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Teachers tend to be passionate about contributing to young people's education and growth and many may hear the lessons they have learned from their teacher years later. However, even multiple positive character traits and hard work don’t always keep a good teacher at school. The reasons behind teacher attrition vary from burnout, poor job satisfaction, and reduced accomplishment to an unsafe work environment, until reaching a certain point when a person makes a decision to leave.
These people who used to work in schools shared the turning point that made them change their jobs, answering one Redditor’s question: “Teachers who quit, when was the moment you realized it wasn’t for you?”
More info: Reddit
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#1
In a meeting with other English teachers, an admin said:
"6th grade will no longer be reading novels. It's not statistically proven to improve test scores."
If reading doesn't improve testing, your testing is wrong.
Sami-Jo Ross 2 years ago
This is why kids graduating high school barely read at a middle school student's level.
A dude who likes to drum 2 years ago
I already read at a college level and I’m in 8th grade
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K_Tx 2 years ago
I would like less emphasis on "novels" and more on READING. Not everyone can understand say Romeo and Juliet bur surely some other "chapter book" or a thicker book could work instead. There are places on the .net to find questions and additional information for comprehension. Can we also focus on spelling and not abbreviating every word down to single letters or weird, easy spellings? And grammar is still important!
Stephanie Barr 2 years ago
Test scores be damned. Reading novels makes better people. Better educated people. Better thinking people. Reading other things is fine, but nothing builds empathy like living another life in a novel.
Not-a-Clue (she/her) 2 years ago
There's a lot more to education than test scores (speaking as an ex teacher)
Joshua David 2 years ago (edited)
I was lucky to be a reader growing up. My vocabulary is noticeably different from some non readers. Most of the time I will drop big words that are relevant to the context and im sometimes honestly surprised. It's from reading.
Martin John 2 years ago
Reading scores took a hit in my district when we were told to stop silent, sustained reading in class. Was everybody reading in those 15 minutes? Certainly not. Did it encourage kids to read for pure enjoyment? Without a doubt.
Bored something 2 years ago
That was my favourite part of the day on school.
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C .Hunger 2 years ago
As a teacher, I can tell you that this one depends. Depends on the novel a bit, but more how the novel is being taught.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 2 years ago
What do you mean by this? That the learning depends? Or that the test-results depend on the reading-material?
Load More Replies... censorshipsucks 2 years ago
It's ok the rest of the world has noticed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufmcubp2szg
RELATED:
#2
I had a student, maybe 11 or 12, sitting with me and having pizza. I asked how her life was going and she says "Well, my dad's a [substance] dealer so he's always got people coming over to sell or buy [substances] or play cards so I can't sleep. My mom's dying because she has a hole in her heart and they can't fix it. And I have a boyfriend but I'm afraid to tell my mom because she'll tell my dad and he'll beat me." Just normal, like this was everyday stuff.
So, as a mandatory reporter I go to my Dean of Students and tell him all this, and he just gets irritated and goes "Yeah, but that doesn't excuse her behavior."
That's when I knew I was done.
Jared Robinson 2 years ago
That 100% excuses her behavior because that is literally the cause of her behavior, are you f*****g stupid. Let me get you an IQ test look down this barrel attached to the gun, what no of course it's not loaded why would it be loaded this is just an iQ test.
Li’l E. 2 years ago
Exactly. It’s sad that a school administrator couldn’t recognize it, or contextualize the kid’s behavior.
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Brainmas 2 years ago
That's awful. I hope it was reported to the authorities and not just the dean.
Babynursemissy 1 year ago
As a mandatory reporter he/she would be required to report it to authorities.
Load More Replies... Martin John 2 years ago
The amount of baggage some of these kids come to school with makes an education a low priority. Some of my middle school kids more or less ran the household while their single parent mom was off making minimum wage at her 2nd (or 3rd) shift job. Then that student is making adult decisions at home to keep themselves (and/or younger siblings) safe while mom is gone. Then, they're expected to come to school fully fed and fully rested to follow the school's (sometimes silly) rules and expectations? No wonder they act out.
Fox with a Dragon Tattoo 2 years ago
Honestly... Id probably have straight up punched the dean in the throat. Thats not just cold its a perverse response.
#3
Two 16 year old kids were facing each other (I had the classroom seats in a U shape) and were silently challenging each other to fight while I was in the middle of a lesson. They suddenly jumped up from their chairs and came at each other with eight inch knives with me in between them.
I was pretty built, having been a stonemason's apprentice in college to help pay my way through, but these kids were both bigger than me. Without thinking I grabbed each by their collars and shouted SIT. DOWN.
I didn't start shaking until that evening. I was done a week later.
Edit: Thank you for all the upvotes and a special thank you for the gold, kind stranger.
#4
When the corporate job offered me three times the salary AND a 12% annual bonus.
Now, my kids can afford to go to the college where dad used to teach.
Passerby 2 years ago
I am considering changing my job too. I casually browsed a job search site a while ago, and some companies offers more starting salary than what I am making now with greater benefits even though I have been a teacher for about 7 years now.
Lila Allen 1 year ago
I've been teaching 26 years. Run! Run now. Get those other jobs. GO...do not pause.
Load More Replies... #5
I stopped when my annual review with the new program dean focused on the 10% of student reviews that were negative rather than the 90% that were positive. There are too many aggravations working against teachers. At the least, the administration has to have your back.
Jean Jacket 2 years ago
Do everything right and no one remembers. Make one mistake and no one forgets.
#6
First I'll tell you the moments when I nearly quit.
When a kid with serious mental health issues stabbed another kid with a pencil and I was told to just keep a better eye on him.
When a parent complained about me but I wasn't told the nature of the complaint; just reprimanded, generally.
When 16-year-old boys hit on me and I actually considered going out drinking with them because I had no social life.
But the MOMENT, looking back, was when I was hospitalised with exhaustion, and my amazing boyfriend, who had been coming over, marking tests and proofing papers every evening for months, lay down on the cold hard hospital floor and slept beside me in case I was upset overnight.
