Thoughts on NOT becoming a teacher
April 3, 2007 — Why did I decide not to become a teacher?
Five years ago, I wrote that I was considering becoming a teacher, and four years ago this month, I wrote joyfully that “I have decided that I definitely want to become a secondary-school English teacher (that is, I intend to teach English or Language Arts in high school or middle school).”
Since then, a number of people have sent me emails (and a few have called) to ask what happened? Did I become a teacher? Am I happy teaching? Did I regret my decision?
I did move forward, but then stopped. In June 2003, I started a credential program and from August 2003 to February 2004, I taught English in an urban high school, on an “intern” credential. I quit mid-year.
Sadly, I decided not to continue to pursue a career as a teacher. While I was sorely disappointed by my experience, I must be fair and acknowledge that nothing that happened was really a surprise: in my 2002 essay, I’d outlined many of the obstacles that I faced.
Accepting Failure: Five years ago, I wrote that I knew it would be difficult, but that I knew I would have to “learn to accept limitations and failures,” both my own and my students. In the end, that was what made my decision to quit so easy: I realized that I had abandoned so many expectations that I was no longer part of the solution — I was part of the problem.
Lack of Support: A huge factor in my decision to quit teaching “midyear” was the lack of administrative support. I accepted a full-time teaching job in an urban school, and many of the “worst” 10th graders were “dumped” into my classroom. Without support, and with nearly zero follow-through from administrators, I faced serious behavior issues, but oddly enough that wasn’t the worst of it.
Indifference: I was surprised at the level of “indifference” from students, parents, and administrators. This resulted in a climate where failing was completely acceptable. I had experienced “indifferent” students before, but in most of my classes I was failing 40% or more of my students, and it seemed as if nobody cared — not the students, not the administrators, not the parents.
Hard Work: Before I started teaching, I commented that I knew that teaching was “really hard work,” involving long hours preparing and grading, and specifically I knew that teaching involved “steady, intense work” every day. I wrote: “I’m also worried about the enormous load and the potential for a ‘triage mentality.’ . . . . Apart from the raw work involved, and the energy level to maintain my own focus and attention during every class each day, I wonder how well I can serve those students whose needs are different.” What I didn’t realize was that the workload was quite simply impossible, and that I’d be forced to make decisions every day (every hour, really) about which “required task” was most important and which would have to be abandoned. I worked 10 to 12 hours every weekday, and more hours on the weekend.
Stress: Two days before Thanksgiving, I experienced severe, disabling chest pains, which stupidly I tried to ignore for many hours because I had important, essential work to do. Finally, at 9:00 p.m., I drove myself to the emergency room. After taking my blood pressure, the nurse quickly summoned a doctor, who immediately gave me a pill to reduce my blood pressure. After several hours of tests, I went home with a diagnosis of extreme stress, and a recommendation to try to reduce stress. I went straight back to class the next day.
Intern Credential: In 2002, I wrote: “I was also reluctant to pursue the common ‘entry path’ for many teachers, which was to accept a full-time position as a teacher under an ‘emergency’ or ‘intern’ credential, thus teaching before receiving any meaningful training as a teacher,” and with very little supervision or direction. I ended up accepting a full-time teaching position as an “intern,” which was a huge mistake. While I recognize the financial pressures that make an “intern credential” seem necessary to the state, to local schools, and to new teachers, I now believe that the “intern credential” should probably be abolished. (In theory, an intern credential might work if a high level of support were provided, but in practice, districts provide very little support and would simply not follow through on any new requirements.)
Teaching to the Test: I taught four classes of 10th graders, who faced the “High School Exit Exam.” Many of my students had no expectation of ever passing the HSEE, and more than half came to my classroom with skill levels that made passing uncertain. I felt that I had no choice but to reduce genuine education time in order to meet ill-conceived bureaucratic goals. Although I concede that the HSEE is a very low hurdle and that high school students who can’t pass it probably don’t deserve a diploma, the test is simply unfair to urban students who haven’t been taught by an indifferent school system.
