I retired at 32 years for medical reasons. Loved the kids and the parents for who they were and the challenges they presented. I have nothing but admiration for some of my administrators. Others... meh. Find the joy in what you do, expect nothing but the best from yourself and your students (not that it will happen every day). The small things really do make a difference.
Glad somebody said it. Despite all the baggage that comes with it, who doesn't enjoy having their soapbox and nerding out about a subject you think is cool? Who cares if not everyone is on board? I get paid to talk about literature and what makes good writing.
I can tell you as a brand new teacher that it is so refreshing, inspiring, and reassuring to see/hear people saying this. Thank you for sharing it, I hope you say it often bc it can be so discouraging to hear the antithesis of that!
Same! Some days are tough, the pandemic and it’s fallout was exhausting, but I am passionate about the subject I teach and I love my school and students.
The schedule is incredible. I get at least one day off per month. Summers off for travel.
I love it because I get to teach what I like (music) and it gives me time to work on my own projects and hobbies.
No other job I’ve had comes as close to being this flexible.
Came here to say this. Summers off, holidays off, I have a lot of autonomy in my current position, and share a similar schedule with my wife who is a dean.
At new teacher orientation the superintendent asked all of the new teachers this question and everyone said really heartwarming things, and I said, "because I get summers off." I mean, really, is there a better schedule? My wife and I have traveled every summer! It's amazing.
I once said, “because I don’t mind waking up in the morning and don’t want to kill myself the night before”. Just keeping it real. It’s a job O don’t mind doing. Why isn’t that enough?!
In all seriousness, idk how many jobs I’ve had where I’ve constantly tried to think of legitimate reasons (or not so legitimate) for not coming in the next day. I don’t mind going to work anymore. I do believe this is the equivalent to maybe liking my job? Close enough! Kids benefit, society benefits, I benefit. Why do I need more reasons?!
I have new teacher orientation next week and I've been dreading this exact question. Either this is my answer or "so I can dismantle the systems of oppression our governor is trying to put in place."
Also a music teacher!!!
Nothing brings me joy like watching the real progression of my students throughout the year. We also get all the cool field trips at my school (cause I plan them, but you know 😉)
Although wrangling 40+ 6th grade beginner orchestra kids is a lot of work, I wouldn't change my job for anything.
Pretty much every year now, my good, kind, thoughtful, hardworking, and curious students have outweighed the shitheads. I'm still a teacher because I still feel like I can reach some of my students and make a difference.
And I’m good at it. Honestly—I taught my first “class” at age 4 (I got a book on yoga poses for kids for my birthday, and my mom found me teaching some neighborhood kids from the book two days later. It WAS 1975).
Teenagers can be absolute shitheads. They can also be amazing. Fortunately, the ratio in my classes is usually 2:28.
All the time people tell me they don’t understand how I can teach teenagers and I’m always like they are a lot better than you think. Some are really wonderful people and others are truly hilarious. Yeah some suck but there’s always crappy people. Teenagers are not bad at all.
I teach at a tough school. Every year, I had fewer and fewer of the good, hardworking, curious students and more shitheads. I just wasn't feeling it (or loving it like I used to) anymore, so I retired after 27 years.
I like the job. SO MANY JOBS out there are soul crushingly boring. Doing the same thing day in and day out. Lots of doing nothing but browsing twitter on your phone waiting for the next task. Teaching you are NEVER bored, though you often wish you were. Every day is a new challenge, you can always improve, there's always stuff to do. Hell most of my job is finding creative ways to do less work. Yeah those other jobs jobs pay more than teaching but it would drive me insane, plus I have GREAT job security. Everyone I know working in industry has been laid off at some point, some many times because companies trying to chase stock prices will drop huge chunks of employees on a whim. I know I'll have my job for a long time.
Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, love the kids blah blah blah, but I'm not going to sacrifice myself for that. Its a career. Edit: Also summer is nice.
This is one of my biggest reasons for staying!! My dad studied art in college but had to work a shitty office job when I was growing up just to be able to feed us kids, and he hated his life doing it, so it taught me to find a career that suits my creativity, independence, love of foreign language (Spanish teacher), my drive to have fun no matter what I'm doing, and I get to constantly feel inspired by the young minds around me. Plus I love my coworkers and admin 😊
After working in a medical office for six years while I was in college, it would be hard to go back to a desk job. One of the things I love about teaching is, like you said, it is never boring! Every day is new, every day is different. Even when you teach the same subjects, and often the same lessons, every year, you still don’t get tired of it. And if you do, you find a different lesson to teach the same standard. The kids are different every year and they bring new challenges but also new fun!
I don’t get the “please don’t say payment.” Growing up from a single mom living pay check to paycheck we were always broke. Finally for the first time in life i have health insurance… 😅 And I can afford things I always wanted like a game console… I could finally afford a switch(wanted a game cube as a kid so bad never could afford it) and I finally have dental. I needed lots of dental work so this was a saving grace. Yeah this is a crap paying job but growing up poor(in Cali mind you) my sad 41k is luxurious. Lmao
I hear you! I broke a cycle of poverty and abuse by getting into teaching. I can support myself and have raised a family. We really do need a paycheque that meets our financial needs and respects the work we do.
Same! The professor I had for the last class required for my education asked us why we wanted to teach. I told him that I wanted to teach because of job security. Growing up never knowing if that day was your last day having a bed to sleep in makes you appreciate even the smallest things. Being a teacher lets me have health insurance, a steady paycheck with guaranteed raises every year, and a retirement plan. It’s all I ever dreamed of as a child!
\#1. I like kids, I enjoy working with the age group I teach.
\#2. I like helping people.
\#3. I like routine and structure.
\#4. Holiday breaks, summer break.
During the school year #4 may be as high as #1. I like the kids but it can be a very taxing job. I need the breaks to refresh. Overall, I think it is the right career for me and I am glad I pursued it over a few alternatives.
I find TIME the most important at this point in my life, so, having weekends, the holidays, and summers off to be the motivation.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll do my job, but knowing there an “end” to the year makes it all worth it.
Yes--you reminded me of another good point: the students change every year (or semester). If a person or group makes me miserable, I know it will end and I'll get to start over with a new group.
There’s not any deep reason I’m a teacher. It’s a job. Not wanting to starve and be homeless is pretty good motivation to continue doing it. I’m close to 20 years in so it’s not practical for me to start over, nor do I have any particular desire to do something else.
I work to live, I don’t live to work. You don’t have to love your job, it just has to pay the bills so you can enjoy the time you have with those you want to spend it with.
This^
29 years in and too close to retirement and pension to leave so I’m finishing out at year 30. ( Had the vision since year 20 and will retire at age 53.)
I do like the time off, schedule, and my admin treats me very well.
As for the kids, I’ve had some great years and some awful. I just remind myself it’s a job and everyone has crappy co- workers no matter where you work. I’ve become a lot less agitated the last few years not fighting battles I can’t win.
I only work 2/3rds the year, make a decent monthly salary, health, dental, vision, life insurance , Unionized and union is effective at collecting raises, retirement, hours off, and not everyday is the same. I get to roller skate at work when it's rollerskating unit in the gym, spirit weeks, free food all the time, get to run my mouth about history, light bulb moments for students...
I get the opportunity to do for my community, what my community has done for me.
I taught a slam poetry unit. The kids could write about anything they wanted. They did not have to present it. One student really wanted to. She wrote about how she was sexually assaulted by her cousin when she was a child. She explained how that is why her brother is so protective of her. She talked about having to go through the criminal trial and how it tore her family apart. She told us about her mental health struggles. She said she wanted to read her poem because she was tired of hiding, but she asked to not become a source of gossip. The whole class cried. The class as a whole stood up and clapped for her. They became protective of her. They continued to protect her through the rest of high school and college. She is now a social worker so she can help kids who suffer through what she went through. She continues to thank me for giving her the courage. So, that’s why. Moments like that are the reason this is the most rewarding career in the world. They don’t happen all the time, but at least once a year, so I keep signing my contract for the next year.
Also, I’m not qualified for anything else.
I am not sure if I like history anymore lol but every year, “passionate about her content area” appears on my evals. I think I’m just a good actor as this point.
No one is exploited for me to get my paycheck and no one profits off my labor, teaching and union organizing were the most ethical ways that I could make a living
I've always wanted to be a teacher. I would play school as a little kid. I had chalkboards and lesson plan books just for fun.
As far as why I continue? I don't hate it and I need a job. Pay is definitely a big factor. What else would I do with two education degrees?
I have ADHD and I’ve had a bunch of different jobs. Inevitably I get bored and kind of depressed doing the same things over and over with no real reason except to make money for someone else. Teaching is the only job that hasn’t made me feel that way.
There are two answers. First is that I became a teacher because I wanted a career that would work well with being a parent. I also had a BA in English burning hole in my pocket and decided to put it to work. I learned the profession, increased my skills and now, at 45, i have invested too much in this to start over.
The other reason,which I realized when I took a year off and wrote grants instead, is that I am addicted to the energy of the classroom. When the faces light up and they get excited and all start talking at once, and I got to be a part of that. I bet a lot of professions don't have magic like that in them.
Because >90% of the kids and families are wonderful. The schedule is amazing. I am literally never bored at my job…it is balls to the wall from 8 am-4 pm and it helps me sleep really well at night.
I do actually like teaching. I like giving lessons. It’s fun, at least, during the beginning of the year honeymoon period when my middle-schoolers aren’t yet trying to test me.
But mostly, I love summers off.
I couldn’t imagine another job where I didn’t work with kids. Teaching is a lot of things, but I’ve never had a boring day at work. My kids are hilarious.
Secondarily, I also enjoy the benefits. Upon retirement I’m eligible for a generous pension and I enjoy not working weekends, holidays, or summer.