I realised that I wanted a life with him, not a dull existence where I poured all of myself into my job and had nothing left for us.
I loved teaching but it wanted all of me. Dawn til midnight, seven days a week prepping, marking, planning.
I quit. I got a better job. I married that amazing guy and we have an amazing daughter. On weekends we go to the park and play.
Donald 2 years ago
My friend got stabbed in the face a few times with a pencil in 7th grade science class. My science teacher got reprimanded for letting it happen and the kid who stabbed my friend got 3 days in school suspension. I got jumped by 3 8th grades later that year and got a week suspension for fighting back, schools seem to encourage violence now instead of reprimanding the offenders and its disturbing. For reference this was probably 2007 or 2008.
Charles McChristy 2 years ago
School does nothing to quell the violence. Back in my day, the teachers were just other spectators when a fight broke out. I was bullied constantly, and I too was suspended and/or grounded for standing up for myself.
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Power puff scientist 2 years ago
are we all just glossing over the fact she wanted to go drinking with 16 year olds that were hitting on her because she was bored? because thats hella creepy to me.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Exhaustion is a big part of why I left teaching. I knew I had a chronic condition, but was determined to do at least one year of full time work, so I could top up my savings. After really tough days with kids with challenging behaviours, and taking so much work home I never really switched off, I had to give up after 6 months. After I recuperated I looked for part time work, but couldn't get any in a primary school. I was lucky to find a job with fewer hours in a kindergarten, but I had to start in a diploma position (often called and assistant/co-educator). I worked up to being a kindergarten teacher (teaching 3 year olds) before it all got too much again. Now I work in after school care, but the workload isn't much different, so by this time of year I'm exhausted. Also I no longer get time off between terms, in fact we work even longer hours during the school holidays! I am very near the end of my rope again, if I'm honest.
#7
I worked in a high needs behavior class. I got hit, punched, scratched and spat on daily, but every day I went back and did my best for those kids. I was so battered and bruised that my husband wouldn't shop with me anymore because people would stare and sometimes even comment to him about his mistreating me. It was sickening, but I loved my job and every one of those kids.
One day was called to the office to talk. It was Christmas time and things weren't great at home and as anyone with kids knows the holidays makes children especially high strung so things were also wild in the classroom. My boss said "you seem awfully stressed" and I thought how nice of her to notice so I agreed that yes I was struggling. She said "you have 6 weeks to sort it out or I'll have to let you go".
I was crushed. It literally broke me. 6 weeks to get less stressed...how does that even work? I found myself just showing up to show up and I realized that wasn't fair for me or for the kids.
6 weeks later I get a call back to the office. I am congratulated on the amazing turn around and sent back to class. I was baffled. I was more upset and stressed than ever and they congratulate me??
More and more I showed up to work just for the paycheck. One day I just decided screw it, I wasn't a teacher anymore I was a robot fearful of showing any negativity . I quit that week. Never went back to teaching.
David Paterson 2 years ago (edited)
Permitted? Children don't need permission in order to be like this.
Load More Replies... Brainmas 2 years ago
We got a new principal that was much the same. I started off the year in a really bad place and explained the situation, but was doing my best and not taking it out on the kids, but she used it against me later and I bounced. Thankfully just an aid, not a teacher, so the kids weren't screwed over by my abrupt departure.
Jon Steensen 2 years ago
Well (clinical) stress is an illness, and where I am from, you cannot fire sick people during the first 120 days that they are sick. So what her boss was doing sounds borderline illegal. If you want your employess to deal with their stress, give them the time off to do so.
Ashley Harrold 2 years ago
My niece is special needs and sometimes will hit or bite when upset. We know she doesn't fully understand why that's not ok but, it's not an excuse. Her techs and we, her family, are working with her on finding healthier ways to show she's upset.
Rider 2 years ago
Had a similar experience. My assistant admin didn't like my attitude. I told him my doc wanted to put me on stress leave last year and the reason I left my ex was for DV. Luckily he's a decent guy. They've backed off and acknowledged that I am helping (aka doing other peoples work) more than they realized.
Jon Steensen 2 years ago
It is the responsibility of the parents to raise their children, not the teacher who should teach them not to be violent. The teacher's job is to teach, not to deal with difficult pupils. So kick them out of the class when they don't know how to behave and send them to the principal's office let her deal with it, so you can concentrate on the rest of the class. making sure that the teachers have proper working conditions sorts under the principal, who is responsible for running the shcool.
StarlightPanda! 2 years ago
They should have had some legal rights to sue the school or something..
The Original Bruno 2 years ago (edited)
WHERE IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY ARE THE F*****G TEACHERS' UNIONS??? Oh, and this is the new normal.
#8
When it would have taken 43 years to pay off my degree at a teachers salary.
David 2 years ago
This is why you dont go to a 50K a year college for a teaching degree, you go to more affordable options. Not only are the placements the same, but less debt. There are options as cheap as 7k a year for college.
Papa 2 years ago
Thank you. I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought the OP was at least partially responsible for the situation. I do believe teachers should be paid more, by the way.
Load More Replies... The Original Bruno 2 years ago
Teachers make damned good money in my state. But the "equity" policies mean that kids can beat the c**p out of teachers or threaten to kill them, and stay in the same classroom as if nothing has happened. County police just refer to the security guards who just defer to the principal's equity policies. And the absurd amount of extra paperwork! I don't mean correcting homework; I mean bureaucracy! The admins literally tell teachers that they should want to work 16-hour workdays, 7 days a week, because if they don't they obviously "don't love their students." Apparently they didn't know the part of Stand and Deliver where the teacher almost died, said "to hell with that" and started kicking kids out of his class so his workload didn't kill him.
