Question for teachers

[Anonymous]

Do you genuinely love most aspects of your job? If so, where do you work (at least public/private, and neighborhood) and what do you love about it, aside from the obvious? I'm taking some time off to stay with baby and catch my breath after a really tough year and a move. I don't know any teachers who aren't completely overwhelmed most of the time, my former self included. It makes it hard to do such an important job well. Anyway, I'd love to feel encouraged about it again, so if you have a really positive experience to share, I want to hear about it.

[Anonymous]

How many years have you been teaching, OP? I've been at my school for 12 years now and I am at a point where I have a really good balance. I work 8-4 or 4:30 and most days I don't need to take work home-- usually only in crunch times (report cards, etc). I've been at my school a while so I have also been able to step back now that I have young kids-- I'm not doing things like chairing committees and chaperoning dances these days, and I feel like the community accepts that since I did it so much in my childless days.

I will say that it definitely was not like this when I was a new teacher-- I worked ridiculous hours and was completely overwhelmed.

I work at a small private school in DC. This has also made a huge difference. I have more planning time, I have half the students I did when I was in public (I teach middle school) so I have a lot less grading to do, I have much more autonomy in the classroom, and the discipline and behavior issues are greatly reduced. There are drawbacks of course-- pay and benefits are no where comparable to what I got in public. For me, the tradeoff has been worth it.

[Anonymous]

I do, yes. I work at a private high school, and no class has more than 15 students (though most have about 12). I love that I'm close friends with about half the staff and friendly with all but two. I really, really love my principal. We have great kids, and even when they're hormoning out, they come out of it and come back and apologize. They are outrageously funny and creative and caring and will share things that blow my mind. I love it, and bounce out of bed eager to get to work each day.

One year DH (and thus the kids) forgot Mother's Day. I was telling my students about that and accidentally got all teary and cried. Pulled myself together quickly and moved the conversation along. The next year half a dozen former students from that class stalked me at home and left flowers, a box of pancake mix, syrup, and a cantelope on my doorstep and the following Monday a girl who I'd had the prior year told me how she went all out for her mom because even though she never had before, she saw how affected I was and didn't want to think of her mom crying at work but never telling her how hurt she was.

[Anonymous]

I absolutely LOVE my job, and cannot imagine doing anything else. I just wish it paid more. But I do like my vacations