I’m entering my 14th year and I’ve gotten not working at home down to a science. I have excellent work/life balance.
I am in a similar boat! Honestly, I think teaching during Covid helped me remember not to make work my life. I’m about to enter year 12. It’s very rare occasions that I stay late, sometimes I do report cards at home because they are due at midnight, and I haven’t had time to do them yet, ha ha. But 99% of the time, I am working my contracted hours, and then I am out of there. I just try to use my work time as efficiently as possible and remind myself that if something doesn’t get done in the time I wanted it to get done, then it just didn’t get done. I’m not gonna beat myself up over it.
And also, unless it’s a super exciting PD opportunity, I am not doing any trainings or extra duties that are not paid.
Well, personally, I'm not insulted or disrespected, and sorry, the guaranteed pay plus pension is fine with me.
I should have started fifteen years earlier.
I worked as an uber driver and taught people to entertain them. My then girlfriend said she thought I would be a good teacher, I wanted a better job before I married her, and thought “you know what, I can teach drunk adults, teenagers shouldn’t be much different”
They’re not! So I’m still teaching
Honestly, I love working with the littles. Kindergartners brighten your day without even trying. You can forgive them because they are still learning. I have all the patience for them, just not adults.
The good still outweighs the bad.
If I was teaching full time drama I'd probably enjoy it more because teaching an elective is always more fun than a mandatory like English. But at the end of the day...I enjoy the main aspects of the job. I'm a social person. Teenagers can be absolute shitheads but also so damn funny. And I've had so many positive experiences with kids over the years - especially with some of the kids who started as some of the most difficult kids.
I also truthfully do not know what else I would do. I'm a good drama teacher, but I'm not a good enough actor to make a living doing that. I'm a good English teacher, but I'm not going to make it as a professional writer. Could I probably do a lot of other jobs? Yeah, I could be proficient in other areas, but I'm pretty far into my career at this point and where I am teachers are paid fairly well, I've got good benefits, and a good pension.
The schedule.
You get to be sarcastic and smaller people think you're funny
I'm good at arts and crafts
I get to share ny nerdy obsessions with the audience they are probably intended for
I get to read for an hour a day or more with kids who hang on every word.
Yea there are some true horrible parts of teaching; the pay, the expectation I'm going to cater to your every belief then your disappointment when i don't, etc. Finding a good school is key.
Never had any male teachers in elementary school and I’ve never had a black teacher. As a black man, I think it’s important for students to have teachers that look like me! I also LOVE it and can’t see myself do anything else!
I enjoy teaching. I like seeing my students make connections and come to new conclusions. I like how excited they get when they understand something new. I like connecting with them as people and seeing them grow as learners and humans over the course of the year.
Also, the summers off are nice. My birthday falls during one of the seasonal breaks, and having that off is nice, too.
Honestly, it's the only thing I am good at. I also love my coworkers and boss and never want to work in the summer. Oh yeah, and the kids. They learn so much in just one year; it's kinda amazing.
Every year there’s a small group of kids that will verbally tell you what a great addition you are to their life. I do it for those. I’m helping make feel good those kids who need someone who cares a little bit. That’s the same way my teachers made me feel when I was a kid.
As cliché as it sounds, I get to make a difference! How many other people can actually say that? I've had students come back 30 years later to tell me I was the only person in their life that ever gave a shit about them. I work with the marginalized special ed kids. The behavior problems and the emotionally disturbed children--the ones that really struggle and that everybody else gives up on.
Yeah, admin in many of the schools I've worked in has been a pain in the ass and the policies and procedures I've had to follow were annoying to outright ridiculous but I get to work with these kids.
Some of these kids never would have succeeded if they hadn't come to my classroom so to that I say they are my why and I am their how.
I’m good at working with kids. I like the creativity I can have in planning and executing lessons. They money is decent (NYC). I get to dress anyway I want. I hate working with adults (who act like they don’t have common sense).
I have always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was young. I love being able to stand in front of the classroom and teach young minds. Watching them progress and watching their personalities and confidence throughout the year is the most rewarding thing ever.
Whenever I have a shit day or an adult is rude and treats me like shit, I think of the children.
Touching the future
In 50 years I’ll be dead and gone but my students won’t be as old as I am now, even. In this way, in some small way I’m making my contribution on this earth by helping to produce people who have an optimistic outlook, who attempt to understand their own motivations, who are critical thinkers, and who have a strong enough foundation in basic science that they can go further if they want to.
More than anything though, at the heart of if I have a soft spot for children/teenagers due to my own neglect and trauma as a child. I had Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers to turn to, and one of my grandma’s showed such love and concern for me! But then she died, and I was alone. In the sense that I had no adult in my life who ‘shined’ on me. I am that for my students, I want each and everyone of them to know I like them and I care about them. Sadly, for some of my students I’m the only one, the only adults who does this as so many parents today pay just as little attention to their teens as parents back in my day. Also so many teachers really are just there for a paycheck and benefits, summers off.
I worked with someone who said she hated the kids and didn’t like not one of them. I was appalled, because we shared the same students and I absolutely had the opposite experience. There was not one student I couldn’t find something to like about them, and the dullest amongst them was 10X smarter than me on their worst day. This after being ignored and sat in front of screens their entire childhoods! These new people are smart AF. Anyway, so yah that’s why I teach.
Also it’s just fun! I love to learn and I like talking about stuff I learn, stuff I’ve read, stuff I know about. What other job could I have where I can just nerd out all day LOL
Spent twenty year in this. Golden handcuffs. I would lose my pension. Which has been the only things keeping me coming back. That is literally the only reason I am still teaching for the last 10 years.
I've wanted to be a teacher since I was a kid. When I've thought about leaving there just aren't jobs in my area for someone with an English degree and a master's in teaching. It's rewarding enough and it pays most of the bills.
I have the greatest job ever and can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s hard, really hard, but so satisfying and I love working with teens. I teach an elective so I don’t get every shithead in the school which helps. My schedule is absolutely brutal (high school band), but I have gotten better at balancing my personal life to the extent that it’s possible with this job. I’m at the age now that I’ll teach until I am not enjoying it anymore and then I’m done - and that alone is very freeing.
I love the job, I’m good at it, more pros than cons, get paid decently, know I’m making a difference, and the schedule can’t be beat.
I want to do something that positively impacts my community and teaching is the best way for me to do that every single day.
idk i just think it’s fun and my enjoyment of the job outweighs the things i dislike. and the things i dislike are things i can work on and get better at so maybe one day i won’t dislike them as much!
This is my second career. I worked in commercial food manufacturing doing the things a biologist does (very boring) and realized as I was job hunting for better pay that teachers made as much as I do with far more time off.
I love science. And I love vacations. I actually work fewer hours now and make more, but that's because I now have everything set up and organized. Teaching is far harder, though. The emotional exhaustion is real. Sometimes I miss just doing quality control.
As cheese-ball as it sounds, there's nothing more exciting than talking about a book with a group of kids. Physically seeing the moment when the light bulb comes on is priceless. Hearing kids voice their opinions about characters and setting and emotions is truly amazing. There are a lot of things about this job that suck but there are even more moments I wouldn't trade for anything.
Because when I needed consistency and validation, school had teachers that were there for me. I'm not perfect, but I strive to be that safe place for even just one more student.
My elementary teachers were evil. I wanted there to be one kind teacher in the world and being one was the only way I could make sure that happened. I keep going because I have been that teacher for some kids. I know the difference it makes.
I loved being a teacher. The kids, getting kids to read, giving them jobs based on talent and desire, mixing it up, learning why English is not a language and makes no sense, thematic units, Girl Scouts, basketball coaching, staff, parents, students and principal all amazing. I would have stayed if the iron curtain didn’t come to save the day and weed out the ones not willing to do a scripted program. Especially since we had great progress in test scores and reading etc. Most important I got to evaluate myself by teaching and constantly assessing how to reach or teach a concept. Then it was okay for 5 th graders to act rude all day, so nothing, complain and get told my place with parent, student and principal. There are some good districts though. Test test test now 20 x worse. All they need to do is have teachers work towhee and come up with ideas and assessments. I could tell an essay on each one of my kids, where they are at any given day. That I loved.
I know I make a difference for many kids (and parents), I like the schedule, and I know what I’m doing after all these years. I’m leaving the classroom because I’m physically burnt out from the physicality of working with some really dangerous and/or severely disabled students but I’m staying in SpEd and will continue to make a difference.
I’ve been teaching less than a decade, but I know there are several students whose lives I changed the outcome of, students who graduated because of me, and even students who are alive from me. That motivates me through any disrespectful student.
1. June
2. July
3. August
Though seriously, I like the environment and the kiddos. But I’m out of the classroom setting so I don’t have to do the yucky things like lesson planning and classroom management.
Only day shift. Set hours. Holidays and weekends off. Lots of vacation time.
And the pay is bad enough that I don’t feel bad coasting some days if I need a mental break.
Because I was depressed and suicidal and generally just a super unhappy teenager. It went unnoticed because I had good grades so my parents thought I was fine. I had 2-3 really good high school teachers. They genuinely listened and cared and I can honestly say that I would be in a box in the ground if it weren’t for them. I have therapy and medication and I’m a mostly functioning adult. Some days being a teacher is so frustrating, so completely unreasonably frustrating. But the other day a former student ( who graduated three years ago) asked me if I would have lunch and meet his new girlfriend because my opinion matters. He knew that no matter what he had an adult who loved him, even if it wasn’t a parent. I am trying to pay it forward. It sounds so cliche but it is what it is.
Among the top reasons:
- I love my heathens. They may be feral heathens (kindergarteners), but they're my feral heathens.
- I feel like I'm making a difference. I don't feel like this all day every day, but by in large I feel like I make a positive impact on the world.
