As of December 31, 2013, I will no longer be teaching.
It kills me to say this after working so hard to be where I am, but during my time teaching I have found it impossible to be happy. Many people like to contribute the hard times to the fact that this is my first year teaching, and while I know that the first year is always the hardest, I firmly believe that I would be unhappy in this profession no matter how long my tenure lasted.
Teaching is HARD. It's a lot of work. If you are even the slightest bit of a lazy person, this job is not for you. The job is never-ending. I wake up in the morning thinking about what I need to do when I get to school. I leave my house by 6:00 every morning to make sure that I arrive early enough to be the first to the copy machine, get my bell work on the board, prepare any worksheets/tests that must be given that day (and sometimes the next day), organize the desks back into place since they have been moved around so much the day before, file graded papers, and if I have any time left, eat breakfast. Then, I must stand on duty in the hall as the students arrive. Once the school day has begun, I teach from 7:40-2:25 with a 10 minute break and a 25 minute lunch break. My planning period is from 2:25 to 3:15, but by the time it comes around I am too exhausted to get anything done so I just sit at my desk in silence. I do normally leave school as soon as the students have left, but when I get home I work on lesson plans, research activities, and constantly think about my students and the issues they may be facing when they leave school. When I finally get to go to sleep, I dream about my students.
Being a teacher has consumed my life.
Do not get me wrong, I absolutely adore and love each and every one of my students and love to see them achieve their goals. However, the pressure put on me by the responsibilities of this job have drained me of my desire to make this profession my lifelong career.
Teachers will always have a special place in my heart, especially now that I know what they have been experiencing, some of them for over 20 years. I will always have respect for them and what they do, I just don't think I can keep doing this and living such a miserable life.
Just so you all know, I do not post this to say woe is me and talk about how horrible my life is. I do post this so that maybe others will realize that teachers have one of the hardest jobs out there. If you think you can do better than your child's teacher, I encourage you to try it. Only then will you ever understand the frustrations that we endure every day.
On a more happy note, I have decided that I would like to pursue another degree in Accounting. I feel like this is another career that I can use my talents in math and will be better suited to my personal needs. I am excited about this decision and pray that I am following God's will. Please pray with me that I am heading in the right direction.
