In answer to OP's question, rabid anti-teacher trolls notwithstanding, your profession is not your problem.

Do you have a close friend in a good relationship whom you could trust to give honest, possibly uncomfortable feedback? It sounds like you might be putting people off when you interact with them. A friend could tell you honestly.

As for the "upper hand" (which seems unrelated to your actual issue) ideally no one has the upper hand and each feels lucky to have the other.

Anonymous wrote:I have never, in 40 years of life, ever heard of anyone becoming a teacher because it guaranteed job security or because it offered good benefits or because you got summers off (I still haven’t met a teacher who had a free summer or break with nothing to do). I can’t speak for anyone else, but I went into teaching because I loved the subject I taught. Others I know have gone into teaching because they genuinely LOVED the act of teaching, of seeing that moment when a kid “gets it”. I have to admit, that is a real rush and a hugely rewarding experience. Others really love kids and relish the opportunity to help them grow. And the work that it takes to be a good teacher takes ALOT of time. I have much more free time now than I ever had as a teacher, including summers. I almost never take my work home with me now.

But, to hear the loud group of people who appear to hate teachers, you would never guess that 95% of teachers are good teachers. No, they insist on focusing on the 5%, who lacked the drive and dedication to be one of the 95%. What other occupation is judged based on its bottom 5%?

u must not know very much about management practice in the private sector. jack welch? cut the bottom 10% each year. randi weingarten lied to charlie rose when she denied a simple fact that the ny dept of ed reported: fewer than 10 NYC teachers were fired in 2008 for incompetence. That's fewer than .01%. Just by chance alone we know many more were incompetent. yet they are defended by the AFT.

I have never, in 40 years of life, ever heard of anyone becoming a teacher because it guaranteed job security or because it offered good benefits or because you got summers off (I still haven’t met a teacher who had a free summer or break with nothing to do). I can’t speak for anyone else, but I went into teaching because I loved the subject I taught. Others I know have gone into teaching because they genuinely LOVED the act of teaching, of seeing that moment when a kid “gets it”. I have to admit, that is a real rush and a hugely rewarding experience. Others really love kids and relish the opportunity to help them grow. And the work that it takes to be a good teacher takes ALOT of time. I have much more free time now than I ever had as a teacher, including summers. I almost never take my work home with me now.

But, to hear the loud group of people who appear to hate teachers, you would never guess that 95% of teachers are good teachers. No, they insist on focusing on the 5%, who lacked the drive and dedication to be one of the 95%. What other occupation is judged based on its bottom 5%?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are among those who receive the lowest SAT scores.

This is absolutely true. People will rip you for being insensitive but the reality is education majors in college score among the lowest on the GRE, by far. Then after keeping a pulse for 10 years in a classroom these same teachers say they are massively underpaid because they have 3 masters degrees. Yeah, in ed admin.

Actually, neither of those assertions are correct. Reading comprehension is a real challenge for some of you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what does the subject have to do with your post?

Fair or not, teachers have a reputation of working long hours for little pay. It would turn me off too.

Not OP. Why?

PP here. Because of the long hours and little pay. That lifestyle is not appealing to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are among those who receive the lowest SAT scores.

This is absolutely true. People will rip you for being insensitive but the reality is education majors in college score among the lowest on the GRE, by far. Then after keeping a pulse for 10 years in a classroom these same teachers say they are massively underpaid because they have 3 masters degrees. Yeah, in ed admin.

Why do you hate teachers? Please don't procreate.

Why do you hate facts. Inconvenient to your world view? Teachers have lower aptitude based measures than comparatively educated non-teachers (i.e., other majors). Deal. With. It.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are among those who receive the lowest SAT scores.

This is absolutely true. People will rip you for being insensitive but the reality is education majors in college score among the lowest on the GRE, by far. Then after keeping a pulse for 10 years in a classroom these same teachers say they are massively underpaid because they have 3 masters degrees. Yeah, in ed admin.

Why do you hate teachers? Please don't procreate.