Preparation: I was interviewed on a Monday at noon, and received a call that afternoon telling me I was hired — to start teaching that Thursday. I was given a classroom that was nearly stripped bare. I was given no resources to teach with (other than the teacher’s edition of my textbooks), and I received very little guidance and nearly no help preparing to teach. During the five and a half months that I taught five classes per day, I was supervised for fewer than 20 hours total, mostly because I begged for help.
Spending on the Classroom: During the first few weeks of school, I spent thousands of dollars on materials for my classroom. I had money from my dot-com days, but by February it was nearly depleted.
Money: As a teacher, my salary was lower than any other professional job I’ve ever held. I worked harder than I’ve ever worked at any other job in my life. Financially, it wasn’t even a close call, really not even in the same ballpark. Financially, teaching was not worthwhile.
Joy: Every day I taught, I felt more joy than I’ve felt in any other job I’ve ever had. Although many of my students were challenging, and I often felt incapable of meeting their needs, I loved my students every minute of every day. I often acted stern, angry, or abrasive in order to try to encourage students, but even when they resisted and challenged me, I enjoyed the experience.
Quitting: While I was teaching, my girlfriend (now my wife) was incredibly supportive. The day I told her that I had decided to quit, I thought she might be disappointed, but instead she was relieved, and immediately told me that I’d made the right choice (though perhaps five months late).
So Why Not Teach? Before I taught full-time in that urban school, I worked as a substitute teacher for a year in an affluent suburban school district, and I returned to substitute teaching the following school year. I knew that if I “tried again”to become a teacher, and did “student teaching” instead of full-time teaching to get my credential, and refused to work in a district that provided no support, it was likely that I could complete the credential program and become a full-time teacher. But in the end, both my heart and my mind realized that all the “obstacles” that I’d listed five years ago would be present even in the best school, and while I might enjoy teaching — perhaps even more than any other work I might do — it would almost certainly kill me.
You’ve clearly articulated the very reasons I’ve been listing in my head for the last year for quitting the career for which I trained and to which I have given, literally, blood, sweat, and tears. I love teaching, but in just the past four years, my health has suffered tremendously due to the hours, the stress, and the lack of support. And this year is the last straw. They want me to give up my “duty-free” lunch to supervise kids in the cafeteria and playground b/c budget cuts reduced the number of people in the building who could do this. I have realized that while teaching makes me happy, doing it under the current system does NOT make me happy, and indeed, has had a mostly negative impact on my life as a whole.
I’ve approached the idea of leaving teaching with a high degree of ambivalence. I almost didn’t sign my contract last year. But, in looking for others who feel as I have been feeling, I’m finding the resolve I’ll need not to renew my contract at the end of this year.
Your blog has made me feel less guilty, and more validated, than anything else anyone has said to me.
Thank you.
I am what many would call a “lateral entry” teacher. When the economy took a “dip” and I was laid off from my professional science career, I viewed teaching as an opportunity to transition to a “noble” profession where I would make a difference in people’s lives while having a “family-friendly” career and spend more time with my own kids. I am now in my third year of teaching and I am not happy.
I teach to the “dumping ground” of remedial students without support from administration.
Students, parents, and administration alike are quick to attack teachers for student failures but, none accept the responsibility for achieving success (i.e. doing homework, studying for tests, seeking the free tutoring I offer after school, etc.).
Unlike you, I was unaware that by accepting a teaching position that I would actually be working significantly more hours for about 40% of the pay.
While I don’t have to “teach to a test” since I teach at a private school, there is a lot of pressure to pass students who put in very little effort because parents pay “good money” to send their kids there.
I have wanted to be teacher my whole life. In earlier years,(i.e. as a pre-school teacher, camp counselor, swim instructor, Algebra tutor, science 101 lab teaching assistant) I really enjoyed those “eureka” moments kids or adults had when they learned something new or were no longer afraid of something they found challenging to learn. As a high school teacher however, I feel as though I am viewed as the “enemy” and all I can do is bite my tongue.
I feel as though I am walking the “slippery slope”…that if I allow myself to become “jaded” by what I deal with day-to-day it will show in my ability to connect with students. I don’t want that. By reading your post, it is validating to know that I am not the only one that feels this way. I need to make a change…to what, I don’t know.
Monica, the day I actually decided it was time to quit was the day when I realized that I was part of the problem, not part of the solution.