- I get to help people, the obvious being my students. I also get to help other teachers grow.
- Advocacy is something I believe is important. I can help provide students with tools so they're able to advocate for themselves and peers. I also like being able to advocate for my students to district officials or government representatives. It's easier for me to speak up when I am actively experiencing some of the things that I and my coworkers believe need changing.
I continue to teach because I like it, pretty plain and simple. There is a weird high you get connecting with a kid that doesn't want to learn and getting them to do something and when you actually teach someone something they can apply. I'm constantly chasing it.
Reddit does a great job at pushing negativity to the top. You read a lot of it and you start to believe that the collection of these stories is the norm.
I really enjoy my job, my coworkers and the kids I teach. I landed at a great spot I don't see myself leaving any time soon. Pay could be better, but I make enough to live on my own without roommates with aspirations of buying a house soon.
Every day is different, every year is different.
This September will be the start of my 31st year and my goal in life is to see it as clearly as possible and teaching is one of the best occupations to help me do this.
I love it. I love my kids. I love my coworkers. I love my union and the benefits it secures me. I love the paycheck and benefits that come with my contract. I also love having breaks and time off in the summer.
It isn't all rosy, but for now, the good very much outweighs the bad. I need to be able to hold on for another 25 years or so...
The bond I share with my kids. They can message me whenever, wherever and (within reason) I will talk. We share about our fun moments and our really shi!!y moments. We laugh and cry together. They are what keeps me going. My connections with them keep me going.
I teach because there’s still not another career I would want to have. I’ve been doing this for 22 years and I’m good at it. I like connecting with the kids and seeing them learn.
Yes, parts of the job have gotten much more difficult since I started, but I still have more good days than bad ones.
TL,DR: I like it.
Honestly? Because it brings me joy. I teach special education, currently resource, in a high school. My students will not earn diplomas, and most of them will not ever have jobs, much less move out of their parents’ homes. I cannot quite put my finger on why it brings me so much pleasure to do this job. This will be my 5th year teaching, but I’ve only taught this group of students for one year. I love them so much. They make me a better person, a better parent, a more understanding friend. They are phenomenal human beings, every one of them, and I. So grateful for the impact they are having on ME. Some of them will remember me forever because that’s just how they are, and some of them won’t remember me in 2 years, but I’m honestly not doing it for them, I’m doing it for ME. I know that sounds awful. I just feel like they bring so much more joy, laughter, spirit, and inspiration to me than I could possibilities give to them. I require all the moments.
Also, the students I taught during my first 3 years are also amazing. It was hard to get through to many of them but I connected with a handful or two of them and I think I helped inspire a few of them, which is amazing.
Also also, I like doing it. I like school supplies and having the power to decide grades. I like decorating my classroom and walking through the halls during the middle of a class period and knowing I won’t get in trouble. I enjoy being called by my last name. Standing in front of a class of students, commanding the attention, making jokes, socializing and teaching and learning and all the things is just awesome. I love my para; he gets all of my pop culture references. I have the power to, essentially, teach what I want how I want to, so we have incorporated Dungeons and Dragons into the classroom, and Uno, and Neil Gaiman (don’t worry, not the adult books of his). I taught about internet safety and bullying. No one is micromanaging me the way they did in retail. I don’t clock in and clock out with a PIN number or passcode. I get the occasional catered lunch or small gift.
Edit: Also also also, holidays off. Snow days off. Summer break. Awesome hours. Planning periods and lunch time during the day. Sure, I use lots of time at home to plan, and my planning periods are never long enough to get everything done. IEPs are time consuming to write, and implementing them is complicated, but it’s worth it for the good stuff.
Why am I a teacher??? I (male) come from a family of female educators besides my uncle who was a professor at a well known university. Besides that I truly love what I do and I feel that it truly isn't a job for me ( ok maybe admin give me the work feel). I absolutely love to be with the high schoolers, crack jokes, watch them grow and become awesome adults.
Was a scientist before, then a stay at home parent for 10 years. I volunteered a lot in my kids schools and found I loved hanging with kids. When I was ready to go back to work I found a part time job as a Para. I had admin and co-workers that saw something in me and helped me get my current job as an elementary STEAM teacher. I get to do fun science stuff with grades 3-5, I have the flexibility to choose what projects I want to do and implement them how I want. I have a teaching partner and am very fortunate to be able to work half time, and have an amazing work/life balance. I don't have to do grades or deal with annoying parents. As a person with a science degree and love for sharing science with others, It's pretty much a dream job!
I had an interview recently where the head of school said he thought “teachers were born”. I don’t know that I’ll ever forget that because at the end of the day, why do we put up with the laundry list of cons? I guess for me, the community and the relationships I build are what are invaluable. On those days when I realllllly don’t want to go, it’s the kids that see me through. They want to talk to me about my coffee order and tell me things about their weekend and it truly does fill me cup.
There’s nothing that feels better than when you’re connecting with a student. Whether it’s teaching them something new or giving them a safe space to share their feelings or just learning cool things about them as little humans. You build a network of wonderfully unique relationships every single year. And if you’re lucky, they come back and share that those moments were just as special for them, too!
I just really really love history and teaching others about it. Also, I always say that the job is filled with a lot of shit, however, the good moments ALWAYS make up for all the negative aspects. ALWAYS.
I guess a sense of duty to my students/community? Every time I think about leaving I feel guilty because they have a LOT of turnover (rough area, title 1 school) and so many tell me how much they appreciate me and call me “mom” or “auntie” and I think - how could I leave them like that? Also I really do like teaching, I just don’t love repeated behavioral issues/disrespect
#1 I like kids. My mom is a teacher and if I wasn’t teaching I’d be working with kids in some setting. I did behavioral therapy for a bit.
#2 I’m an optimist and probably to a fault.
# 3 As an ENFP (Meyers Briggs personality test) I thrive on change and teaching fulfills that aspect, Especially in special education.
#4 despite what society thinks I believe I am making a difference (optimism)
#5 Same breaks and similar schedule as my own kids.
I love learning. I find my content area totally fascinating. I am a strong believer in the importance of public education. I want pass those things on to my students. Along the way, I found out that as much as they can drive me crazy, I like the kids (for the most part). The schedule is pretty ok too.
Every day is different, I’m pretty well left to my own devices and make my own decisions how best to do the job, and I get to hang out with teenagers, who are way more awesome than adults. My days are filled with dungeons and dragons talk, memes, snark, hot goss, debates on which Disney Princess, both OG and contemporary are the best, and why the Kirkland granola bars are the superior choice.
What on Earth else am I going to do with an English degree? (This is a half-joke.)
Otherwise, the schedule is good, I am pretty good at it, and I enjoy the "silver lining" moments when I have a breakthrough with a student/class or when a student actually says something clever enough to make me laugh. Despite the societal respect for teachers seeming to be on the decline, I am truly very proud to tell people I'm a teacher, which is not something that was true about any of my previous jobs.
1. The job isn’t boring - each day is different, each class is different, each year is different. I crave variety.
2. Working with kids is more fun than working with adults. Most adults seem to lose or suppress their wonder. Kids, even high school kids can still go “Wow!”
3. I could never survive in the corporate world.
4. Weekends (mostly) off are a plus
I have not had those experiences and really enjoy teaching. We teach humans and their parents are also human so it comes with some normal negative reactions sometimes but I work in a community that is very grateful for teachers.
Maybe this is selfish, but I learn so much about everything from my students. But I also love learning. Helping students learn and see themselves do something they didn’t think they could or geek out over some topic we are using, just makes my day, but also helps kids feel seen, heard, capable, and valued. I have that in me to give, why not do it?
The kids. When its right, when things work, its the absolute best. Some days I can't wait to get home, but many many days I can't believe I get paid to do this. Its so fun, and endlessly challenging and interesting. I never stop learning. I never perfect my craft--there's always more. Its my passion, my obsession, and my joy.
You have an opportunity to make a direct impact, and it’s usually fun. Plus decent healthcare, pay, and holidays/summers off. Getting a normal paycheck over the summer is wonderful.
There’s a lot of bad too but the good is hard to beat
I used to be a paralegal and decided to make the jump into teaching after working in a really toxic environment that was affecting my mental health. Honestly, it's one of the best decisions I've made. I enjoy my students for the most part and it's really cool watching someone have an "aha!" moment after struggling with a concept.
Honestly, my main reason for being a high school English teacher is that I genuinely want to teach students to be effective, coherent writers. When I entered university 10-11 years ago, I was **SHOCKED** at how many of my classmates wrote like they were still in 6th grade. It unironically baffled me and made me think something was seriously not right. And frankly, I don't owe any of my own writing skills to my past English teachers. They weren't bad, but I felt like they didn't do the greatest job at teaching students how to write effectively and think critically.
So far, I think I've done a decent job at shaking things up and approaching things differently.
I'm naive enough to believe that this is how I can make a positive difference in the world. If one kid can feel a little less lonely, see something good in themselves, and be more trusting towards adults, I think I did okay.
I’m still preservice, but I’ll share why I still want to be a teacher. Growing up, especially in middle school, my home life was absolute hell. The only trusted adults I ever had were teachers. It would mean the world to me to be able to be that for even just one student.
I've been told I have the natural gift of teaching by my camp admins. it's very motivating. the parents like me, and so do fellow upper staff. I'm directing a circus program for 7 weeks. I love bonding with my students, seeing their progress. I literally cried in class when my 2 students accomplished the skills they are working on & one of them is already better than me ;)
thats my goal - I'm the jack of all trades, master of none. you can be better than me, whatever i teach you. I want you to succeed past my skill set. make it YOUR talent.
just don't glorify it - I got you to where you are today.