#9
(taught at a juvenile delinquent school) when the accusations of children required no proof or consistency, and to be exonerated took divine intervention. When a kid with a violent history a mile wrong swings a stapler at you, gashing your forehead (because he was dared to) then as you restrain him, until help arrives, you "hurt his wrist", then your school believes his story that I dropped the N-bomb to him, which caused the outburst. EVEN THOUGH TWO OTHER STAFF MEMBERS SAW THE ENTIRE THING. And the school called the police and tried to have me charged for assault.
Jon Steensen 2 years ago
and even dropping the N-word (if it had been the case) does not justify having a stabler flung against your head. That should be dealt with in another way that does not include violence.
Fox with a Dragon Tattoo 2 years ago
Sounds like a defamation lawsuit against that sh*tstain of an admin
Brian Droste 2 years ago
I think they need to put cameras in classes to prove what students do to teachers so teachers don't get falsely accused of wrong doing.
Stephen Schrock 2 years ago
A acquaintance of mine was threatened by a student and a much bigger student told him, "you touch her and I will make sure it is last thing you do". Well, the rest of the year, he has been less trouble.
The Original Bruno 2 years ago (edited)
Again: the new normal. This is what "equity" looks like in practice. Seriously: it should come as no surprise that our Black children are much more likely to face much bigger problems at home. Parents forced to work two jobs. Absent parents. Lack of resources. Environmental lead. Poverty. Crazy-high rates of violence. All these problems show up in behavior at school. Let's not even get started on immigrant kids with language issues. But the schools say that if Black and Hispanic kids face discipline more than White kids, it's racism. So, the teachers must be blamed, and the kids left undisciplined. When did we decide as a society that ALL discipline was inherently evil? If discipline is GOOD, why are we calling discipline "racist" instead of seeing the FAILURE to discipline "racist." Sure, we all hate GETTING disciplined, but would YOU rather your school become a hellhole of violence that all the teachers desperately seek to transfer out of?
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
My wife's current school can't find teachers to teach special ed, so they're hiring a stream of substitute teachers throughout the entire school year. Did YOU ever learn anything from a substitute? So the kids get MORE bored, MORE hopeless, MORE angry, and therefore MORE violent. And there are all sorts of sleights of hand so the voters/parents don't realize what's going on.
Load More Replies... #10
Late to the party but I was a teacher that taught a class that would be tested on the state level and the result of the test (as well as some others) would dictate our funding.
The principal gave me the exam in advance and asked that I quiz the students directly on the questions in the packet.
I was no longer teaching for knowledge but for memorization and it really deflated me. I walked away that winter.
Shark Lady 2 years ago
It probably is, or at least against the rules of state testing.
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Michael MacKinnon 2 years ago
Standardized tests measure the ability to take standardized tests. But they fit the corporate agenda of punishing the teachers and the publicly funded school system. And they make for cool rankings to publish in the media.
Dolly_of TheCowboy 2 years ago
In Australia (like most Western countries I suppose) the last year or two of high school (what many here call Year 11 & 12) focusses exclusively on teaching to the final exams that typically determine a University entrance rank/score. That is done regardless of if a student is ever planning or wanting to attend University. I am sure other countries have a similarly ridiculous and incredibly stressful process that does nothing to prepare the individual for life just this test score. Why Universities cannot have an entrance exam specific to their needs and let those that want to take it do so and let the rest of the students continue learning outside of that rigid framework I do not know but undoubtedly some overpaid underling will be able to drag out "statistics" showing how it benefits Universities (but not students) and it is for "the greater good"
Load More Replies... Rinso the Red 2 years ago
"No Child Left Behind" GW did more harm to our country than anyone ever realized
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
In Australia, kids have to do a nationally assessed test in years 3, 5, 7 and 9, which also affects funding. I hate it, as we have to 'teach to the test' and as pointed out here, it is about memorisation. We aren't (at least in the schools I have worked in) given the test ahead of time, just the topics that will be covered.
Dolly_of TheCowboy 2 years ago
Yeah I have heard of the NAPLAN mania that seizes some schools (mostly private and non-government ones) so that the entire school year up to when the tests are held comprises solely of teaching to what will be in the tests and nothing more; telling parents of poorly performing students to not have them attend school on test days to "not drag the school down". Then cramming the rest of the school year's teaching requirements into whatever time is left of the academic year. Frickin' awesome for all involved really
Load More Replies... Fox with a Dragon Tattoo 2 years ago
How many years until we abolish standardized testing.. we all know it harms way more than helps
Martin John 2 years ago
Further evidence that standardized testing is absurd on many levels: test bias continues to be an issue: case in point, my state has a large rural population, so when a science question mentioned a silo, there were only a handful of my suburban/bigger city students who knew what that was so they could answer the question effectively. Of course, I was in no way allowed to explain to them what a silo was (my district required another colleague to be in all testing classrooms, lest the teacher give out the answers to the test). The absurdity of it all...
#11
I taught high school English for ten years before finally quitting for the corporate sector. Honestly, it was a lot of small things that built and built until I realised it wasn't where I wanted to be. The largest of those "small things" is stifling focus on standardised testing. I lost weeks and weeks to test prep at every grade level. I couldn't teach novels I loved teaching because I ran out of time. And those standardised tests are useless, they prove nothing but offer schools a pat on the back for the high performance results. Which, mind you, do not transfer at all to college success. And too many public schools force the idea of college. Why? Is it becuase it's for the betterment of the kids? Hell no, it looks good on their graduation statistics. But, there is nothing wrong with not going to college. And I'd tell that to my AP students as much as my kids with the 12 average for the year. You have a 3.8 GPA and want to be a plumber? You go. You be a plumber. F**k, you'll make more than the rest of us.
I was once told I shouldn't do so many lessons where discussion between students was required. No more Socratic seminars, there had to be more "material that could be graded." How f****d up is that? I can't encourage discussion in an English literature class because I can't grade the kids on it. And don't even get me started on quantitative vs. qualitative. Teachers are being held accountable for students who "don't improve" regardless of anything else. Jimmy doesn't come to school for three months because he's f*****g off and then shows back up and fails the midterm? That's on YOU buddy, should have taught him better for the two weeks you had him at the start of the year.
