Why I’m Not Quitting (Part 2)

So it’s storming HARD tonight which stirs up tons of anxiety in me and keeps me from sleeping so I thought this would be a good time to continue my post about why I’m still teaching in this messed up system we have. 

Yesterday I talked about the first three reasons (class size, respect, and testing) that I see that are reasons that teachers are leaving the classroom. 

So…continuing where I left off…

#4 – Overwhelming – This job can be completely overwhelming! We are asked to teach things that our kids are developmentally not ready for with not nearly enough resources. We are expected to make every moment engaging and fun while also dealing with behavior issues, high maintenance parents, issues kids have at home that carry over into their day (lack of sleep, being hungry, etc), and “extras” in the day that disrupt our normal schedule. We are asked to be part of committees at the school that make decisions about one thing or another. We are asked to attend PTO meetings, PLC meetings, trainings, ARDs and 504 meetings, and staff meetings. We have to be the back up for the nurse, the counselor, and the parents. Our work hours are (at my particular school) 7:15am-3:00pm, but there’s absolutely NO WAY to do all that needs to be done…is expected to be done…in those hours. So we stay late or come in early or take work home with us…and sometimes all three. It’s overwhelming and exhausting before we ever even look at our own personal lives. 

Quite honestly none of it is stuff I mind doing. I want our school to be the best it can be, so I don’t mind being part of extra committees and PTO. I truly want our kids to have what they need physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally, so whatever part I can play in that I do willingly. 

It’s easy to get frustrated with the lack of resources and time needed to make everything happen. It’s easy to get frustrated with interruptions to the day. It’s easy to get frustrated with TEKS (the expectations of what we teach) that don’t seem to take child development into consideration. 

So, often I have to have a talk with myself. “Emily, there’s a lot you can’t control and you’ve gotten get over that. Figure out what you CAN control and do it to the best of your ability. And sometimes all you can control is your attitude about what you can’t control.” Sometimes I have to say this to myself a hundred times a day, sometimes only once or twice. Sometimes I get home at the end of the day and think, “Ugh…I tried to control stuff I can’t control today…no wonder I’m frustrated and exhausted.” Now I’m not saying that my job doesn’t have times where it is frustrating and exhausting – that would be a lie. But I do think that I can manage some of it by picking my battles and controlling what I can control…even if that’s only my attitude. 

#5 – Pay – I have for a long time (even before I was a teacher) not understood why teachers are paid so little. NO other job out there is possible without teachers. It makes me sad that people and companies pour millions of dollars into professional sports teams so that the players are making millions a year while the teachers and coaches that taught them and helped them pass their classes so they were eligible to play their sport back when they were younger are barely getting by. I think there’s a fundamental lack of respect and understanding for what teachers do that contributes to the pay scale given to us. 

In addition to being paid poorly, we frequently use our own paychecks to purchase things for our classes and kids. I am blessed to work at a school with an amazingly supportive PTO who helps offset some of those costs, and I know every teacher isn’t that lucky. 

To me, this one is easy. I did not start teaching for a big paycheck, so I will never leave because I don’t get paid enough.

#6 – Kids have changed – This is one I have heard a lot lately. Kids are different now than they were when we were kids. I think this is true…and I think it’s not true. Let me explain. 

First, I think this is true – kids have changed – because the world they live in has changed. Children know how to use computers/electronic devices as young as 2 years old or less. My 16 month old nephew knows there’s something he wants to do on my phone. He doesn’t know what yet, but give him another couple of months and he’ll have it figured out I’m certain. The world these kids will be adults in will be vastly different than it is today because kids know how to use tablets, phones, computers, etc from such a young age. And at the same time, I can’t help but think that it has to fundamentally change the make up of their brains to have access to them at such a young age. So yes, we have created a world in which the kids are just different than they used to be. Evolution. 

Second, kids are not different, parenting is different. Many parents have no problem expecting exceptions to be made to the rules for their child. They blame everyone EXCEPT their child when the child gets in trouble. They want us to teach them, but don’t want to get them to school on time, or they want to pick them up early, or they miss days on end for trips. I don’t remember school being like that for me. Unless I was sick, I was in school on time and stayed all day. If there was a rule, my parents expected me to follow it. If I messed up, you can be sure it was NEVER blamed on my teacher or the other students in the classroom. Parents want to be their kids’ friends…which becomes appropriate at about age 20. Parenting is different, not kids. Kids are simply a result of that parenting. 

I am teaching kids who are going to grow up and have jobs that haven’t even been invented yet! How wild is that?!?! 

I feel like I have a set of life experiences that, when shared with parents, gives me an opportunity to give them new options to consider. Most (not all) of the parents are in their 20s. Every year the gap between my age and the 2nd grade parents’ age grows larger. Many parents do what they do because they don’t know any other way. Most of them are very open to suggestions when handled correctly. I remember being a parent in my 20s, I often felt like I had no idea what I was doing. As a matter of fact, as a parent in my 40s I also feel like I often don’t know what I’m doing. But having gotten 3 kids of my own successfully through elementary school, gives me a little credit with most parents. 

Kids are different. Parenting is different. What’s not different is that it takes a village to raise children. I have had incredible partners in raising my children. I feel like it is my responsibility and my honor to be part of other people’s village. And we don’t give up because it changes…even if it’s hard. 

Ok, again stopping. The storm has slowed down and I’m getting sleepy. I’ll get the the remaining 4 reasons in another post. 

As always, I’m interested in your thoughts and comments.