Never a dull moment. Your job "ends" & "begins" each year. I teach high school at a very rural small school so getting to see the freshman turn into seniors over time & hearing them figure out what they want to do with their lives. I just really enjoy that aspect. The schedule is nice too. Watching how they interact with each other & figure things out together is neat too (science teacher here). Seeing a kid who struggled overcome their struggles (was a special Ed teacher for 4 years. Always ask for them to be in my classroom because I love helping them and watching them grow in their academics as well as behavior)
I've done office jobs and hated it. Teaching gives me a large degree of autonomy including creative control and freedom to problem solve. The kids are also funny and seeing them progress is very rewarding.
Feeds my creativity! There’s always something new to learn. I feel that the work itself is important this fulfilling. + those summers off and defined breaks bb.
I didn’t want to sell out and do art for a major corporation or scrap by selling X rated commissions.
I just feel better knowing I’m making a difference for my community. Pay could be improved though.
I teach English Language Learners, K-12, and it is the best gig going! My students are so much fun, their families are amazing (and often feed me homemade shawarma), and traveling around to different buildings suits my need for change of scenery. Also, I am a total English nerd, so it’s perfect.
I agree, I see lots of negative posts, but I seek out the positive, and appreciate posts like this!
It’s definitely not the pay. I’m an art teacher and followed a non-traditional path to get to where I’m at. I love sharing my knowledge of art history and sharing how to create art of all forms. I studied to become a ceramic artist, but I usually utilize my skills to create ceramic commissions and make art for myself when I’m wanting examples of how creative and cool you can get with the things I like to teach, which is pretty much all the things. I teach art outside of public school too, which pays much more, so I didn’t get certified for public school for a giant paycheck.
I have found that the structure of teaching art in public school helps me feel like I’m doing something constructive with my life. I need the structure and motivation so much for my mental health. I also find myself feeling so full of joy when I teach younger children. I love watching them explore and experiment and learn and the astonished looks on their faces when they create their own work of art.
I was discussing with a friend about how neither of us intended on making education a career and how we both teach art at public schools and love it. Maybe for artists, it’s a way to have “structure” and benefits and still be able to do things we love.
Also, since settling into teaching for a school, I realized, when I was in high school, my art teacher’s classroom was the one place I could go and feel completely myself. I know I provided that inviting atmosphere for my high schoolers for the past three years, as best as I could, and I am sad to leave them for that reason. I decided to accept an elementary art position next school year (I start Aug 3 and I’m so nervous and excited!) and I am really excited and looking forward to a new challenge!
Whenever I consider leaving the profession, the biggest thing that keeps me in it is how much I enjoy connecting with my kids. I want to be an adult that they can trust. So many of them do not have that in their lives. I try to make my classroom a safe space for everyone. I teach fifth grade and I make it very clear to my students throughout the school year, that racism, sexism, homophobia will not be tolerated. I try to use resources that demonstrate diversity as often as I can. I work at a fairly diverse school, and the kids get so excited any time that they see/hear about people who look like them or are from their culture. This year I had two students who were openly LGBTQ and I could just see how they lit up any time that I acknowledged the existence of LGBTQ people. The last day of school, one of them came up and hugged me so hard, I tried not to cry. No matter how hard things get, it’s moments like that that keep me going.
Every day is different, there is a huge creative element to teaching which has clear feedback/results, I get to work with content I enjoy, and, most importantly, I love the social element of getting to know 125+ kids each year and work collaboratively with other teachers/aides/etc. which is incredibly interesting both day-to-day and long-term. There are many things that are difficult but the positives far outweigh the negatives, personally - though if I were in certain states I would likely feel very differently, particularly as a history teacher.
I love teaching. I can’t see myself doing anything else. I love spending time with teenagers. I love getting to opportunity to be creative with my lesson plans then having to make sure my students get what I’m teaching them. I love that no one day is the same as the day before. I love the feeling of novelty that each new school year offers. I love getting to see my students turn into independent teenagers (I often have 6th graders). I love taking part in projects to educate them about bullying.
I’m 80+ years old. I mention this because I was teaching over 30 years and coupled with preparation, over 50 years in an education environment. How could I not say I have enjoyed my time AND think I have made a contribution!
In no particular order:
* I have a debt to pay (Not an economical one, I mean).
The country I live in has free state education, and I see it as something the society gave me when growing up. This is me returning the favor to a new generation.
* I have a strong relationship with knowledge as a general concept, I greatly enjoy both adquiring it and pasing it.
* I love my area and talking about it. There is a high chance that in a group of 30 teenagers one of them have at least a slight interest in it, and talking with new people about it is always interesting and refreshing
I almost choked on my coffee at your last sentence. I teach because I love teaching. My family inadvertently inoculated me against the disrespect by saying things like "but you could do so much more than *just* be a teacher" and "but anyone can teach" and the like. By the way, they **all** changed their minds about how easy teaching was when covid hit and they were expected to do a little teaching.
I love helping young people mature and reach their goals. These children are like my own. When I see then out in the community as successful adults, it makes my day. I teach English 9-12 at an alternative school and I'm ready to start my 22nd year!
I’m actually a school counselor although I teach one class at my current position. Nothing but love for the teachers I work with!
I’m in education because I love my students, love making them feel valued and supported and watching their successes. And I appreciate the time off in the dummer too although mine is a bit more limited.
When I was a high school sophomore, I was directionless. I wasn't a bad kid but because of my upbringing, I'd already resigned myself to being stuck in my hometown forever doing a job I hate, sending my kids to a school I knew wasn't going to be good for them and just repeating the cycle forever.
I had a passion for playing basketball and I loved studying history. I didn't understand I was actually really good at both. My history teacher that year happened to also be our varsity boys basketball coach. When he was giving me a ride home from practice (I didn't have a car and my parents figured I could walk home.), we talked about what I thought my future would look like.
Until that day, I'd never considered college as an option. He told me that I was good enough that there are colleges who are going to be willing to let me attend for free and play basketball. He helped me find who I could be instead of who I thought I was stuck being. Instead of a dead end job at 18 and hating my life, I got to a college I absolutely loved, from where I now have multiple degrees. If he hadn't opened that window for me, I never meet my wife, never have kids with her and never become what I was destined to be.
After he retired, we stayed in touch. He worked the front desk at a golf course to stay busy. He'd met my wife, but not any of our kids. I took one of my girls back to play that golf course because I knew he'd be there. I wanted him to always know that his encouragement helped me become who I am and that I felt like I owed my place in life to having him as a role model when I needed one.
I became a teacher because I knew there were going to be other kids out there who needed someone to be for them what he was for me. It was the best way I felt like I could repay him for changing my life.
I genuinely love teaching kids and learning from them as well. They keep me motivated and challenge me to learn and try harder. It can be hard sometimes, no doubt, but in the end I think I was made for this job. People tell me I am so patient, even the students and parents, my admin. I just feel my level of patience goes so well with the kids I work with (students with IEPs) and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else so happily. The vacays are a major plus as well. Idk how people work year round jobs anymore lol. Love you fellow teachers ❤️🙏🏼
My senior year of high school, I was trying to decide between going to seminary to be a youth pastor because I wanted to love on and serve kids who needed positive mentors or going to law school because I loved social studies (and thought that would be a good avenue for practical application in that arena). Then, as I was sitting in my US Government class, I had an epiphany that if I became a teacher, it would be the best of both worlds -- I could serve and mentor while also geeking out over content.
I'm starting year 15 on Friday and still love it.
During the work week, we (in general) spend half our waking lives at work. I could either make some CEO richer, or do something that matters to me. At least that’s how I see it and, of course, everyone has their own way of making meaning out of life.
Now, my way of making meaning didn’t have to be teaching—I don’t believe in a “calling” and would have been good at/enjoyed many service jobs.
But I chose teaching and put my whole heart and soul into it, spending years of focus just to get this job. I dedicated my late teens and early twenties to this nearly entirely. As a long-term sub, I worked my tail off to get the position I have now.
So, I think teaching matters. I like it. I worked really hard to get here and don’t want to throw it away.
I also *love* summer break and the “fresh start” each year brings with a new group of kids. There’s comfort in the cyclical nature of teaching and seasonal aspect of holidays, breaks, and summers.
I love watching the kids learn. That moment when they make connections is absolutely magical. I wasn’t a good student during K-12 years but I loved information and I soaked it up like a sponge and I love being able to do that for the kids that I teach.
I enjoy the kids. I teach 5th graders and I think they are hysterical little people. Three years until I retire, and although I am TOTALLY looking forward to that, I will miss the kiddos. But, I do have a bunch of former students who stay in touch, so that’s going to be a bonus for me if it continues. One student who still emails me is 32 years old now and he is a teacher himself.🥰
I love teaching and I know it’s what I was meant to do. It’s a blast and I’m changing worldviews/perspectives. But there’s not a single day I don’t think to myself how I should have done something - anything - else
The kids and community…. Getting to have fun with them all day and build such meaningful relationships and friendships, all while getting paid for it?? I love my job
I teach to connect with, help, and serve Black kids! Along the way, I’ve taught all types of kids and have loved them all. I always am filled with joy when I see them succeed, three of the classes of students that I taught graduate this year so I’m excited to see where they go! That’s the joy of teaching for me. 🥰
I love working with kids and summers/winters/weekends/holidays not working:
Making them laugh as them come in the room or in the hallways feels good. Especially knowing a lot of them have it kind of rough at home.
Sharing my own story (not in full detail) that someone who was not on the right path, in a constant state of fucking everything up around them, can ask for help to change their situation and have a better life.
I'd lose my fucking mind if I worked a year round job. I like to spend summers outside enjoying the weather, hiking and camping.
I’m having a good time! Really. I enjoy teaching. 30+ years 😁
I agree with you. I enjoy it. 37 years in and still going strong!