I eventually got tired of the constant hurdles and stupid state requirements. People said "Yeah, but you get a pension! Unions! Summers off!" So the f**k what? I'm in corporate now and I make 31K more than I did teaching with a yearly bonus and a matching 401k with profit sharing. And b***h, please, I never had a summer off. I worked two jobs to make ends meet from June to September. Most teachers do.
What kills me is that I loved teaching. I loved my students and I was good at what I did. I was good at encouraging kids to take risks with their learning and I didn't penalise them for making mistakes. That's how you learn. You don't learn s**t from multiple choice and you never will. I miss my kids, I miss watching them go from hating a piece to being eager to discuss it. Even my lowest level students could show me something, even if it wasn't on paper.
It wasn't my students that killed my love for teaching. And I DID have kids throw chairs or get into fights or tell me to f**k off, all of that? That was doable. And I did it. The stupid, useless requirements and the idiotic state testing, the abysmal pay for the hours and hours I put in. That killed my love for teaching. And it's killing plenty of other young, passionate educators. I miss my students. I miss everything about teaching, when I was allowed to teach. Now? It's not teaching. If you want to teach, get into higher education or a private school. Do yourself a favour and stay out of public education in the United States. It doesn't exist anymore.
Kimberly Young 2 years ago
THIS. When I was just a student, doing my teaching internship, I knew I was never going to make it when I was forced to cut out all of the creative, engaging activities I created in favor of worksheets that "could be graded," and "taught to the test."
Verena 2 years ago
The strangest thing to me is this "no payment in summer". My dad and a lot of family friends were/are teachers, they just get paid every month. They get the normal average off time (25 days per year), during the other times the kids are not at school holiday teachers do administrative work and preparing lessons
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
Standardized tests were imposed by Pres. Bush and Sen. Ted Kennedy to identify failing schools. The unaccountability of schools WAS and IS a dire crisis. When admins force teachers to "teach to the test," they should be fired with reason for corrupting the process. But the school boards and local politicians are on the same team as the admins, so that never happens. It's utter corruption. It seems like standardized testing is a failure and the corrupt education establishment has won. But we do need some way to measure success because the s**t the ed establishment pulls to continue to put politics over learning is astonishing.
#12
I had a 6-year old pull a knife on me while screaming "I will [end] you". This was the culmination of a lot of various incidents with the same kid. What was most infuriating was the parents claiming they had the sweetest little boy and that we (the school) must be liars for saying otherwise. Eventually he was transferred to a special school after we filed a report on the various incidents. I felt really bad for the kid because when he wasn't freaking out over something he would be the sweetest guy asking a ton of questions and participating in the activities, but he was highly prone to snapping into hysteria. The incident with the knife happened in this afterschool setting where the kids go to play and have fun. Apparently another kid had done something he disliked so he was kicking and spitting on him when I pulled him away. He ran straight to the drawer and found a little kitchen knife. Due to his size it was pretty easy to wrestle out of his hands though so no harm done. I guess dealing with s****y parents was what made me change my career.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
This is basically the situation I'm in at the moment with one boy. It's so hard to work out his triggers too. He has now been diagnosed with ADHD and ASD, but I am not getting any support in working out how to include him in the program and minimise the triggers. Mum basically won't answer the phone during the time he is with me, or if she does, will say she will collect him early (because I can't cope with his behaviour) but not turn up and dad will just pick him up at the end of the day. I know there is a lot he can't control at the moment, but I am at a loss for what to do next.
#13
The wasn't one defining moment that made me decide to quit. But after the decision was made, there was a moment that solidified it.
There was this kid. To say he wasn't bright is an understatement. He probably should have been diagnosed at some point as special education, but never was. He was also an a*****e. I taught 8th grade math, and he literally couldn't even multiply. So I would give him the same tests I gave my special education students. He'd usually fail anyway, but not as bad. Anyhow, he never figured out he was given a different test. When I made the different versions, they were essentially the same questions, just with much easier numbers to work with. Well one day, I was grading his test, and he missed every single question. Weird thing was, he had all the correct answers to the normal test. However he showed no work. So there was literally no way with the numbers he had, he could get the answers he got.
So I called his mom in (I had to stay like an hour later than normal to meet with her). I presented her the evidence, which most people would find pretty convincing. She just turned to him and said "Did you cheat?" He of course denies it. Then she looks at me and says "You say he cheated, he says he didn't, I don't know who to believe".
I got up and left right then.
Parents are the reason most teachers leave the profession. They tend to make the teacher the enemy quite often. Plus, they don't want to acknowledge that their child can be a little s**t.
Jinx (she/her) 2 years ago
I try to be the best parent for my sons teachers. I know they have it so hard, they have to spend their meager pay on classroom supplies, no appreciation. I can't imagine mistreating the people who are doing me the very biggest favor of my life by teaching him. I cannot be a teacher, so I have nothing but gratitude. we give extra supplies at the beginning of the year, and then a $200 gift card every 3 months (so 3 times a school year) for classroom supplies (but I make sure they know they can use it at home too, I won't be mad if they need toilet paper lol)
#14
When I realized getting drunk and cooking epic meals was way more enjoyable.
#15
Nepotism is a major problem in smaller school districts. Yes men, family members, and friends will get hired as the school system is one of the better paying jobs in the county. All of this is done in return for loyalty and not questioning if decisions are best for the kids.
One of the bigger nails in the coffin was when I was pepper sprayed by the school resource officer AFTER myself and another teacher had broken up a fight and were sending students back to class. He sprayed to "disperse the crowd" spraying myself and our female assistant principle in the face and causing three students to have asthma attacks. For as little as I was being paid, I could find a safer place to work where people were less incompetent.
