Being a teacher
Hear me out. I’m fifteen years in and I’m really good at it. I no longer need to bring work home. I have a specialized position so I’m not teaching a class all day long, I work with small groups. While my friends with corporate jobs stress out, I have never been laid off. I love what I do, it’s meaningful and fun. I get to be myself at work with my students and colleagues. We live life together and I love the rhythm of the school year. It’s super creative. I have the best time off of any profession I can think of and I conceptualize it as being paid in time instead of money. My schedule coordinates with my kid. And honestly the money is not terrible depending where you live and the degrees you have. I feel really proud of the work I do and I have space for my life. Just saying… picture of my first year teaching back in 2011 🥹
2 months ago
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Thank you for this rec, Sara!! I'm 10 years in myself (secondary ed, started in 2016-17 school year), and I can't imagine myself in any other career. It is intellectually and emotionally stimulating, not to mention deeply fulfilling, even though it admittedly will prove challenging at times! My school year begins in two weeks, and I'm genuinely excited to meet the seniors that I will be collaborating with over the next 10 months. I legitimately believe I have grown as a person and broadened my perspective working with young people and learning from them as they learn from me. There are a lot of careers housed in the world of education beyond teaching, e.g. counseling, that are also something to look into. Bottom line, a lot of school districts in the U.S. are desperate for talented professionals right now.
Jackie: Wishing you the best as you find your pathway forward, and whatever you decide on, just remember that you are worth it!
Just DM'd you my reply!
I'm also around 15 years in! I'm a high school English teacher, and yes, it can be frustrating as hell (and as a certified AI-hater, I'm in a particularly frustrating season of my career), but everything Sara and the others say is true. I laugh a lot in my job. Teenagers are hilarious (and, okay, yes, so annoying!) and total weirdos in my favorite way. It helps that I have a lot of genuinely fantastic colleagues, too. During the summers, I get to read and garden and go on long walks and dream up new ways to approach my curriculum. And while it can be stressful and deeply humbling, the work is meaningful and fun.
My degrees are all in English, so I didn't take a traditional path to the classroom. It varies state by state, but there are lots of different paths to find your way into a classroom after a mid-career switch. It's certainly not a job for everyone, but we need more great people in the profession. Join us!
Oh man, I've developed a whole toolkit at this point. Here's a handful! 1. Mind your buffers. That typically means I get to school early, close my door when I can, and stay a bit longer when I can to to ensure nothing goes home with me and I'm never in a rush the following day. 2. Take a breath in front of the students. During moments of conflict or frustration, I've started to force myself to pause and breathe a few times (even in full view of students!) to slow the situation down. 3. Get yourself some notecards in multiple sizes. I LOVE using notecards to gauge student understanding or give students a less scary space to develop an idea (sometimes 8x11 freaks them out). 4. This one is dumb. Get weird candy. Like, really strange. I like to get bitter Danish candy or, like, pickle taffy. It works as a competition prize or the beginnings of a writing activity. 5. If admin doesn't reflect your values, don't be afraid to cut bait and apply elsewhere.
Good luck with the year, Claire!!!
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