I was trying hard, but the only way I could function in my classroom was to set aside many expectations and accept a culture of failure. While I might still have been providing a benefit to those students who wanted to learn, that benefit could not possibly offset the disservice being done to other students.
Why are you still teaching? You don’t need to answer to me, or out loud – but I urge you to ask yourself that question, and try to create a list of the reasons.
When I look back at my original essay, where I outlined the issues I’d considered and shared my ecstatic decision to become a teacher, and then I look at the more recent essay explaining why I quit, I’m consistently satisfied that I made the right choices each time.
And I will always look back at the days I spent in the classroom as some of the most joyful days of my life. I’m even considering whether it might make sense to re-qualify myself to work as a substitute teacher, and as I’ve recently worked on my “Lesson Index” web site, I’ve also considered returning to classrooms as a volunteer to help teachers find more efficient ways to work.
But I am absolutely certain that I will never, ever be willing to work as a full-time teacher in a public school, because I know that our society simply won’t allocate the proper resources, even while setting standards and rules which are physically impossible (forcing classroom teachers to break laws every minute of every day).
Things are going to get a lot worse, of course, as budgets continue to be slashed.
Teaching was absolutely the worst job I’ve ever had. I’d rather be in the middle of a rice field with a shovel plugging levees on a hot day than set foot back in a classroom as a teacher, and I can say that from experience. After not being able to find a job after graduating with a Master’s Degree, I started substitute teaching and began an alternate route program to become a licensed teacher. I taught 7th grade science for ten days at the local public school before being “let go” by the administration. Mostly because I was not effective at maintaining classroom control. I fought with the students over disciplinary matters and received little support from the other teachers, including an assistant teacher who was in my 7th period who would not back me up (there were a few who were very helpful). Anyway, considering the pay, the workload, and what I had to put up with, I’m glad the administration let me go. I want to send them a thank-you note. I’m going back to school to become an accountant, to which I am better suited and which has a much higher job satisfaction rate than being a teacher. I just wanted to vent on how much I hated my teaching experience and I will do what I can to steer others away from becoming teachers, because it is simply not worth it.
What a shame. After losing my military career–15+ years without retirement–and considering teaching as a rewarding alternative after sacrificing so much for (what I now label) a disloyal employer–it is disheartening to see folks’ experiences. Still, I cannot help but believe the problem lies with bad parents and incompetent administrators. It is a shame that discipline cannot be maintained in many of today’s urban classrooms. There are some GOOD public schools where I live, though it appears private schools aren’t much better (for different reasons…)
Mark,
It’s very interesting (coincidental?) that I stumbled upon your essays this morning. I have been working for 20+ years in a corporate environment, mostly as a contractor for IT services. To say that this line of work has been disappointing, lackluster, etc. is an understatement. In the past 2-3 years I have come to the realization that I wanted to do something more meaningful with my life than to accept government money to perform “services” for them, knowing full-well that my efforts will most likely only benefit a government that I trust less and less (that’s really a separate issue) — the point being is I don’t find government contracting very fulfilling at all.
So in my quest for a better career path (which I confess I am still very befuddled by), the thought of teaching secondary school mathematics has crossed my mind (I have an engineering degree). Your essay, and the various responses, was an eye-opener. I do very much enjoy teaching (I coach, i.e., teach, youth soccer) so that professions seemed a natural. I might have to find an outlet for teaching and math elsewhere from the sounds of it, however.
Thanks for the timely message.
Your essays are so very enlightening to those of us considering a mid-life career change to teaching. I, too, am a lawyer, and have perhaps naive aspirations of making the proverbial difference by becoming a teacher. Financial constraints notwithstanding, your essays spoke to a number of questions I have had about the actual work environment and the “system.”
I am increasingly dismayed and disheartened by what I am learining about our education system. Rather than becoming part of the problem, do you think that running for the school board or some other type of involvement might be a good route to go?
Hey this is just a thought; but maybe yall were not teaching the right kind of grade for example most of you choose high school teaching maybe yalls passion lies within the walls of an elementary school or middle school?
Precilla,
Middle school is not any better. I am mentally and physically drained at the end of the day and have more to do when I get home. My relationships are suffering because non-teachers have no clue. I’m stuck. I have no idea what to do.
