Is Teaching a Thankless Job?

Is Teaching a Thankless Job?
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Low pay, overwhelming responsibility, and demoralizing public opinion are just a few of the negatives that teachers battle daily. So why does someone decide to be a teacher? My father’s response to my career choice was, “Why? What’s wrong with business?” He graduated with a teaching degree in the ‘50s, but never taught because he said he could not support his family on that kind of salary. Yet, there must be some reason that thousands of people get up every day, go to school, and are proud to be called “Teacher!” I became a teacher for many reasons, but once I actually entered academics, I gave thanks every day that I did not listen to my dad. (Sorry, Dad!)

Daily Thanks!

  • · Despite yearly cries of teacher shortages, I was offered a special education position in the ‘90s. I had a job! I personally knew then and now of hundreds of ‘teachers’ looking for jobs. At the time, I was certified in health education, but being in the right place at the right time due to a devastating late diagnosis of cancer for the existing teacher sadly secured my career.
  • · Being able to go home without a mountain of paperwork because there was an assembly that day and you got extra ‘free’ time. Of course, I arrived at school around 6:15am for twenty years because special education means reams of data collection and subsequent reports, specially designed lessons, and meetings held either before school or during your prep time.
  • · Children are so resilient that even though school was extremely difficult for them, they bounced off the bus each day with a smile on their faces. I wonder how many adults go to the workplace with equal enthusiasm?
  • · Twenty years in an affluent public school spoiled me. I had the materials needed to individualize the materials that my students needed to learn. My last year was spent in an urban setting where I was responsible for the majority of both my and the students’ supplies. I remember asking for a ream of paper and being told that I needed to buy it. My sister gave me a case of paper for Christmas that year.
  • · Support staff that went above and beyond to make inclusion a success at our school. If you think teachers are underappreciated, spend the day in the shoes of a para-teacher, lunch lady, or front desk secretary. These people are saints!
  • · Having a general education teacher ask me to have a ‘complex’ child in their class because they knew they could handle any academic or behavioral situation that the child brought with them to the class.
  • · General education teachers who met with me weekly during their lunch break so that we could make inclusion work despite this being against ‘contract.’ Kids really are the #1 reason why we teach!
  • · Having an administration that not only supported your program, but truly appreciated the hard work that your role required. A principal that had your back and, when possible, tried to give you extra support either with time and/or support staff.
  • · Watching a child struggle with a letter sound or computation and then witnessing the light in their eyes when they realized that they ‘got it!’
  • · Children rushing to my door after lunch with Jimmy and a carrot. He only ate soft white foods like cheese and bread. The whole class celebrated his first carrot!
  • · Children who previously had meltdowns in the classroom rushing across the hall to their safe place before exploding. The amount of energy and fortitude they used to control their natural response to irritants is mind boggling.
  • · Being able to laugh and cry with the parents of my children when they truly understood their child’s difference and making calls to celebrate progress, no matter how small.

The list is endless. It’s why I got out of my car every day with a smile on my face, excited for the first bell to ring, and hopeful that I could positively affect the lives of those around me. I am forever thankful that I was afforded the chance to make a difference!

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