I can definitely relate! This is a lot of b.s that comes in the way of you enjoying your job- workplace politics, low pay, little support from administrative staff/colleagues/teachers/students, stress, massive amounts of planning/prep, the money you continually pull out of your pocket to pay for resources etc. As everyone said though, you will find this in any profession in which you choose to work.
I’ve only been teaching for a few years now and after being placed in some difficult schools and enduring some harrowing experiences (being physically threatened, spat at, sworn at, putting up with students pretending to shoot me while I teach or throwing things at me, students who have tried to make feel uncomfortable by touching me/cornering me into places/standing too close/whispering things in my ear ) I often also question whether this is the right career choice for me.
Don’t get me wrong- I really enjoy teaching and love my students but sometimes I wonder if it’s worth all the stress! I’m not sure where everyone is from, but where I live in Australia, teaching is very exclusive industry to break into! This is ironic considering that we are the lowest paid State in Australia! It’s incredibly competitive and difficult to get a job in one of the better State or Independent schools. As a result of this, many teachers are forced into working in some of the tougher State schools which offer little support to staff. At the end of the day- if you don’t have the support of either student’s parents or the school’s administrative staff, it is impossible to enforce any sort of behavioural program within the classrooms because the students know that it’s just an empty threat!
I think it really comes down to whether the passion is still there or not. If it’s not (and it can happen for whatever reasons) it’s time to change. There is nothing worse than being one of those bitter old teachers who hate children and their job, but stay there because they’ve been there for the last 30 years and don’t know what else to do with themselves.
I recently came to a fork in the road where I really questioned my future in the industry. At the time I was just finishing up some work at a high school and was involved in helping them put on their end of year production. It was a huge success and the boys were fantastic! I was filled with pride for both the boys and my efforts and honestly didn’t want to leave the school. One of the students came up to me at the end and told me how much he had enjoyed the experience and wish I didn’t have to leave. It all became clear to me then and I said to him:
“Teaching can be a very tiresome and often feel like a thankless job. As a result of this, we sometimes lose sight of why we are educators. However, once in a while we are fortunate enough to share in moments like these with a student or students and you suddenly remember why you love your job! It’s students like yourself that continually rekindle my passion for teaching and keep me in the profession!”