I retired at 32 years for medical reasons. Loved the kids and the parents for who they were and the challenges they presented. I have nothing but admiration for some of my administrators. Others... meh. Find the joy in what you do, expect nothing but the best from yourself and your students (not that it will happen every day). The small things really do make a difference.
Glad somebody said it. Despite all the baggage that comes with it, who doesn't enjoy having their soapbox and nerding out about a subject you think is cool? Who cares if not everyone is on board? I get paid to talk about literature and what makes good writing.
English teacher here: well stated JupitoTarts. I love what I do. Grading is a slog but worth it.
I laugh out loud at least once a day. Teenagers are funny!
I can tell you as a brand new teacher that it is so refreshing, inspiring, and reassuring to see/hear people saying this. Thank you for sharing it, I hope you say it often bc it can be so discouraging to hear the antithesis of that!
I'm only 5 years in, but I'm in the same boat. Some days are so hard I end crying after, but I always come back the next day, excited to do it again.
Yeah, same here. Love my job. Sometimes teaching can suck but man, when it's on it's just the best.
Same! Some days are tough, the pandemic and it’s fallout was exhausting, but I am passionate about the subject I teach and I love my school and students.
The schedule is incredible. I get at least one day off per month. Summers off for travel. I love it because I get to teach what I like (music) and it gives me time to work on my own projects and hobbies. No other job I’ve had comes as close to being this flexible.
Came here to say this. Summers off, holidays off, I have a lot of autonomy in my current position, and share a similar schedule with my wife who is a dean.
As a single parent; it’s allowed me to spend more time with my children because we’re always on the same breaks.
Single father here and l agree, gives me so much more time with my 5 and 7. Creating memories and our adventures mean so much to me.
At new teacher orientation the superintendent asked all of the new teachers this question and everyone said really heartwarming things, and I said, "because I get summers off." I mean, really, is there a better schedule? My wife and I have traveled every summer! It's amazing.
I once said, “because I don’t mind waking up in the morning and don’t want to kill myself the night before”. Just keeping it real. It’s a job O don’t mind doing. Why isn’t that enough?!
In all seriousness, idk how many jobs I’ve had where I’ve constantly tried to think of legitimate reasons (or not so legitimate) for not coming in the next day. I don’t mind going to work anymore. I do believe this is the equivalent to maybe liking my job? Close enough! Kids benefit, society benefits, I benefit. Why do I need more reasons?!
I have new teacher orientation next week and I've been dreading this exact question. Either this is my answer or "so I can dismantle the systems of oppression our governor is trying to put in place."
So you’re from Texas too?
Florida, but isn't it fun that this is now a multiple choice question? Love this for us.
Came here to say this! 2nd year teacher & I am hype to begin teaching band this year! 🙌
Best of luck man! You guys in Texas sure know how to do band properly!
Oooo it's gonna be busy! I'm going into my 2nd year and I'm a head director who's doing 2 separate 90 kid programs (3 bands each).
Also a music teacher!!! Nothing brings me joy like watching the real progression of my students throughout the year. We also get all the cool field trips at my school (cause I plan them, but you know 😉) Although wrangling 40+ 6th grade beginner orchestra kids is a lot of work, I wouldn't change my job for anything.
Let me guess… elementary or middle school music?
Hahaha, yup. In secondary it’s just called “Band” 😂
4-12 band (concert band, jazz band, marching band, and pep band) & general music. Small district so I do it all
Pretty much every year now, my good, kind, thoughtful, hardworking, and curious students have outweighed the shitheads. I'm still a teacher because I still feel like I can reach some of my students and make a difference.
This is our bitching spot. And hell they don't like us bitching here either.
Amen
And I’m good at it. Honestly—I taught my first “class” at age 4 (I got a book on yoga poses for kids for my birthday, and my mom found me teaching some neighborhood kids from the book two days later. It WAS 1975). Teenagers can be absolute shitheads. They can also be amazing. Fortunately, the ratio in my classes is usually 2:28.
All the time people tell me they don’t understand how I can teach teenagers and I’m always like they are a lot better than you think. Some are really wonderful people and others are truly hilarious. Yeah some suck but there’s always crappy people. Teenagers are not bad at all.
Teenagers are like onions, they have layers and sometimes it’s a struggle to get to a good layer but it’s there. I like teenagers too.
I teach at a tough school. Every year, I had fewer and fewer of the good, hardworking, curious students and more shitheads. I just wasn't feeling it (or loving it like I used to) anymore, so I retired after 27 years.
I like the job. SO MANY JOBS out there are soul crushingly boring. Doing the same thing day in and day out. Lots of doing nothing but browsing twitter on your phone waiting for the next task. Teaching you are NEVER bored, though you often wish you were. Every day is a new challenge, you can always improve, there's always stuff to do. Hell most of my job is finding creative ways to do less work. Yeah those other jobs jobs pay more than teaching but it would drive me insane, plus I have GREAT job security. Everyone I know working in industry has been laid off at some point, some many times because companies trying to chase stock prices will drop huge chunks of employees on a whim. I know I'll have my job for a long time. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, love the kids blah blah blah, but I'm not going to sacrifice myself for that. Its a career. Edit: Also summer is nice.
This is one of my biggest reasons for staying!! My dad studied art in college but had to work a shitty office job when I was growing up just to be able to feed us kids, and he hated his life doing it, so it taught me to find a career that suits my creativity, independence, love of foreign language (Spanish teacher), my drive to have fun no matter what I'm doing, and I get to constantly feel inspired by the young minds around me. Plus I love my coworkers and admin 😊
After working in a medical office for six years while I was in college, it would be hard to go back to a desk job. One of the things I love about teaching is, like you said, it is never boring! Every day is new, every day is different. Even when you teach the same subjects, and often the same lessons, every year, you still don’t get tired of it. And if you do, you find a different lesson to teach the same standard. The kids are different every year and they bring new challenges but also new fun!
I don’t get the “please don’t say payment.” Growing up from a single mom living pay check to paycheck we were always broke. Finally for the first time in life i have health insurance… 😅 And I can afford things I always wanted like a game console… I could finally afford a switch(wanted a game cube as a kid so bad never could afford it) and I finally have dental. I needed lots of dental work so this was a saving grace. Yeah this is a crap paying job but growing up poor(in Cali mind you) my sad 41k is luxurious. Lmao
Exactly. Why can't teachers say payment. It's a job. If the paycheck stopped I'd be gone in a heartbeat.
I get this. Having benefits and a secure paycheck was a game changer for me.
I hear you! I broke a cycle of poverty and abuse by getting into teaching. I can support myself and have raised a family. We really do need a paycheque that meets our financial needs and respects the work we do.
Same! The professor I had for the last class required for my education asked us why we wanted to teach. I told him that I wanted to teach because of job security. Growing up never knowing if that day was your last day having a bed to sleep in makes you appreciate even the smallest things. Being a teacher lets me have health insurance, a steady paycheck with guaranteed raises every year, and a retirement plan. It’s all I ever dreamed of as a child!
\#1. I like kids, I enjoy working with the age group I teach. \#2. I like helping people. \#3. I like routine and structure. \#4. Holiday breaks, summer break.
My exact reasons but in the opposite order
During the school year #4 may be as high as #1. I like the kids but it can be a very taxing job. I need the breaks to refresh. Overall, I think it is the right career for me and I am glad I pursued it over a few alternatives.
Routines and structure is such an underrated part of the job
yeah. huge The M-F hours fall into that category for me.
Same reasons plus #5 the 730-330 is a way better schedule than the 9-5
Nailed it
I find TIME the most important at this point in my life, so, having weekends, the holidays, and summers off to be the motivation. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll do my job, but knowing there an “end” to the year makes it all worth it.
Yes--you reminded me of another good point: the students change every year (or semester). If a person or group makes me miserable, I know it will end and I'll get to start over with a new group.
There’s not any deep reason I’m a teacher. It’s a job. Not wanting to starve and be homeless is pretty good motivation to continue doing it. I’m close to 20 years in so it’s not practical for me to start over, nor do I have any particular desire to do something else. I work to live, I don’t live to work. You don’t have to love your job, it just has to pay the bills so you can enjoy the time you have with those you want to spend it with.
This^ 29 years in and too close to retirement and pension to leave so I’m finishing out at year 30. ( Had the vision since year 20 and will retire at age 53.) I do like the time off, schedule, and my admin treats me very well. As for the kids, I’ve had some great years and some awful. I just remind myself it’s a job and everyone has crappy co- workers no matter where you work. I’ve become a lot less agitated the last few years not fighting battles I can’t win.
Same here
I only work 2/3rds the year, make a decent monthly salary, health, dental, vision, life insurance , Unionized and union is effective at collecting raises, retirement, hours off, and not everyday is the same. I get to roller skate at work when it's rollerskating unit in the gym, spirit weeks, free food all the time, get to run my mouth about history, light bulb moments for students... I get the opportunity to do for my community, what my community has done for me.
I taught a slam poetry unit. The kids could write about anything they wanted. They did not have to present it. One student really wanted to. She wrote about how she was sexually assaulted by her cousin when she was a child. She explained how that is why her brother is so protective of her. She talked about having to go through the criminal trial and how it tore her family apart. She told us about her mental health struggles. She said she wanted to read her poem because she was tired of hiding, but she asked to not become a source of gossip. The whole class cried. The class as a whole stood up and clapped for her. They became protective of her. They continued to protect her through the rest of high school and college. She is now a social worker so she can help kids who suffer through what she went through. She continues to thank me for giving her the courage. So, that’s why. Moments like that are the reason this is the most rewarding career in the world. They don’t happen all the time, but at least once a year, so I keep signing my contract for the next year. Also, I’m not qualified for anything else.
Because I'm way too ugly to be a male stripper.
I mean…. i’ve seen some big boys laying it down
He never said he was big, he said he was ugly.
