I met with a teacher this afternoon who expressed her unhappiness about her job. She doesn’t like her school, her administration, or her students. She wants a new job and is frustrated because so few teaching jobs are open. Since Georgia has suffered from a teacher shortage for close to two decades, it’s hard to reconcile the fact that there are no openings for teachers.
As I drove home this afternoon, I kept thinking about how frustrating it must be to awaken every morning and prepare for a job I hate. What must it be like to walk inside a school I detest or to face children I do not like?
I’m blessed to teach in an outstanding school where I teach remarkable students. Whereas a few of them frustrate me periodically, I suspect I also frustrate a few of them as well. For the most part, however, we stick together. I take care of them and they take care of me. My job isn’t perfect, but I don’t know anyone who has a perfect job. With the exception of one year over a decade ago, I have always loved my job, regardless of where I taught. I have taught “challenging” students who were some of the most interesting kids I have ever met. I have taught in old schools with little money and poor facilities, but somehow we always obtained whatever we needed to help kids. I’ve worked with exasperating administrators, but we always found a way to laugh about their petty requirements.
Particularly in such dire economic times when few jobs are available, I awaken every morning and thank the good Lord that I have a job when so many people do not. I have always found that my attitude improves when I learn to be grateful for what I have, and I sincerely hope that’s one of those life lessons that I pass on to my students. Sometimes when I start to feel depressed or frustrated, I stop and count my blessings and realize just how fortunate I am.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Edie Parrott
2 comments on this topic
17. March - 8:55 pm
Amen – I love this post… and I couldn’t agree more. I see teachers at my school (K-3) who obviously do not like the age of kids they are teaching, some who generally don’t seem to like kids… I feel bad for the KIDS more than the teachers… if you don’t want to teach go do something else (I feel qualified to say this as I used to do something else and now I teach).
17. March - 9:52 pm
I love my job–but you’re right – counting one’s blessings does wonders to lift the spirits!
18. March - 7:58 pm
Those of you who have jobs you love, treasure them – especially now.
In the years I was an assistant, most years were a pleasure to teach. But one year, the students were so difficult that when the lead teacher was going out on maternity leave, I had to think long and hard about whether I wanted to take over. I decided to do it, and boy that was a long three months! Any other year and I would’ve been over the moon.
23. March - 1:51 pm
Thank you for this post–I needed it. We do have to thank God for our blessings.
23. March - 7:09 pm
Thanks for reading, Douglas!
27. March - 6:43 pm
I know the blessings you are referring to…..
Sometimes it is so hard to see it — but I hated to hear about those teachers who hated their jobs — the students always know, don’t they?
28. March - 4:56 pm
I have been teaching for 11 years. The first ten were as a first grade teacher. I was asked to move to 6th grade math. I agreed being that I have a math major and sincerely wanted to teach math all day to middle school students. This has been a stressful overwhelming and difficult year. I realized my calling is for the little ones. I miss the first graders so much. I am praying to go back to first grade. Maybe we have to understand where our hearts are even in the teaching profession. Some of us love the 5 and 6 year olds and others would be like NO WAY, give me the high or middle schoolers. I understand that you don’t always get the grade you want when you first start out but I have leanred a lot from my middle school experience and I know I have a lot more respect for teachers of older students. My advice: learn from every experience what you loved and what you could do better but always follow your heart.
28. March - 7:23 pm
I agree, Christine. I think we all have to ascertain where we feel most comfortable and stay there. Just because we are teachers does not mean that we love to teach all subjects to all grade levels.