I have to say I’m one of those people who did make a mid-life carreer change into teaching. I thought I did all the homework I needed to, I volunterred in one of my districts ‘most difficult’ classrooms. I lived in a very low-performing urban districts. I was able to get through to the kids, and loved the experience. Over the next three years, i worked part-time and went to school for my master degree and techer certification. I spent a year from hell working with some inner-city kids getting them to love music, and at the end of the year, I had a large amount of success. Then I took a ‘temporary’ position at a school my state was trying to close down. It was unblievably difficult, I was the third teacher for the year, in addition to over a dozen substitutes who all turned the position down. I almost quit, but my principal backed me up, helped me out, and I succeeded! This year the district offered me a ‘probationary’ position at another high-needs school. But I have not support, the kids walk all over me, I’ve asked for help and have been told ‘You’re doing a good job, much better than the previous teacher’ and the administration then walks away feeling they helped me. I appreciate the pad on the back, but I hate the fact that I too am part of the problem. There is no way, under the current structure that I can succeed at my job. There IS a reason my school is failing, it isn’t becuase teachers don’t care, but because we don’t have the resources to help our students. There is very little I can do to fix things, when my superiors have decided my mediocrity is good enough for now. I have asked for help many times, I’ve asked my principals to sit in on a class, take notes and offer some feedback. Last week they finally did, they said I was doing everything ‘right’ but that the kids just weren’t responding correctly. What is that? Ok, what ideas do you have?…nothing was suggested other than just dealing with the reality of my school.
I really hate being a cog in a broken wheel and realizing that while I want to fix the system, it really requires many more people to come together and come to consensus on how to fix it. Movies are wonderfully motivational, reality is quite different.
Having taught for 15 years at junior high level, I resigned to raise my own children. Being “out” of the profession, I can’t believe the lack of respect for teachers and in some cases, downright hatred. I’m still trying to figure out why that is. Many of out friends earn 3 times what I earned yet trash the profession and feel that we are paid an outrageous amount of money. No one will EVER believe how stressful and time consuming (outside of the school day)teaching is. I believe, at least for me, that choosing this profession is the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life. I have tried to secure part time positions in simple jobs, such as reception and clerical work and I’ve been asked, “So ALL you’ve ever done is teach?” Apparently a GED or high school diploma gives you more credentials than a BS from a top ten University! Our family’s financial situation has always been far lower than anyone in our neighborhood (my husband is a teacher)and therefore, our lifestyle and our childrens’ lifestyles are significantly lower than others. I told my children that I would not pay ONE penney toward their college degree if they chose teaching. I mean it too. Any young person who chooses this path is not intelligent enough to think it through and is a fool.
An additional note. I thoroughly enjoyed my students and my classroom atmosphere along with the personal freedom to set up and conduct my classes as I chose. But reality is OUTSIDE your classroom. Young people considering teaching need to consider what their life will be 10, 20 years down the road. They also need to consider how they will provide for their own children’s needs and most ironically, their own childrens’ college education. You will make just enough as a teacher to NOT qualify for any kind of financial help yet you will not make enough to comfortably provide them with what you have. All at the same time that people trash your efforts. It’s fine to aspire to lofty ideals in life, but not only do you have to pay your bills, you have reposibility, once you have children to provide well for them. Yes, money is important, like it or not. YOu will never be free, as a teacher, from continuting your OWN education which is not a small expense.
The current system ot teaching is heading for a tumble, that is my opinion. I have been riding the wave of teaching now for 6 years and in all that time I have been doing only contracts. Why? Because I was led to believe like many others that a teacher shortage existed. BS! There is no shortage (especially maths and science), if anything there is now a glut because of all the gullible people like myself who took the bait years ago. I chose to be a teacher like many others because I enjoy working with young people and helping them to succeed, however after 200 applications (not joking) and only 5 interviews I am fed up. I am fed up with the lack of financial support and the stress of the politics behind teaching. It is just not worth it. Anybody who is considering a career in the teaching industry DO NOT do it, YOU are setting yourself up for a massive fall. GET OUT while you can. Teaching has RUINED ME. Don’t let it ruin you too!!