Teaching has to be one of the most frustrating, exhausting, underappreciated, rewarding professions that there is. You can ask almost any teacher and they will tell you that apparently if you do your job well, you will inevitable get more work load, duties, and parent complaints (depending on the year). On the other hand, there are those teachers who just go through the motions and don't seem to have near the complaints, leave on time every day, don't ever get questioned, or if they do, it doesn't bother them.
So I have to ask myself, "why am I doing this to myself?" Why do I drive myself to tears, anger, and I guess "venting" on social media? Despite how I have felt the last couple of years about the overall apathy and entitlement of the students, I have a tiny incling of hope that I will help them make better decisions and really learn to care. Of course the content of the class is important but, trying to get them to actually enjoy learning is so much more important. Much of the problem lies in testing and the constant professional development of how to teach or run your classroom better. Kids aren't even given much of an opportunity to enjoy learning because we are constantly on this outlined schedule of what all must be covered in too short of time. The result, kids hate school, teachers are exhausted, and everyone is grouchy (especially me, I'm sorry).
There are lots of problems in eduction. There are teachers who probably shouldn't be (maybe people are starting the feel this way about me). There are lots of parents who don't have a clue what teachers go through on a daily basis and want to blame the schools for the poor choices their kids make. There are coaches who say they support the teachers and what they are doing in the classroom yet really only care about their team winning. Don't get me wrong, I was an athlete and a coach and I'm super competitive; i.e, I am a really bad loser BUT, none of that matters if the education part is neglected. I have struggled with this immensely this year with one of those coaches.
Now let me address a little positive of what I enjoy doing as part of my job (insert, this is me personally, not all teachers feel this way). I love the relationships we get to form with our students and even some of the parents. I love that I have students that feel comfortable confiding in me and sometimes even listen to advice that I give. I love that I have the same students who come to my room in between classes and before and after school just to visit.
So the question becomes, are these few students mentioned above and the few "ah ha" moments in the classroom enough to keep putting myself through the "ringer" for really crappy pay? The answer: I don't know. Part of what I always question is, what else can I even do? If I'm not meant to be a teacher, then what? For now, I will pray that I get some kind of answer or strength to stay positive. I hate that I have made it sound like my job is awful, when what it really is, is just exhausting. I know the easy solution is to just stay off social media but sometimes that is my only outlet (my husband doesn't exactly understand some of my frustrations). I am, however, going to make a better effort to not be negative. I am going to look forward to finishing the last week of school and having a few weeks to try to renew my body and soul.
Traci Eller Mabry is a teacher and fitness coach. She lives in Montgomery, Texas with her husband and two daughters. You can find out more about Traci at https://www.facebook.com/coachtmabry/
Keeping It Real About Teaching was originally published at http://traci-alittlebitofnothing.weebly.com/blog/archives/05-2015 and has been published here with permission.
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