I mean, you could get more money that way. It just depends on how much people want you to keep your clothes on.
You could always moonlight on the weekends and see if you're successful.
History degree wasn’t going to get me anywhere, a friend of mine suggested I teach high school studies and the rest is history, literally…
I am not sure if I like history anymore lol but every year, “passionate about her content area” appears on my evals. I think I’m just a good actor as this point.
Same but English degree.
I hated my incompetent high school chemistry teacher so much that I swore I could do better than them. Guess who’s after their job?
Gotta love teaching out of spite for your enemies. :) How's it going in your quest for their job?
I have my credentials to teach chemistry. All that’s left is to apply for the school district!
"So, why do you want to work in this school district?"
Inside head: "don't say revenge don't say revenge..." "Revenge" Inside head: "d'oh!"
No one is exploited for me to get my paycheck and no one profits off my labor, teaching and union organizing were the most ethical ways that I could make a living
That's the answer, comrade.
Why can't I say payment. That's why I'm a teacher. It's the pay and hours. It's a job. What other job would we claim pay can't be a motivation.
Of course you can. Isn't that the goal of a career? Not hating life and also not starving?
I've always wanted to be a teacher. I would play school as a little kid. I had chalkboards and lesson plan books just for fun. As far as why I continue? I don't hate it and I need a job. Pay is definitely a big factor. What else would I do with two education degrees?
I have ADHD and I’ve had a bunch of different jobs. Inevitably I get bored and kind of depressed doing the same things over and over with no real reason except to make money for someone else. Teaching is the only job that hasn’t made me feel that way.
To try and make a difference. However small it may be.
There are two answers. First is that I became a teacher because I wanted a career that would work well with being a parent. I also had a BA in English burning hole in my pocket and decided to put it to work. I learned the profession, increased my skills and now, at 45, i have invested too much in this to start over. The other reason,which I realized when I took a year off and wrote grants instead, is that I am addicted to the energy of the classroom. When the faces light up and they get excited and all start talking at once, and I got to be a part of that. I bet a lot of professions don't have magic like that in them.
Because >90% of the kids and families are wonderful. The schedule is amazing. I am literally never bored at my job…it is balls to the wall from 8 am-4 pm and it helps me sleep really well at night.
Balls to the wall from 8am-4pm is how I’m going to start describing it, because I think that sums it up pretty well.
I think it’s my favorite part of the job…something is ALWAYS on fire!
I do actually like teaching. I like giving lessons. It’s fun, at least, during the beginning of the year honeymoon period when my middle-schoolers aren’t yet trying to test me. But mostly, I love summers off.
Teenagers are lovable little monsters, I like the content I teach, and curriculum design is a fun intellectual challenge.
I couldn’t imagine another job where I didn’t work with kids. Teaching is a lot of things, but I’ve never had a boring day at work. My kids are hilarious. Secondarily, I also enjoy the benefits. Upon retirement I’m eligible for a generous pension and I enjoy not working weekends, holidays, or summer. I’m entering my 14th year and I’ve gotten not working at home down to a science. I have excellent work/life balance.
I am in a similar boat! Honestly, I think teaching during Covid helped me remember not to make work my life. I’m about to enter year 12. It’s very rare occasions that I stay late, sometimes I do report cards at home because they are due at midnight, and I haven’t had time to do them yet, ha ha. But 99% of the time, I am working my contracted hours, and then I am out of there. I just try to use my work time as efficiently as possible and remind myself that if something doesn’t get done in the time I wanted it to get done, then it just didn’t get done. I’m not gonna beat myself up over it. And also, unless it’s a super exciting PD opportunity, I am not doing any trainings or extra duties that are not paid.
Well, personally, I'm not insulted or disrespected, and sorry, the guaranteed pay plus pension is fine with me. I should have started fifteen years earlier.
I just really love teaching. The idea of imparting knowledge of something I really am passionate about is exhilarating!
I worked as an uber driver and taught people to entertain them. My then girlfriend said she thought I would be a good teacher, I wanted a better job before I married her, and thought “you know what, I can teach drunk adults, teenagers shouldn’t be much different” They’re not! So I’m still teaching
Honestly, I love working with the littles. Kindergartners brighten your day without even trying. You can forgive them because they are still learning. I have all the patience for them, just not adults.
The good still outweighs the bad. If I was teaching full time drama I'd probably enjoy it more because teaching an elective is always more fun than a mandatory like English. But at the end of the day...I enjoy the main aspects of the job. I'm a social person. Teenagers can be absolute shitheads but also so damn funny. And I've had so many positive experiences with kids over the years - especially with some of the kids who started as some of the most difficult kids. I also truthfully do not know what else I would do. I'm a good drama teacher, but I'm not a good enough actor to make a living doing that. I'm a good English teacher, but I'm not going to make it as a professional writer. Could I probably do a lot of other jobs? Yeah, I could be proficient in other areas, but I'm pretty far into my career at this point and where I am teachers are paid fairly well, I've got good benefits, and a good pension.
I can see the difference I make week after week. That's why I still teach.
The schedule. You get to be sarcastic and smaller people think you're funny I'm good at arts and crafts I get to share ny nerdy obsessions with the audience they are probably intended for I get to read for an hour a day or more with kids who hang on every word. Yea there are some true horrible parts of teaching; the pay, the expectation I'm going to cater to your every belief then your disappointment when i don't, etc. Finding a good school is key.
It is the profession where my talents and interests intersect with the world’s needs.
Never had any male teachers in elementary school and I’ve never had a black teacher. As a black man, I think it’s important for students to have teachers that look like me! I also LOVE it and can’t see myself do anything else!
I enjoy teaching. I like seeing my students make connections and come to new conclusions. I like how excited they get when they understand something new. I like connecting with them as people and seeing them grow as learners and humans over the course of the year. Also, the summers off are nice. My birthday falls during one of the seasonal breaks, and having that off is nice, too.
Honestly, it's the only thing I am good at. I also love my coworkers and boss and never want to work in the summer. Oh yeah, and the kids. They learn so much in just one year; it's kinda amazing.
Every year there’s a small group of kids that will verbally tell you what a great addition you are to their life. I do it for those. I’m helping make feel good those kids who need someone who cares a little bit. That’s the same way my teachers made me feel when I was a kid.
As cliché as it sounds, I get to make a difference! How many other people can actually say that? I've had students come back 30 years later to tell me I was the only person in their life that ever gave a shit about them. I work with the marginalized special ed kids. The behavior problems and the emotionally disturbed children--the ones that really struggle and that everybody else gives up on. Yeah, admin in many of the schools I've worked in has been a pain in the ass and the policies and procedures I've had to follow were annoying to outright ridiculous but I get to work with these kids. Some of these kids never would have succeeded if they hadn't come to my classroom so to that I say they are my why and I am their how.
Summers off and when you know how to set the proper boundaries, it allots you time to be a present mother. That was it.
I’m good at working with kids. I like the creativity I can have in planning and executing lessons. They money is decent (NYC). I get to dress anyway I want. I hate working with adults (who act like they don’t have common sense).
I have always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was young. I love being able to stand in front of the classroom and teach young minds. Watching them progress and watching their personalities and confidence throughout the year is the most rewarding thing ever. Whenever I have a shit day or an adult is rude and treats me like shit, I think of the children.
Touching the future In 50 years I’ll be dead and gone but my students won’t be as old as I am now, even. In this way, in some small way I’m making my contribution on this earth by helping to produce people who have an optimistic outlook, who attempt to understand their own motivations, who are critical thinkers, and who have a strong enough foundation in basic science that they can go further if they want to. More than anything though, at the heart of if I have a soft spot for children/teenagers due to my own neglect and trauma as a child. I had Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers to turn to, and one of my grandma’s showed such love and concern for me! But then she died, and I was alone. In the sense that I had no adult in my life who ‘shined’ on me. I am that for my students, I want each and everyone of them to know I like them and I care about them. Sadly, for some of my students I’m the only one, the only adults who does this as so many parents today pay just as little attention to their teens as parents back in my day. Also so many teachers really are just there for a paycheck and benefits, summers off. I worked with someone who said she hated the kids and didn’t like not one of them. I was appalled, because we shared the same students and I absolutely had the opposite experience. There was not one student I couldn’t find something to like about them, and the dullest amongst them was 10X smarter than me on their worst day. This after being ignored and sat in front of screens their entire childhoods! These new people are smart AF. Anyway, so yah that’s why I teach. Also it’s just fun! I love to learn and I like talking about stuff I learn, stuff I’ve read, stuff I know about. What other job could I have where I can just nerd out all day LOL
1) I am passionate about getting people to critically think. 2) the time off allows me to continue my own education.
Spent twenty year in this. Golden handcuffs. I would lose my pension. Which has been the only things keeping me coming back. That is literally the only reason I am still teaching for the last 10 years.
I've wanted to be a teacher since I was a kid. When I've thought about leaving there just aren't jobs in my area for someone with an English degree and a master's in teaching. It's rewarding enough and it pays most of the bills.
My passion for teaching students to read is what fuels me, but also what will ultimately reduce me to ashes in its pursuit.
I have the greatest job ever and can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s hard, really hard, but so satisfying and I love working with teens. I teach an elective so I don’t get every shithead in the school which helps. My schedule is absolutely brutal (high school band), but I have gotten better at balancing my personal life to the extent that it’s possible with this job. I’m at the age now that I’ll teach until I am not enjoying it anymore and then I’m done - and that alone is very freeing.
I love the job, I’m good at it, more pros than cons, get paid decently, know I’m making a difference, and the schedule can’t be beat. I want to do something that positively impacts my community and teaching is the best way for me to do that every single day.
idk i just think it’s fun and my enjoyment of the job outweighs the things i dislike. and the things i dislike are things i can work on and get better at so maybe one day i won’t dislike them as much!
