Good teachers are some of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met. They are full of passion and inspiration. They have the power to change people’s minds and make students love learning. Being a successful teacher takes time and effort. It is not easy, but it is one of the most rewarding jobs when you do it right. Here are six things to know before assuming teaching is going to be simple
1.You don’t get the summers off.
One of the biggest “perks” of being a teacher is that you get summers off. This is definitely not all true. Granted you are not working 9 to 5 every day, but teachers spend a lot of time in their classroom and at their desk during the summer. Whether they are making lesson plans or getting their rooms ready for students, they are working their asses off to make everything great.
2. Lesson plans take time.
I am studying education at IU, and even as a freshman I have already written upwards of five lesson plans to use in my future classroom. Sometimes these take serious time to think everything out. Teachers incorporate standards with aspects students need to learn about and things they’d like to teach. Educators spend so much time planning things for their kids that it overflows into time employers don’t take account of.
3. Working with difficult kids is taxing.
A dream classroom does not exist. You will never walk into a classroom full of kids excited to be there and learn. It just doesn’t happen. That does not mean you can’t change student’s minds. This just takes time. Some students will push back on everything you try to teach or tell them and it gets to be exhausting. Changing ideals end up being so rewarding for teachers, but before that happens it is challenging and taxing.
4. The pay rate.
It is common knowledge that teachers make second to nothing. The average pay rate for teachers is $16.11 in the United States. This doesn’t take into account the difference in cost of living around the US. Obviously, living in California or New York City is going to cost more than living in Indiana so teachers living in those states will get paid more. The pay rate is upsetting, to say the least. Hopefully, change is coming and more people will wake up and see that teachers are being paid very little for the amount of work they do.
5. Work extended hours outside the classroom
It is common for teachers to stay long after the bell rings. The students will leave and go home to do homework and essentially, teachers do the same. People often assume teachers go home and eat dinner with their families and have the nights off. The amount of time spent grading and going to the store to prepare things for the students when they come in is not accounted for. It’s difficult to stay on top of the work that educators need to stay on top of.
6. Parents
Students are not the only difficult part of teaching. The number of parents that interfere with their child’s education is unheard of. I understand when parents want to know what their students' education is all about, but when they email the teachers about all the things they believe they are doing wrong, it crosses a line. I once had a parent tell a teacher I had that “they had lost all faith in them after one misunderstanding. This breaks my heart. Teachers are practically raising these students. If you are reading this as a parent, make sure to treat your teachers with respect. They have so much on their plates.
Of course, these are all the worst case scenarios in teaching. There are so many good things about being an educator including students who love to learn. For those who are passionate about leaving their mark on the world and love kids, this is a really great job. I’ve had some amazing teachers who really know what they are doing and it shows. Doing the hard part of the job makes it worth it in the end and you just have to keep that in mind.
