and I'm not an Education major. Stick with it. One of my greatest strengths is that I'm a mom also. Somehow, it makes us a little different maybe.....NO, not better.....but it can be a "bonding" piece when you're working with other teachers who have children at home/to go pick up after school/who get sick last minute, etc. Is this helping? Because, I think I'm rambling. My only "fear" now is selling myself to Administrators.....I'd like to actually work this next school year!! So keep going. Some of my days subbing were a nightmare. Some days were spectacular. Both of those scenarios are normal. Some teachers I've spoken to this year want to quit teaching because they've had a horrible school year. Others just chalk it up to the way it rolls being a teacher.
Love, love, love my job! Wouldn't do anything else. Will take the good and bad of teaching any day over the hum-drum of sitting in an office somewhere. I am happy when I step into my class and see my students. When I am having a bad day and I see them my day turns around. Don't love adults, don't want to work with just adults. There are bad days but they don't last. Of course there will be times when you need to vent a little. If it is what you are meant to do then you will love it! Not every day but most.