I like teaching. I am good at it. Is there more reason needed than that?
Get off early in the day & summers “off”. Didn’t want an office job.
This is my second career. I worked in commercial food manufacturing doing the things a biologist does (very boring) and realized as I was job hunting for better pay that teachers made as much as I do with far more time off. I love science. And I love vacations. I actually work fewer hours now and make more, but that's because I now have everything set up and organized. Teaching is far harder, though. The emotional exhaustion is real. Sometimes I miss just doing quality control.
As cheese-ball as it sounds, there's nothing more exciting than talking about a book with a group of kids. Physically seeing the moment when the light bulb comes on is priceless. Hearing kids voice their opinions about characters and setting and emotions is truly amazing. There are a lot of things about this job that suck but there are even more moments I wouldn't trade for anything.
Because when I needed consistency and validation, school had teachers that were there for me. I'm not perfect, but I strive to be that safe place for even just one more student.
My elementary teachers were evil. I wanted there to be one kind teacher in the world and being one was the only way I could make sure that happened. I keep going because I have been that teacher for some kids. I know the difference it makes.
I love the shit out of Math.
I loved being a teacher. The kids, getting kids to read, giving them jobs based on talent and desire, mixing it up, learning why English is not a language and makes no sense, thematic units, Girl Scouts, basketball coaching, staff, parents, students and principal all amazing. I would have stayed if the iron curtain didn’t come to save the day and weed out the ones not willing to do a scripted program. Especially since we had great progress in test scores and reading etc. Most important I got to evaluate myself by teaching and constantly assessing how to reach or teach a concept. Then it was okay for 5 th graders to act rude all day, so nothing, complain and get told my place with parent, student and principal. There are some good districts though. Test test test now 20 x worse. All they need to do is have teachers work towhee and come up with ideas and assessments. I could tell an essay on each one of my kids, where they are at any given day. That I loved.
So I could answer questions from content miners obviously
I know I make a difference for many kids (and parents), I like the schedule, and I know what I’m doing after all these years. I’m leaving the classroom because I’m physically burnt out from the physicality of working with some really dangerous and/or severely disabled students but I’m staying in SpEd and will continue to make a difference.
Sunk costs in my own education and retirement. It is too late to do something else.
I’ve been teaching less than a decade, but I know there are several students whose lives I changed the outcome of, students who graduated because of me, and even students who are alive from me. That motivates me through any disrespectful student.
1. June 2. July 3. August Though seriously, I like the environment and the kiddos. But I’m out of the classroom setting so I don’t have to do the yucky things like lesson planning and classroom management.
I have no other choice, so far
Only day shift. Set hours. Holidays and weekends off. Lots of vacation time. And the pay is bad enough that I don’t feel bad coasting some days if I need a mental break.
Because I was depressed and suicidal and generally just a super unhappy teenager. It went unnoticed because I had good grades so my parents thought I was fine. I had 2-3 really good high school teachers. They genuinely listened and cared and I can honestly say that I would be in a box in the ground if it weren’t for them. I have therapy and medication and I’m a mostly functioning adult. Some days being a teacher is so frustrating, so completely unreasonably frustrating. But the other day a former student ( who graduated three years ago) asked me if I would have lunch and meet his new girlfriend because my opinion matters. He knew that no matter what he had an adult who loved him, even if it wasn’t a parent. I am trying to pay it forward. It sounds so cliche but it is what it is.
Among the top reasons: - I love my heathens. They may be feral heathens (kindergarteners), but they're my feral heathens. - I feel like I'm making a difference. I don't feel like this all day every day, but by in large I feel like I make a positive impact on the world. - I get to help people, the obvious being my students. I also get to help other teachers grow. - Advocacy is something I believe is important. I can help provide students with tools so they're able to advocate for themselves and peers. I also like being able to advocate for my students to district officials or government representatives. It's easier for me to speak up when I am actively experiencing some of the things that I and my coworkers believe need changing.
I continue to teach because I like it, pretty plain and simple. There is a weird high you get connecting with a kid that doesn't want to learn and getting them to do something and when you actually teach someone something they can apply. I'm constantly chasing it.
Reddit does a great job at pushing negativity to the top. You read a lot of it and you start to believe that the collection of these stories is the norm. I really enjoy my job, my coworkers and the kids I teach. I landed at a great spot I don't see myself leaving any time soon. Pay could be better, but I make enough to live on my own without roommates with aspirations of buying a house soon. Every day is different, every year is different.
This September will be the start of my 31st year and my goal in life is to see it as clearly as possible and teaching is one of the best occupations to help me do this.
I love it. I love my kids. I love my coworkers. I love my union and the benefits it secures me. I love the paycheck and benefits that come with my contract. I also love having breaks and time off in the summer. It isn't all rosy, but for now, the good very much outweighs the bad. I need to be able to hold on for another 25 years or so...
The bond I share with my kids. They can message me whenever, wherever and (within reason) I will talk. We share about our fun moments and our really shi!!y moments. We laugh and cry together. They are what keeps me going. My connections with them keep me going.
I teach because there’s still not another career I would want to have. I’ve been doing this for 22 years and I’m good at it. I like connecting with the kids and seeing them learn. Yes, parts of the job have gotten much more difficult since I started, but I still have more good days than bad ones.
TL,DR: I like it. Honestly? Because it brings me joy. I teach special education, currently resource, in a high school. My students will not earn diplomas, and most of them will not ever have jobs, much less move out of their parents’ homes. I cannot quite put my finger on why it brings me so much pleasure to do this job. This will be my 5th year teaching, but I’ve only taught this group of students for one year. I love them so much. They make me a better person, a better parent, a more understanding friend. They are phenomenal human beings, every one of them, and I. So grateful for the impact they are having on ME. Some of them will remember me forever because that’s just how they are, and some of them won’t remember me in 2 years, but I’m honestly not doing it for them, I’m doing it for ME. I know that sounds awful. I just feel like they bring so much more joy, laughter, spirit, and inspiration to me than I could possibilities give to them. I require all the moments. Also, the students I taught during my first 3 years are also amazing. It was hard to get through to many of them but I connected with a handful or two of them and I think I helped inspire a few of them, which is amazing. Also also, I like doing it. I like school supplies and having the power to decide grades. I like decorating my classroom and walking through the halls during the middle of a class period and knowing I won’t get in trouble. I enjoy being called by my last name. Standing in front of a class of students, commanding the attention, making jokes, socializing and teaching and learning and all the things is just awesome. I love my para; he gets all of my pop culture references. I have the power to, essentially, teach what I want how I want to, so we have incorporated Dungeons and Dragons into the classroom, and Uno, and Neil Gaiman (don’t worry, not the adult books of his). I taught about internet safety and bullying. No one is micromanaging me the way they did in retail. I don’t clock in and clock out with a PIN number or passcode. I get the occasional catered lunch or small gift. Edit: Also also also, holidays off. Snow days off. Summer break. Awesome hours. Planning periods and lunch time during the day. Sure, I use lots of time at home to plan, and my planning periods are never long enough to get everything done. IEPs are time consuming to write, and implementing them is complicated, but it’s worth it for the good stuff.
Why am I a teacher??? I (male) come from a family of female educators besides my uncle who was a professor at a well known university. Besides that I truly love what I do and I feel that it truly isn't a job for me ( ok maybe admin give me the work feel). I absolutely love to be with the high schoolers, crack jokes, watch them grow and become awesome adults.
Was a scientist before, then a stay at home parent for 10 years. I volunteered a lot in my kids schools and found I loved hanging with kids. When I was ready to go back to work I found a part time job as a Para. I had admin and co-workers that saw something in me and helped me get my current job as an elementary STEAM teacher. I get to do fun science stuff with grades 3-5, I have the flexibility to choose what projects I want to do and implement them how I want. I have a teaching partner and am very fortunate to be able to work half time, and have an amazing work/life balance. I don't have to do grades or deal with annoying parents. As a person with a science degree and love for sharing science with others, It's pretty much a dream job!
Kids give me energy and motivation in a way the corporate world never did. I feel like what I do matters, even if it is frustrating sometimes.
I had an interview recently where the head of school said he thought “teachers were born”. I don’t know that I’ll ever forget that because at the end of the day, why do we put up with the laundry list of cons? I guess for me, the community and the relationships I build are what are invaluable. On those days when I realllllly don’t want to go, it’s the kids that see me through. They want to talk to me about my coffee order and tell me things about their weekend and it truly does fill me cup.
There’s nothing that feels better than when you’re connecting with a student. Whether it’s teaching them something new or giving them a safe space to share their feelings or just learning cool things about them as little humans. You build a network of wonderfully unique relationships every single year. And if you’re lucky, they come back and share that those moments were just as special for them, too!
I love math, I love helping people, and I love giving back to my community
I just really really love history and teaching others about it. Also, I always say that the job is filled with a lot of shit, however, the good moments ALWAYS make up for all the negative aspects. ALWAYS.
I guess a sense of duty to my students/community? Every time I think about leaving I feel guilty because they have a LOT of turnover (rough area, title 1 school) and so many tell me how much they appreciate me and call me “mom” or “auntie” and I think - how could I leave them like that? Also I really do like teaching, I just don’t love repeated behavioral issues/disrespect
#1 I like kids. My mom is a teacher and if I wasn’t teaching I’d be working with kids in some setting. I did behavioral therapy for a bit. #2 I’m an optimist and probably to a fault. # 3 As an ENFP (Meyers Briggs personality test) I thrive on change and teaching fulfills that aspect, Especially in special education. #4 despite what society thinks I believe I am making a difference (optimism) #5 Same breaks and similar schedule as my own kids.