The Original Bruno 2 years ago (edited)
Nepotism is a HUGE problem even where my wife works, at one of the largest school districts in the country. It's not LITERAL nepotism (No-one's nephews are taking the best jobs), but top assignments are routinely traded for sexual favors, admins get around rules against illegal interview questions by asking back channels, and the most hilariously transparent brown-nosing is very visibly rewarded. And the union knows damned well what is going on, and doesn't do a God-damned thing... decent pay, safe working conditions, fair promotions and an harassment-free workplace just aren't near the top of their priorities. A corporate HR department would be horrified, but all the admins have to do is insinuate the plaintiffs vote for the evil orange man.
Wondering Alice 2 years ago
I understand your sentiment but the 2 career choices do have a bit of a cross over. I have worked with some wonderful teachers who are ex police. They choose a career policing because of a wish to serve the community, but after failing to really help children went in to teaching feeling that education was the key. Conversely, I have known dedicated young teachers deeply effected by their inability to fully protect youngsters join the police. My experience is all based in Europe, but I would think in the US too people entering these professions might have similar motives. Many UK schools have a police liaison, they most definitely have a place.
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Kelly Scott 2 years ago
Nicky is right. That's how it's spelled and a teacher should know that one.
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
There's no point correcting homophones with hastily typed, unpaid, auto-corrected entries. And auto-correct isn't the only element that gets fooled by homophones. I dictate in my head what I write and my hands often type the wrong word, even though hell yeah, I know better.
Load More Replies... #16
When I realized that I was being more micromanaged every year. I expected a lot of oversight when I was a new teacher. I actually had more people watching my every move & every word after a Master's Degree & fifteen years experience. I never had a single complaint. Parents & students loved me (even requested me). Administrators needing to justify their jobs were constantly in my classroom or calling pointless meetings to discuss pointless things. I spent less & less time teaching and more & more time filing out meaningless forms, responding to emails, and sitting through meetings.
Mini grizzly 2 years ago
I never understood how can meetings replace actual work. It's insane that even at a hospital, doctors have to fill out millions of forms just prescribe a medication for (in my case) bladder infection. And it's actually pretty common sickness with woman.
Wondering Alice 2 years ago
Are you a teacher? Because bladder infections are really common for women teachers. Once during a PAP I could not empty my bladder and the doctor asked how long I'd been teaching - I had not mentioned being a teacher. No one talks about the fact you can have days with a heavy period and still not get to go to the toilet in 5 hours. I drink way less than I should too, incase I can't get to a toilet.
Load More Replies... Martin John 2 years ago
Yup..."Well, we can't discipline that student because you didn't document the phone call(s) you made to the parent about the incident."
#17
Not a teacher, but my buddy was a teacher in the South. He was teaching at a Catholic school in a small, but not tiny, town. His students were primarily poor with parents not terribly involved in their lives. There were a lot of behavioral issues - constant fights, yelling, disruptions, etc. The academics were predictably weak because the students largely didn't care about school at all. Kids were found with weapons of some kind (knives, shanks) with some frequency, but it wasn't a daily occurrence.
The final straw came when a particularly problematic student was causing a huge disruption in his classroom by screaming and flipping over desks, which alone wasn't **that** big of an incident. He escorted this student down to the principal's office, as he had many times before. Except this time the student insulted my buddy the whole time. He explained the situation to the administrators and returned to his class. A few minutes later an announcement came over the PA system inside the school and the principal mocked and insulted my buddy for what he did. The principal made a snarky comment about not being able to control your class. The troublemaker then returned to class, without facing any kind of discipline, and tried to provoke a fight with my buddy. My buddy noped right out of his classroom, walked out the door, and joined the military.
The Original Bruno 2 years ago
I'm not at all surprised by claims that a Catholic school admin sucked at their job, but I am surprised that parents were uninvolved with the school. Who TF sends their kids to a Catholic school in the SOUTH? (For non-Americans: the South has TRADITIONALLY been seriously anti-Catholic, although this has lessened, in some places radically. And while fourteen states offer some sort of partial credit or reimbursement, Catholic schools always mean parents are paying a lot of money, or at least their fellow parishioners are.
#18
I taught high school for 10 years. I was an amazing teacher. I received perfect evaluations and was teacher of the district twice in that time. I was a class sponsor, sponsored clubs, took kids to Europe, and on overnight field trips. I loved teaching and I was good at it and passionate about it.
I left teaching when I learned that my colleague, also a great teacher, who was 20 years into her career, 2 Masters degree and topped out the systems pay scale at $58K a year. Starting at 22 years old at $39K is awesome, retiring at $58K is b******t.
I realized that despite my degrees and my hard work, I'd never make enough to keep my head above water. It wasn't enough to pay my student loans or put my kids through college. At one point I was working 3 jobs at the same time to make my bills work. I have 2 Master degrees and a slew of impressive endorsements. I was never going to be promoted, or get a raise. Even if I was s****y teacher who did sub-par work, I'd make the same amount I did as a stellar above and beyond teacher.
TL;DR: Teacher pay is b******t.
Nadia Caerleon 2 years ago
The answer is to stop paying the administrators so much. The US spends a massive amount on education and shockingly little of it goes to the teachers.
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Upstaged75 2 years ago
I dropped out of my graduate program for school counseling when I found out that I'd be making less money as a counselor than I currently made while I worked to put myself through school. I switched to another program that would allow me better opportunities after I graduated.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Not sure what the conversion rate is, but starting salary for teachers in my state of Australia was (around 2014) $52K!
#19
So many things
Figured I got payed 9/hr to handle special needs AND the future of our country and other teachers didn't have it that much better.
Watched an entire class plagiarize an easy essay because they couldn't fathom how to write something original.
Turned in a girl for skipping class only to have to write a police report on why I didn't call her a stupid b***h and hit her. (She never got punished for that)
Observed a kid who I KNEW had to be a psychopath convince a freshman to steal a phone. Freshman got caught and 10 days in Juvie. Psychopath walked free.
You're gonna have to pay teachers a lot more to deal with that c**p.
