Why do people become teachers and then complain about how terrible it is?

[Anonymous]

Because we didn't know the reality and it is hard to change careers. In fact, it is hard to even change jobs within the career- a teacher has a small window to resign from a school system and get a job in another. One day over that improbable limit- bam, the license is revoked in the state. Secondly, in order to retain certification, a teacher needs a master's degree and further continuing ed, which is all really time consuming and costly , and literally never ends. Thirdly, there's not one practicum or student teaching that shows the daily 24/7 time suck- a teacher never stops working, there's also the demoralization of teachers by children's behavior, stupid micromanaging by incompetent administrators, and the religion of standardized testing where teachers are actually held accountable and penalized for a school's lower test scores as if they, the teachers, were responsible for each child's lack of parenting, language skills, nutrition, abusive home life, disabilities, behavior, lack of early education exposure: books, experiences, language, and emotional capacity. The tests are given in March, and that child may have actually crossed the Rio Grande earlier that July, been beaten daily by caregivers, hasn't had a real meal since a grandfather's funeral
repast 2 years ago, cannot see, has an emotional and or learning disability, and/ or with no resources to speak of, but, yes, that teacher is responsible for on level test scores six months into the school year. Despite all this training, school boards prescribe scripted nonsense that was purchased for political reasons and fails to teach anything.

That is why. We wish we could actually teach children.

**I learned one year that most of my teacher colleagues were on some type of medication-anti anxiety, sleep, anti-depressant, etc. I remember wondering why it didn't occur to me to ever explore that, I probably should have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Principals and higher ups mistreat and harrass teachers to break their contracts with petty threats that you are not good enough, need to do more more more, longer that contracted hours, then they make up stories about how you suck, oh yeah and if kids attack the teacher then admin sweeps it under the rug like it never happens and tries to make teachers resign.

Kids are not disciplined at all. A kid literally has to break a state law such as possession of a weapon or seriously hurt someone before anything is ever done. Classrooms are fully out of control and kids cannot.put.down.their.phone. Ever. The dopamine drip is just too much.

[Anonymous]

Really, it's one of the worst career choices ever, and with low pay as a bonus! I would never recommend this career as an option to a high school grad starting college. Education in this country needs an overhaul, and by that I do not mean privatization, althougg that will happen if the Rs get in office this November.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really, it's one of the worst career choices ever, and with low pay as a bonus! I would never recommend this career as an option to a high school grad starting college. Education in this country needs an overhaul, and by that I do not mean privatization, althougg that will happen if the Rs get in office this November.

I regularly tell my high school students to consider another career. I won’t recommend the long hours, low pay, poor conditions, and disrespect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because we didn't know the reality and it is hard to change careers. In fact, it is hard to even change jobs within the career- a teacher has a small window to resign from a school system and get a job in another. One day over that improbable limit- bam, the license is revoked in the state. Secondly, in order to retain certification, a teacher needs a master's degree and further continuing ed, which is all really time consuming and costly , and literally never ends. Thirdly, there's not one practicum or student teaching that shows the daily 24/7 time suck- a teacher never stops working, there's also the demoralization of teachers by children's behavior, stupid micromanaging by incompetent administrators, and the religion of standardized testing where teachers are actually held accountable and penalized for a school's lower test scores as if they, the teachers, were responsible for each child's lack of parenting, language skills, nutrition, abusive home life, disabilities, behavior, lack of early education exposure: books, experiences, language, and emotional capacity. The tests are given in March, and that child may have actually crossed the Rio Grande earlier that July, been beaten daily by caregivers, hasn't had a real meal since a grandfather's funeral
repast 2 years ago, cannot see, has an emotional and or learning disability, and/ or with no resources to speak of, but, yes, that teacher is responsible for on level test scores six months into the school year. Despite all this training, school boards prescribe scripted nonsense that was purchased for political reasons and fails to teach anything.

That is why. We wish we could actually teach children.

**I learned one year that most of my teacher colleagues were on some type of medication-anti anxiety, sleep, anti-depressant, etc. I remember wondering why it didn't occur to me to ever explore that, I probably should have.

At my former public school, nearly all my colleagues were on medication. Or having pot gummies every single night so they could calm down. Before I quit, I had to up my anti anxiety meds and take meds to help me sleep because my anxiety was so bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For OP: Why do people have kids and then complain about how hard it is? Same reason

Or, why do people have kids and then complain that teachers aren't child care providers? Surely that was known before the kid was born.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see a lot of teachers with complaints about the nature of the job, such as not having many days off during the school year, having parents rely on school as a form of childcare (not sure the answer to this other than pay nanny to sit home just in case), send them kids to teach whose behavior is not perfect.
While I understand all these complaints and would never choose to be a teacher myself, I nonetheless find it odd. Like - if you're going to be a teacher surely you realize your time off is going to bulk in summer, you know parents need to work, you know 1 in 4 kids is neurodivergent and will need intervention and/ or support, before you become a teacher? Are these things a surprise?