Anonymous wrote:Translation:

--I have a couple of degrees from very fancy schools and remind people of that fact as often as I can.
--I achieved things in my job and reminded people of that, too.
--I'm one of those DC people who ranks everyone based on where they work and their schools rather than their qualities as a person and sadly I judge myself on that basis as well.
--When I married I slid from fast track to mommy track to stay at home and for the first time nobody told me about how brilliant and accomplished I am and I didn't have a fancy title and I didn't get to boss my assistant around or strut in uncomfortable pumps.
--Now I am uncomfortable with the fact that my chosen profession (parenting) can be done by decent, sensible people who don't have fancy degrees or who are (GASP) not even educated at all, like nannies and the high school classmates I said would work for me someday. Since I don't value qualities or accomplishments that don't have a designer label or a price tag on them, I am pretty bummed.
--I have two coping mechanisms. (1) treat my kids and homemaking like it requires a PhD, with homemade organic foods and the latest research on every minor thing and strong opinions about no-gift birthday parties and which prep school is best; and (2) denigrating people whose paid jobs don't require the sparkly education I had (and that I insist I'm using in my toddler-wrangling).
--I'm not self-aware enough to understand the above, nor the fact that my kids' teachers all hate me.

LOVE this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are among those who receive the lowest SAT scores.

This is absolutely true. People will rip you for being insensitive but the reality is education majors in college score among the lowest on the GRE, by far. Then after keeping a pulse for 10 years in a classroom these same teachers say they are massively underpaid because they have 3 masters degrees. Yeah, in ed admin.

Translation:

--I have a couple of degrees from very fancy schools and remind people of that fact as often as I can.
--I achieved things in my job and reminded people of that, too.
--I'm one of those DC people who ranks everyone based on where they work and their schools rather than their qualities as a person and sadly I judge myself on that basis as well.
--When I married I slid from fast track to mommy track to stay at home and for the first time nobody told me about how brilliant and accomplished I am and I didn't have a fancy title and I didn't get to boss my assistant around or strut in uncomfortable pumps.
--Now I am uncomfortable with the fact that my chosen profession (parenting) can be done by decent, sensible people who don't have fancy degrees or who are (GASP) not even educated at all, like nannies and the high school classmates I said would work for me someday. Since I don't value qualities or accomplishments that don't have a designer label or a price tag on them, I am pretty bummed.
--I have two coping mechanisms. (1) treat my kids and homemaking like it requires a PhD, with homemade organic foods and the latest research on every minor thing and strong opinions about no-gift birthday parties and which prep school is best; and (2) denigrating people whose paid jobs don't require the sparkly education I had (and that I insist I'm using in my toddler-wrangling).
--I'm not self-aware enough to understand the above, nor the fact that my kids' teachers all hate me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are among those who receive the lowest SAT scores.

This is absolutely true. People will rip you for being insensitive but the reality is education majors in college score among the lowest on the GRE, by far. Then after keeping a pulse for 10 years in a classroom these same teachers say they are massively underpaid because they have 3 masters degrees. Yeah, in ed admin.

Wow. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and infer you meant to poston the undersexed threads. You sure do seem tense.

Yes, it is just in DC. And it sucks.

So glad I moved back to LA

I wouldn't rule out any profession for dating - individuals matter. But I find teaching sexy. It has a nurturing and feminine side. I am a high earning male so it would also be nice to have someone who may want to either be a SAHM or have flexibility to be home when the kids are home from school. So teachers would be a big plus for me.

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are among those who receive the lowest SAT scores.

This is absolutely true. People will rip you for being insensitive but the reality is education majors in college score among the lowest on the GRE, by far. Then after keeping a pulse for 10 years in a classroom these same teachers say they are massively underpaid because they have 3 masters degrees. Yeah, in ed admin.

Teachers are among those who receive the lowest SAT scores.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a guy and when I hear teacher, I think: this is likely a kind-hearted woman who would probably make a good wife and mother. I put teachers and nurses in the same bucket.

I would definitely date a teacher. That said, I prefer someone who is a bit more ambitious career-wise, but that likely stems from the fact that both my parents are physicians and my mom always encouraged my sisters to have their own careers so they wouldn't be financially dependent upon anyone.

So, you want a woman who dominates you the same way Mommy did, and I guess lots of DC area guys were brought up the same domineering type moms.

Makes sense.