#20
First year and a half after I got licensed I was a substitute. Worked about 95% of the days available, but it was pretty depressing to see that I made about $14,000 a year. Put out my resume and finally got an interview and offer in a small, rural school district.
Started off well enough, but a small clique of parents decided I wasn't sufficiently deferential to them or their kids and decided to make my life hell. Complaints to the principal and school board pretty much every day - too much homework, not enough homework, quizzes too often, tests too hard, too many projects, too many notes, too many handouts, not enough lecturing, not enough book work, I was mean to so-and-so, etc.
The principal was in his first year, after just one year as the assistant principal. Dude was in no way ready to handle the job, and kept giving me contradictory instructions. What finally did it for me was being told that I couldn't lecture, had to write all the student's notes up for them, had to give the students the answers to the test before testing them, and to stop being so hard by making them discuss the quotes I put up on the board every day. The cherry on top was when he told me that no one could go scuba diving with sharks like I told students I had when asked what I'd done on a vacation.
As a giant f**k you after I handed in my resignation I played the video of me on my second shark dive when I was getting my shark diver specialty certification and discussed some of the dives I'd done over the years.
The next year I went back to subbing, until I was offered a full-time position working for the Boy Scouts of America as a District Executive. Never looked back. Now I'm a Sr Linux Systems Admin under contract to the DoD and making 2.5 times what I made as a teacher, and 5 times what I made as a sub. Couldn't be happier.
#21
My decision to quit was a two-step process: First, I taught high school English in rural Illinois. When I wasn't debating students after class because they didn't like the B+ I gave them I was frequently given implicit instructions by the administration to pass my failing students. Then I moved to Washington DC and taught in the DC public school system and realized that I was merely a babysitter. Barely any of my students could read, but the goal of my school was containment. Priority was keeping the students in the classroom and not in the hallways. I was told I couldn't assign homework because the students wouldn't do it anyway. I couldn't give my students any text books because the students just dumped them in the trash after school. (If kids are seen with books in their neighborhoods they were often ridiculed and sometimes beaten by their peers.) Parent/teacher conferences often meant meeting with Grandma whose parenting style was "Jesus will take care of it." When I was in college I had dreams of teaching Julius Caesar to young people. Teaching turned out to be quite different. I have huge respect for the teachers who can do it. I could not.
#22
No me but my wife. She was an engineer at a good company on the east coast. Left because she wanted more rewarding work. Soon after she is doing clinicals at a school on the rough side of our home town. She was the kind of student teacher who showed up early, ate lunch with the kids, stayed late, and followed up with parents. Anyway....
Some months in she has repeatedly had trouble with some students (they came from troubled homes and brought a lot with them into the class each day). She tried working with them one on one, working with the administration, and the parents. More than one set of parents said "Stop calling." And the administration told her to send them to the principal's office (where they could sit all day) and focus on the "good" kids.
Eventually, the futility set in.... She was the only one who cared. Not the kids, administration, other teachers, or even their parents. She finally wore herself out after a couple years with no support at work and no one appreciating her efforts (except me of course!).
She's back in aerospace now.
#23
Where I realized that I couldn't even escape teaching in my dreams; my life was so focused on teaching that every night I had nightmares about it.
Followed by the pain I feel in my chest from heart palpitations; my heart would constantly race and then stop all together.
Finally, when on the last day of Thanksgiving break, I realized I had cried every single day because I didn't want to go back to school. I was so low that I had planned my own suicide to get out of teaching, but I figured life had to improve if I just quit teaching, even if I'd be another unemployed millennial statistic.
I lasted 15 months. The only thing that makes me feel a little better about the situation is that the retired cop who replaced me only lasted 3 (he had been an officer in the same city I was teaching).
Martin John 2 years ago
I had one of my worst years in my 20+ year career back in 2019 teaching 8th grade (7th was where most of my time was spent) and have always said 8th graders don't learn anything because they know it all already. :) Had a class that was horrid and left me so despairing it left me with suicidal ideations, too. With the help of a very supportive administrator and a few of the worst kids off to alternative settings, I made it through. What really saved me was Covid shutting down the building in 2020 and me never having to lay eyes on any of them again--that felt like winning the lottery!
#24
Currently teaching- just the sheer amount of lesson planning during the evenings and weekends definitely encroaches on your free time. Man I wish I had just stayed at the corporate gig.
Kelly Scott 2 years ago
Area is equal to length times width (square or rectangle). Area is equal to 1/2 base times height (right triangle). Nothing gibberish about that.
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#25
My aunt used to teach, planned a whole years worth of lessons over the summer and then two weeks before term started said she was actually teaching completely different classes.
She told them to do one and quit.
Upstaged75 2 years ago
She told them to eff off after she did all the lesson planning for one class but they switched her to a different one at the last minutes.
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nm (he/him) 2 years ago
She was preparing during summer for the next teaching period but some nonmentioned higher authority changed the teaching schedule actually the last moment,
Cyber Returns 2 years ago (edited)
This is in English. The teachers have to prepare a lesson plan for each term. This teacher prepared an entire lesson plan for a years worth of a specific lesson, let's assume it was science, over the summer holidays which is 6 weeks and didn't get to enjoy any time off. When she was about to go back to work the schools management decided she was teaching something else unrelated such as geography or art. Do one and quit means they told the boss to f*ck off and quit the job
Load More Replies... Wondering Alice 2 years ago
I feel this. It happened to me as a teacher, and was part of (but not the only reason) I decided to stop being a teacher. I am profoundly dyslexic, so I really feel the need to have my lessons planned out and put a huge amount of time and energy in to it. I loved teaching, but as I needed so much planned time, life balance was non existent. I became a learning support officer. The pay is a bit pants, but I get to do the bits of the job I love. Problem is, I do get taken advantage of by lazy incompetent teachers. Recently, one had me plan out the maths sylybus for his class (I was not a maths teacher) and deliver all the lessons. Last week he told me he had given me the wrong schedule. He thought it was really funny. The class are around 14 years old, so not much time to make up for it. I feel rather close to giving up
#26
So a while back I was a permanent sub for a German teacher in the area I lived (she went on maternity leave). And in this German class I'd also talk about geography and what not. So anyway, near the end of the school year, I was talking about how Berlin...
