Teaching vs. other work

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Home : 2003 : January : 11

Teaching vs. other work
By Julianne

I agree with Maria. I was a teacher for five years, burned out big time and went into other lines of work. Often teaching is the first serious job a person has. We may put ourself through college working in a department
store or fast food place, but our first "real" job is in the classroom. Teachers who never leave that world can have a slanted view of what life in the business world is like. I stayed out of education for several years, re-entering through a series of alternative classroom experiences. I know I changed during the years I was away from teaching. That was part of the reason I was able

to reenter the classroom and succeed. I was a different person, therefore a different teacher. But I had also learned I had been one-sided in my views about teaching versus other professions. There are many things about teaching that can make it a great career. I think sometimes teachers are taught by older colleagues to whine about their lot in life. Of course, we are underpaid and overworked. So are nurses, legal secretaries, police officers and military personnel, among others. I have to agree with the other posters here that attitude makes a great deal of difference in our ability to stay in the profession.

Finally, from personal experience I can tell you that the particular school or district in which you work can make a vast difference in your experience. I've worked in upper class neighborhoods where the teachers in the building were cliquish and unsupportive. I've worked for principals who threatened teachers and made their own agenda more important than the good of the students. These were NOT good teaching situations and many, many good people left the profession in these schools. I am currently working in a very low income central city school where the teachers are supportive and kind, the principal is absolutely fabulous and the support staff are great. Recently we had to lose a teacher due to budget cutbacks. Even though the teacher leaving knew they would be placed in a nicer school in a better neighborhood, NO ONE wanted to leave. So if you're unhappy, but want to give it another try, I would suggest trying to find a school where you get more support.