A lot of people think teachers have it easy; I mean come on, summers off and only working from eight to three every day, that’s the dream. Little do those people know that is not the lifestyle of a teacher at all. Only teachers who truly care about their job and their students know what it really takes to be a teacher. Long hours, hard work, passion, and dedication are some key factors, with a lot of speed bumps along the way. This profession may be one of the hardest jobs out there, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. There have been many teachers in my life who have made a huge impact on my life. I strive to be as great as them and cherish my career just like they did. People may never understand why it is so hard yet rewarding, so here is some insight into the profession that is teaching.
1. The day never ends.
Once that bell rings at the end of the day the students might get to go home but, for the most part, the teachers do not. They have to stay after and grade papers or tests or get the classroom set up for the next day. They have to review lesson plans and go to meetings with the other faculty in the school. They have to make sure they are prepared for the rest of the week.
2. Not only do you have your students to deal with, but also their parents.
Teachers not only deal with their awesome, but at times tough, students but also the parents that go along with them. Some parents are easy to talk to and get along with, but there are some parents that will give you a hard time... Their child can do no wrong, and therefore you must be at fault. In a lot of cases, the parents are more difficult than their children.
3. You do not have summers off.
Most people think that teachers have the summer to just relax and do whatever they want, but that is not the case. Most teachers take some time in the summer for themselves but for the most part the summer is spent preparing for the next year whether it be planning and figuring out what activities to do with each lesson or going to teacher workshops to learn new ideas and brush up on old ones. Teachers are always trying to better themselves so that the students have the greatest chance at success.
4. You are more than a teacher to most of your students.
Most of your students see you as more than just their teacher. You end up being their role model. Students look up to their teachers and see them as these amazing people. That might not always be the case right away, but eventually they will see how much you really changed their lives. Your classroom is their home away from home.
5. You attain teacher traits.
As a teacher you acquire traits, some of which others might find frustrating or annoying. You tend to correct everyone’s grammar around you and try to turn everything into an educational opportunity. You also find yourself becoming more creative with outside activities and making the experience more interesting. As a teacher, you gain all types of traits each of which makes you a better person even if those around you do not think so.
6. The rules for being a teacher make it harder for you to do your job.
In this day and age teachers have to teach to the test. Teachers should not have to teach just so that the students can pass a test and end up absorbing none of the information. That is not what teaching is about and should not be what the profession has turned into.
7. You tend to do after school activities to help out your school.
Most teachers are also part of after school clubs or organizations to help out the school and the students involved. If the teachers don’t do it most of the time, no one will and then the students are losing out. In the end, no matter if they have time for it or not, the teachers run the after school activities because no dedicated teacher can just sit by and let a student's creativity go to waste.
8. You get to see the difference you make in your students lives as they grow up.
As a teacher, you never know the impact you are going to have on any one of your students. It could be the smallest things you do in your classroom that changes their perspective altogether. Everyone has a favorite teacher who has impacted their lives in some way. To see the change and the progress your students make is truly rewarding.
9. Your job lets you be creative.
Teaching allows you to be as creative as you want with what you teach. You get to make each lesson fun for you and your students and make the knowledge you are cramming into their brain stick. I know everyone can remember a lesson from when they were in elementary school purely because it was fun.
10. You never truly have to grow up.
As a teacher, you are around kids all day. You get to experience those ages all over again when you thought everything was amazing and new. You get to see how something so simple can make students so happy and that keeps every teacher a true child at heart.
I am not a teacher yet, but one day, I hope to be one that makes a difference in each of my students lives. I hope to be like the teachers I had when I was younger that made me want to become a teacher in the first place. They helped mold me into who I am today and I cannot wait to do that for the students I will get to teach. Teaching is not in any way the easiest profession, but if you are passionate about it, it is one of the most rewarding.