"Wait wait wait... Berlin's in *Germany*?! I thought it was in Europe!"
It was at that moment, that I realized I failed as a teacher.
Edda Kamphues 2 years ago
Another German teacher here: I had a Yr8 student who insisted Belgium was a city in Germany. I was lost for words.
#27
When I tried to have a conversation about literature with the head of my department and got a blank stare in return.
I taught English.
Doing my PhD now and am surrounded by faculty and students who are significantly more engaged.
Max Fox 2 years ago
That poor sweet summer child will be in for an even bigger shock when they finish their PhD and cannot get a a job teaching college. Or the will get an even bigger shock if they do get a job and discover that the same students with the same blank stares are in their college classrooms...
#28
I'm 16 and my mum is a 4th grade teacher. She's been struggling with mental health issues for a long time and this year has been particularly rough on her. Her school has a new principal and he's been a s**t head so the union and administration have been duking it out. He class is apparently the worst, and she's afraid to send kids to the office for fear she will be seen as incapable.
If she didn't have 2 dependables (me and my sister) she's probably either be dead or working minimum wage
I don't know why I'm sharing but I hope that helps someone
Jesha 2 years ago
You're a good kid to care. And I mean REALLY care. You're informed about what's going on in her job in a way that shows that you're taking an active interest in her life as a human being. I hope things look up for you guys, soon. Teaching may be difficult, but it's clear she's done a good job with you. Be well.
#29
I've aways had this fantasy that I'd teach college after I "retired" or got sick of corporate life..
I've done a lot of public speaking and am comfortable speaking in front of large crowds so when a Dean of a local university invited me to teach a class I was like "cool"..
Did all class prep and whatnot and enjoyed the class.. but I hated having the next class hanging over my head.. I'm more of a bursty project person.. Go all out.. Accomplish goals.. Clear your desk... Take a break.. rinse and repeat but this teaching gig felt like a grind and , as I was adjunct, def wasn't worth the time and energy for the s**t pay.. So after the semester I quit..
The university invited me back to speak and asked what my speaking fee was..
My single night of speaking paid the same as being an adjunct for 1 semester..
Bec 2 years ago
That's messed up. Adjunct faculty are so underpaid and most colleges depend heavily on them, or TAs.
Jeweled Dragon (She/They) 2 years ago
This is so true. My dad was an adjunct professor for nearly 20 years, at one point he was working at 6 colleges at once.
Load More Replies... Fox with a Dragon Tattoo 2 years ago
Speaking fees are some of the biggest money laundering bs in this country.
#30
I have a real passion to teach social studies. I graduated from one of the best teaching schools in my state with a 4.0 and great letters of recommendation from my student teaching supervisor, my cooperating teacher, and the head of the history department. What no one told me was that since social studies aren't on standardized tests those jobs are seen as nice "cushy" jobs for people who don't really want to teach and instead want to coach. I'm a small nonathletic woman who has never played sports. Every school I applied at ended up hiring a coach, not a teacher.
Now, while those students have wonderful coaches, they go on hating history and social studies because they have c**p teachers who drone on and on and then give tests.
I substitute taught for about two years and really loved my school: the students, faculty, and staff. Subbing was awesome there, I had great relationships with the kids, they loved to have me as a sub in any subject. But it didn't pay the bills and with student loans I had to quit. I basically gave up on ever working in that school that I loved or any school really.
Now I work in private education. I meet with students after school and help them catch up on things they're behind on. It's solid pay and great benefits but I really miss being in a classroom.
Edit: Most every school (thankfully) tends to have at least one really awesome Social Studies teacher. I'm really happy so many of you had a positive experience! I myself had one teacher like that in 12 years; she inspired my course of study.
Donald 2 years ago
Thankfully my social studies teacher was about the furthest thing from an athletic coach, she was a sweet heavy set old lady who enthusiastically taught us and was one of my favorite teachers. I still credit her with my interest in history, anthropology and other cultures from around the world. Hope you're doing great Mrs. K
Jesha 2 years ago
We had this middle aged jock named Mr. Grosser and holy c**p he was amazing. Every lesson he announced like the play-offs not because he was sports obsessed though he kind of was, but his voice was just LIKE THAT. He kept track of how his students were doing with their behavior and answers and general whatever by administering WOOOO GREEN DOT! BOOM! if you did something good and 'ooooh reeed doooot' if you were talking during the lesson or something. It was very effective. That guy was a hoot.
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Is it just private schools who are using coaches as teachers? In Australia, you have to have a teaching degree to teach in state (public) schools. It's only private/independent schools that have leeway to hire people without teaching degrees for jobs in schools. We also don't have the same system of school sports. Extra-curricular sports teams are not usually associated with the state schools, they run as community groups. It is the private schools that will have sport teams as part of their school, so could have coaches as teachers.
Michael Largey 2 years ago
I had a similar experience. I graduated certified as a social studies teacher but failed to get a teaching job because I did not arrive with a football or basketball under my arm. Fortunately I had done most of my electives in math (math came easy to me) so it didn't take me long to get certified in math, which I taught for four decades.
#31
I went to a national teaching conference and nearly every single speaker was an excellent and passionate educator. AND nearly every single speaker talked about how their administration impeded progress, innovation, and generally sucked. I had been hoping it was only my school.
I also realized that I think grades are stupid. I had liked them as a student because I was good at things, but watching students struggle when they lacked the aptitude to excel in the same way some of their peers could, but still busted their butts hoping for that A made me sad.
I think learning should be more student led than test driven, and more interdisciplinary in nature. Basically, I think our educational system goes against research and kills intrinsic motivation and curiosity.