I doubt 25% of kids are “neurodivergent”. Children with Autism are in a special class or go to a school for children with Autism. Children who can keep up with the classroom work and are independent might be mislabeled on the spectrum because they’re socially delayed or very awkward. And people complain about their jobs. What else is new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because we didn't know the reality and it is hard to change careers. In fact, it is hard to even change jobs within the career- a teacher has a small window to resign from a school system and get a job in another. One day over that improbable limit- bam, the license is revoked in the state. Secondly, in order to retain certification, a teacher needs a master's degree and further continuing ed, which is all really time consuming and costly , and literally never ends. Thirdly, there's not one practicum or student teaching that shows the daily 24/7 time suck- a teacher never stops working, there's also the demoralization of teachers by children's behavior, stupid micromanaging by incompetent administrators, and the religion of standardized testing where teachers are actually held accountable and penalized for a school's lower test scores as if they, the teachers, were responsible for each child's lack of parenting, language skills, nutrition, abusive home life, disabilities, behavior, lack of early education exposure: books, experiences, language, and emotional capacity. The tests are given in March, and that child may have actually crossed the Rio Grande earlier that July, been beaten daily by caregivers, hasn't had a real meal since a grandfather's funeral
repast 2 years ago, cannot see, has an emotional and or learning disability, and/ or with no resources to speak of, but, yes, that teacher is responsible for on level test scores six months into the school year. Despite all this training, school boards prescribe scripted nonsense that was purchased for political reasons and fails to teach anything.

That is why. We wish we could actually teach children.

**I learned one year that most of my teacher colleagues were on some type of medication-anti anxiety, sleep, anti-depressant, etc. I remember wondering why it didn't occur to me to ever explore that, I probably should have.

Some of the above might be true in some private schools, but most of the above is not true in most private schools. Private school pay tends to be lower, but often (not always) there is less crap, a more supportive administration, and more opportunity to actually teach. Privates do not require licensing, but probably prefer (not require) a masters degree (sometimes a masters in the subject is preferred over a MEd). Privates have both pluses and minuses relative to public, but definitely not an identical experience.

[Anonymous]

Many people pick a career based on what they think they would like to do, without looking into salary, employment terms, or other aspects. This is true in many fields, not just in education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see a lot of teachers with complaints about the nature of the job, such as not having many days off during the school year, having parents rely on school as a form of childcare (not sure the answer to this other than pay nanny to sit home just in case), send them kids to teach whose behavior is not perfect.
While I understand all these complaints and would never choose to be a teacher myself, I nonetheless find it odd. Like - if you're going to be a teacher surely you realize your time off is going to bulk in summer, you know parents need to work, you know 1 in 4 kids is neurodivergent and will need intervention and/ or support, before you become a teacher? Are these things a surprise?

I doubt 25% of kids are “neurodivergent”. Children with Autism are in a special class or go to a school for children with Autism. Children who can keep up with the classroom work and are independent might be mislabeled on the spectrum because they’re socially delayed or very awkward. And people complain about their jobs. What else is new.

Maybe if they are unable to do work in a general ed classroom but many students with autism can do the work. I had a student with autism last year in kindergarten. Her parents were in total denial for years but she finally was diagnosed. She could do the work but needed a lot more support than just I could give her. The other classroom had another student with autism. He was in his first year of school and it will take a long time to move him to a self contained classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we didn't know the reality and it is hard to change careers. In fact, it is hard to even change jobs within the career- a teacher has a small window to resign from a school system and get a job in another. One day over that improbable limit- bam, the license is revoked in the state. Secondly, in order to retain certification, a teacher needs a master's degree and further continuing ed, which is all really time consuming and costly , and literally never ends. Thirdly, there's not one practicum or student teaching that shows the daily 24/7 time suck- a teacher never stops working, there's also the demoralization of teachers by children's behavior, stupid micromanaging by incompetent administrators, and the religion of standardized testing where teachers are actually held accountable and penalized for a school's lower test scores as if they, the teachers, were responsible for each child's lack of parenting, language skills, nutrition, abusive home life, disabilities, behavior, lack of early education exposure: books, experiences, language, and emotional capacity. The tests are given in March, and that child may have actually crossed the Rio Grande earlier that July, been beaten daily by caregivers, hasn't had a real meal since a grandfather's funeral
repast 2 years ago, cannot see, has an emotional and or learning disability, and/ or with no resources to speak of, but, yes, that teacher is responsible for on level test scores six months into the school year. Despite all this training, school boards prescribe scripted nonsense that was purchased for political reasons and fails to teach anything.

That is why. We wish we could actually teach children.

**I learned one year that most of my teacher colleagues were on some type of medication-anti anxiety, sleep, anti-depressant, etc. I remember wondering why it didn't occur to me to ever explore that, I probably should have.

Some of the above might be true in some private schools, but most of the above is not true in most private schools. Private school pay tends to be lower, but often (not always) there is less crap, a more supportive administration, and more opportunity to actually teach. Privates do not require licensing, but probably prefer (not require) a masters degree (sometimes a masters in the subject is preferred over a MEd). Privates have both pluses and minuses relative to public, but definitely not an identical experience.