Ubedhheij 2 years ago (edited)
It is, as an A student I see my peers struggle doing everything then can do while I do absolutely nothing and I still get A almost every time. I dont like the same test for everyone except a few times. Since I don't struggle while they do, giving maximum effort and I don't it's stupid. (I do try to help them but I suck at try to explain things)
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I agree. One of the good things about moving from primary to preschool teaching was that it is play-based and led by the children's interests and needs. The planning cycle is taking observations, planning extension activities, observing again and evaluating how well it went.
C .Hunger 2 years ago
It's funny how when you go to teaching conferences, the speakers usually introduce themselves and tell their history in teaching. "I taught 5th grade for 10 years," etc. What they don't tell you, is why they are not teaching any more. Realllllly easy to talk about once you are outside away from the classroom.
#32
Saw someone mentioned teaching abroad, I can speak to that.
I'm currently teaching at an international school that pays well and has a decent reputation, so I'm pretty happy. I do see many teachers, however, leave the profession due to a combination of the students, parents, and administration. The students are rich and entitled, the parents blame the teachers if their kids don't perform well, and the administration automatically sides with the parents due to the money the students bring in.
So it usually goes like this: student acts out (maybe due to not caring, bad home life, or any number of reasons), teacher disciplines, student gets angry and complains to parents, parents get angry with teacher and complain to administration, administration automatically blames teacher. This can result in disciplinary action to the teacher or outright dismissal. No small wonder teachers can become disillusioned.
I'm in no way saying this happens at all schools, but I've seen it happen frequently enough to know what schools to avoid.
#33
My administrator and instructional coach providing me with absolutely no curriculum or guidance, nor observational feedback, and then having the gall to tell me that I had a mediocre first year, that I didn't try hard enough nor did I show ownership of my classroom, and that my 110 students are unprepared for the next grade level.
I worked no less than 13 hours a day teaching, grading, and preparing. They had been in my classroom perhaps twice that year and had never assessed any of my student data. They wanted what was "best for me" but never provided it. I realized then that I wasn't cut out for politicking, nor was I cut out to accept the failures of another person as my own.
Also, it's mandatory that we assign no student a grade lowered than 60, so.
Michael Largey 2 years ago
Our cowardly administration dropped the grading scale to inflate letter grades and so GPAs. We just made the tests correspondingly harder.
#34
I taught high school for 14 years, and I really enjoyed teaching the students. I got good at it, and I figured out how to have a productive, enjoyable classroom most of the time. I quit because it became a routine - the same things every year. The fun of learning the students didn't continue to counterbalance the committees, the backstabbing fellow teachers, the hours of evening work, and the unappreciative administration. Administrators: talk to your teachers often, and give them constructive feedback! We need to feel like our efforts are noticed and appreciated!
#35
I never became fully licensed but I was a student teacher for a year and I did receive my degree. My degree was in music and I had planned on teaching it at a high school level. I can't say when I exactly lost my passion for it but I know that it came from realizing I had chosen my hobby rather than a career. I love music and I still play it to this day but when I am forced to do it or there's some bureaucracy put behind it I just loose my want for it. The big problem is trying to explain this to people or employers when they ask about my college career. They just can't seem to wrap their head the idea of having a degree that I don't want to use.
What do you think ?
Pedantic Panda 2 years ago (edited)
As a teacher, I find many of these stories heartbreaking. Most of them seen to be from the US where teachers seem to be treated like shīt by those staff above, especially "administrators". I've taught ten years in main-steam education and 13 in special needs, yes, there's a lot to put up with but wouldn't change it for the world.
David Paterson 2 years ago
I'm not a teacher. I had thought that I grew up in a rough school in Australia. The school was much more famous for it's sporting prowess than academic achievement. And all the children bullied other children, without exception. But compared to the schools above, I was in heaven. A lot of children are natural a-holes, and it is totally unfair to blame either the parents or teachers for that.
DB 2 years ago (edited)
I'm just curious as to why anyone would knowingly enter a career field that is notorious for low wages and poor working conditions? Seems to me that you made the choice so why are you complaining about it? Maybe you should have chosen a better career field to begin with.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Because despite those things you can often find the joy of teaching in many things. For me personally, I can't think of another job that I would be good enough at.
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Marnie 2 years ago
I don't understand all the mention of lesson planning. I thought teachers shared lesson plans with each other across schools and the years. I thought they used text books. Why is the teacher starting from scratch to create a lesson plan every day?
Odile Wipp 2 years ago
I used to be an ESL teacher and soon realised that publishers update their books regularly. I used to keep some lesson plans for a year or two, but once the new version of a textbook is out, those old lesson plans are useless.
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Pedantic Panda 2 years ago (edited)
As a teacher, I find many of these stories heartbreaking. Most of them seen to be from the US where teachers seem to be treated like shīt by those staff above, especially "administrators". I've taught ten years in main-steam education and 13 in special needs, yes, there's a lot to put up with but wouldn't change it for the world.
David Paterson 2 years ago
I'm not a teacher. I had thought that I grew up in a rough school in Australia. The school was much more famous for it's sporting prowess than academic achievement. And all the children bullied other children, without exception. But compared to the schools above, I was in heaven. A lot of children are natural a-holes, and it is totally unfair to blame either the parents or teachers for that.
DB 2 years ago (edited)
I'm just curious as to why anyone would knowingly enter a career field that is notorious for low wages and poor working conditions? Seems to me that you made the choice so why are you complaining about it? Maybe you should have chosen a better career field to begin with.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Because despite those things you can often find the joy of teaching in many things. For me personally, I can't think of another job that I would be good enough at.
Load More Replies... Marnie 2 years ago
I don't understand all the mention of lesson planning. I thought teachers shared lesson plans with each other across schools and the years. I thought they used text books. Why is the teacher starting from scratch to create a lesson plan every day?
Odile Wipp 2 years ago
I used to be an ESL teacher and soon realised that publishers update their books regularly. I used to keep some lesson plans for a year or two, but once the new version of a textbook is out, those old lesson plans are useless.
Load More Replies...
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