Not really anymore, but please remember all private school kids can be booted out of school. Public school cannot do that- so after awhile private looks manageable, but in reality it is privilege. And yes, pay is much lower, rarely are there benefits or any decent benefif, and absolutely no retirement system. Teachers have to serve parents in private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see a lot of teachers with complaints about the nature of the job, such as not having many days off during the school year, having parents rely on school as a form of childcare (not sure the answer to this other than pay nanny to sit home just in case), send them kids to teach whose behavior is not perfect.
While I understand all these complaints and would never choose to be a teacher myself, I nonetheless find it odd. Like - if you're going to be a teacher surely you realize your time off is going to bulk in summer, you know parents need to work, you know 1 in 4 kids is neurodivergent and will need intervention and/ or support, before you become a teacher? Are these things a surprise?

I doubt 25% of kids are “neurodivergent”. Children with Autism are in a special class or go to a school for children with Autism. Children who can keep up with the classroom work and are independent might be mislabeled on the spectrum because they’re socially delayed or very awkward. And people complain about their jobs. What else is new.

Maybe if they are unable to do work in a general ed classroom but many students with autism can do the work. I had a student with autism last year in kindergarten. Her parents were in total denial for years but she finally was diagnosed. She could do the work but needed a lot more support than just I could give her. The other classroom had another student with autism. He was in his first year of school and it will take a long time to move him to a self contained classroom.

And this is one of the key problems with school now. Idealistic goals in the legislation for disabled kids were not funded by the federal government and have become entirely impossible to actually implement IRL.

[Anonymous]

Find me one profession that its members don't complain about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see a lot of teachers with complaints about the nature of the job, such as not having many days off during the school year, having parents rely on school as a form of childcare (not sure the answer to this other than pay nanny to sit home just in case), send them kids to teach whose behavior is not perfect.
While I understand all these complaints and would never choose to be a teacher myself, I nonetheless find it odd. Like - if you're going to be a teacher surely you realize your time off is going to bulk in summer, you know parents need to work, you know 1 in 4 kids is neurodivergent and will need intervention and/ or support, before you become a teacher? Are these things a surprise?

I doubt 25% of kids are “neurodivergent”. Children with Autism are in a special class or go to a school for children with Autism. Children who can keep up with the classroom work and are independent might be mislabeled on the spectrum because they’re socially delayed or very awkward. And people complain about their jobs. What else is new.

Maybe if they are unable to do work in a general ed classroom but many students with autism can do the work. I had a student with autism last year in kindergarten. Her parents were in total denial for years but she finally was diagnosed. She could do the work but needed a lot more support than just I could give her. The other classroom had another student with autism. He was in his first year of school and it will take a long time to move him to a self contained classroom.

Yes, there are students with mild Autism that are mainstreamed, some with an aide, some without. But a claim of 25% is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we didn't know the reality and it is hard to change careers. In fact, it is hard to even change jobs within the career- a teacher has a small window to resign from a school system and get a job in another. One day over that improbable limit- bam, the license is revoked in the state. Secondly, in order to retain certification, a teacher needs a master's degree and further continuing ed, which is all really time consuming and costly , and literally never ends. Thirdly, there's not one practicum or student teaching that shows the daily 24/7 time suck- a teacher never stops working, there's also the demoralization of teachers by children's behavior, stupid micromanaging by incompetent administrators, and the religion of standardized testing where teachers are actually held accountable and penalized for a school's lower test scores as if they, the teachers, were responsible for each child's lack of parenting, language skills, nutrition, abusive home life, disabilities, behavior, lack of early education exposure: books, experiences, language, and emotional capacity. The tests are given in March, and that child may have actually crossed the Rio Grande earlier that July, been beaten daily by caregivers, hasn't had a real meal since a grandfather's funeral
repast 2 years ago, cannot see, has an emotional and or learning disability, and/ or with no resources to speak of, but, yes, that teacher is responsible for on level test scores six months into the school year. Despite all this training, school boards prescribe scripted nonsense that was purchased for political reasons and fails to teach anything.

That is why. We wish we could actually teach children.

**I learned one year that most of my teacher colleagues were on some type of medication-anti anxiety, sleep, anti-depressant, etc. I remember wondering why it didn't occur to me to ever explore that, I probably should have.

Some of the above might be true in some private schools, but most of the above is not true in most private schools. Private school pay tends to be lower, but often (not always) there is less crap, a more supportive administration, and more opportunity to actually teach. Privates do not require licensing, but probably prefer (not require) a masters degree (sometimes a masters in the subject is preferred over a MEd). Privates have both pluses and minuses relative to public, but definitely not an identical experience.

Private schools can be quick to kick a troublesome student out but public schools can’t do that. So naturally they don’t have as many issues. They send their problems to the public school and brag about how well behaved their students are.