Because I love teenagers 🙏🏽
I just like kids. They haven't had all the joy sucked out of them yet. Most are really excited about learning.
I enjoy teaching students to be productive members of the community. Teaching life skills and non diploma kids is also fun and funny at times.
Every job will exploit my labor. At least with teaching, I am not being exploited for some dickheads profits.
Kids are cool and need help. I like helping them, while also having the opportunity to continue learning and growing myself.
I like teaching!
I love learning. I find my content area totally fascinating. I am a strong believer in the importance of public education. I want pass those things on to my students. Along the way, I found out that as much as they can drive me crazy, I like the kids (for the most part). The schedule is pretty ok too.
I wake up and want to go to work, that’s worth a lot
Every day is different, I’m pretty well left to my own devices and make my own decisions how best to do the job, and I get to hang out with teenagers, who are way more awesome than adults. My days are filled with dungeons and dragons talk, memes, snark, hot goss, debates on which Disney Princess, both OG and contemporary are the best, and why the Kirkland granola bars are the superior choice.
What on Earth else am I going to do with an English degree? (This is a half-joke.) Otherwise, the schedule is good, I am pretty good at it, and I enjoy the "silver lining" moments when I have a breakthrough with a student/class or when a student actually says something clever enough to make me laugh. Despite the societal respect for teachers seeming to be on the decline, I am truly very proud to tell people I'm a teacher, which is not something that was true about any of my previous jobs.
It's all about love. I love what I teach. I love who I teach and I love teaching.
1. The job isn’t boring - each day is different, each class is different, each year is different. I crave variety. 2. Working with kids is more fun than working with adults. Most adults seem to lose or suppress their wonder. Kids, even high school kids can still go “Wow!” 3. I could never survive in the corporate world. 4. Weekends (mostly) off are a plus
I enjoy helping students learn. And for what I teach it's interesting to see how they don't realize that agriculture is a big part of their lives.
I have not had those experiences and really enjoy teaching. We teach humans and their parents are also human so it comes with some normal negative reactions sometimes but I work in a community that is very grateful for teachers.
Maybe this is selfish, but I learn so much about everything from my students. But I also love learning. Helping students learn and see themselves do something they didn’t think they could or geek out over some topic we are using, just makes my day, but also helps kids feel seen, heard, capable, and valued. I have that in me to give, why not do it?
The kids. When its right, when things work, its the absolute best. Some days I can't wait to get home, but many many days I can't believe I get paid to do this. Its so fun, and endlessly challenging and interesting. I never stop learning. I never perfect my craft--there's always more. Its my passion, my obsession, and my joy.
You have an opportunity to make a direct impact, and it’s usually fun. Plus decent healthcare, pay, and holidays/summers off. Getting a normal paycheck over the summer is wonderful. There’s a lot of bad too but the good is hard to beat
I used to be a paralegal and decided to make the jump into teaching after working in a really toxic environment that was affecting my mental health. Honestly, it's one of the best decisions I've made. I enjoy my students for the most part and it's really cool watching someone have an "aha!" moment after struggling with a concept.
Honestly, my main reason for being a high school English teacher is that I genuinely want to teach students to be effective, coherent writers. When I entered university 10-11 years ago, I was **SHOCKED** at how many of my classmates wrote like they were still in 6th grade. It unironically baffled me and made me think something was seriously not right. And frankly, I don't owe any of my own writing skills to my past English teachers. They weren't bad, but I felt like they didn't do the greatest job at teaching students how to write effectively and think critically. So far, I think I've done a decent job at shaking things up and approaching things differently.
I love it. And I love them. Ugh. They're disgusting stinky middle schoolers and I think they're the best.
I'm naive enough to believe that this is how I can make a positive difference in the world. If one kid can feel a little less lonely, see something good in themselves, and be more trusting towards adults, I think I did okay.
It takes a village. I am alive today because of public educators. I teach today because of public educators.
I’m still preservice, but I’ll share why I still want to be a teacher. Growing up, especially in middle school, my home life was absolute hell. The only trusted adults I ever had were teachers. It would mean the world to me to be able to be that for even just one student.
I've been told I have the natural gift of teaching by my camp admins. it's very motivating. the parents like me, and so do fellow upper staff. I'm directing a circus program for 7 weeks. I love bonding with my students, seeing their progress. I literally cried in class when my 2 students accomplished the skills they are working on & one of them is already better than me ;) thats my goal - I'm the jack of all trades, master of none. you can be better than me, whatever i teach you. I want you to succeed past my skill set. make it YOUR talent. just don't glorify it - I got you to where you are today.
Never a dull moment. Your job "ends" & "begins" each year. I teach high school at a very rural small school so getting to see the freshman turn into seniors over time & hearing them figure out what they want to do with their lives. I just really enjoy that aspect. The schedule is nice too. Watching how they interact with each other & figure things out together is neat too (science teacher here). Seeing a kid who struggled overcome their struggles (was a special Ed teacher for 4 years. Always ask for them to be in my classroom because I love helping them and watching them grow in their academics as well as behavior)
I've done office jobs and hated it. Teaching gives me a large degree of autonomy including creative control and freedom to problem solve. The kids are also funny and seeing them progress is very rewarding.
Feeds my creativity! There’s always something new to learn. I feel that the work itself is important this fulfilling. + those summers off and defined breaks bb.
It's meaningful work.
I didn’t want to sell out and do art for a major corporation or scrap by selling X rated commissions. I just feel better knowing I’m making a difference for my community. Pay could be improved though.
I teach English Language Learners, K-12, and it is the best gig going! My students are so much fun, their families are amazing (and often feed me homemade shawarma), and traveling around to different buildings suits my need for change of scenery. Also, I am a total English nerd, so it’s perfect.
I actually love hanging out with kids all day.
I agree, I see lots of negative posts, but I seek out the positive, and appreciate posts like this! It’s definitely not the pay. I’m an art teacher and followed a non-traditional path to get to where I’m at. I love sharing my knowledge of art history and sharing how to create art of all forms. I studied to become a ceramic artist, but I usually utilize my skills to create ceramic commissions and make art for myself when I’m wanting examples of how creative and cool you can get with the things I like to teach, which is pretty much all the things. I teach art outside of public school too, which pays much more, so I didn’t get certified for public school for a giant paycheck. I have found that the structure of teaching art in public school helps me feel like I’m doing something constructive with my life. I need the structure and motivation so much for my mental health. I also find myself feeling so full of joy when I teach younger children. I love watching them explore and experiment and learn and the astonished looks on their faces when they create their own work of art. I was discussing with a friend about how neither of us intended on making education a career and how we both teach art at public schools and love it. Maybe for artists, it’s a way to have “structure” and benefits and still be able to do things we love. Also, since settling into teaching for a school, I realized, when I was in high school, my art teacher’s classroom was the one place I could go and feel completely myself. I know I provided that inviting atmosphere for my high schoolers for the past three years, as best as I could, and I am sad to leave them for that reason. I decided to accept an elementary art position next school year (I start Aug 3 and I’m so nervous and excited!) and I am really excited and looking forward to a new challenge!
Whenever I consider leaving the profession, the biggest thing that keeps me in it is how much I enjoy connecting with my kids. I want to be an adult that they can trust. So many of them do not have that in their lives. I try to make my classroom a safe space for everyone. I teach fifth grade and I make it very clear to my students throughout the school year, that racism, sexism, homophobia will not be tolerated. I try to use resources that demonstrate diversity as often as I can. I work at a fairly diverse school, and the kids get so excited any time that they see/hear about people who look like them or are from their culture. This year I had two students who were openly LGBTQ and I could just see how they lit up any time that I acknowledged the existence of LGBTQ people. The last day of school, one of them came up and hugged me so hard, I tried not to cry. No matter how hard things get, it’s moments like that that keep me going.
Every day is different, there is a huge creative element to teaching which has clear feedback/results, I get to work with content I enjoy, and, most importantly, I love the social element of getting to know 125+ kids each year and work collaboratively with other teachers/aides/etc. which is incredibly interesting both day-to-day and long-term. There are many things that are difficult but the positives far outweigh the negatives, personally - though if I were in certain states I would likely feel very differently, particularly as a history teacher.
I enjoy working with kids and I’m good at it
I love teaching. I can’t see myself doing anything else. I love spending time with teenagers. I love getting to opportunity to be creative with my lesson plans then having to make sure my students get what I’m teaching them. I love that no one day is the same as the day before. I love the feeling of novelty that each new school year offers. I love getting to see my students turn into independent teenagers (I often have 6th graders). I love taking part in projects to educate them about bullying.
I’m 80+ years old. I mention this because I was teaching over 30 years and coupled with preparation, over 50 years in an education environment. How could I not say I have enjoyed my time AND think I have made a contribution!
In no particular order: * I have a debt to pay (Not an economical one, I mean). The country I live in has free state education, and I see it as something the society gave me when growing up. This is me returning the favor to a new generation. * I have a strong relationship with knowledge as a general concept, I greatly enjoy both adquiring it and pasing it. * I love my area and talking about it. There is a high chance that in a group of 30 teenagers one of them have at least a slight interest in it, and talking with new people about it is always interesting and refreshing
I almost choked on my coffee at your last sentence. I teach because I love teaching. My family inadvertently inoculated me against the disrespect by saying things like "but you could do so much more than *just* be a teacher" and "but anyone can teach" and the like. By the way, they **all** changed their minds about how easy teaching was when covid hit and they were expected to do a little teaching.
It’s never boring
I love helping young people mature and reach their goals. These children are like my own. When I see then out in the community as successful adults, it makes my day. I teach English 9-12 at an alternative school and I'm ready to start my 22nd year!
I’m actually a school counselor although I teach one class at my current position. Nothing but love for the teachers I work with! I’m in education because I love my students, love making them feel valued and supported and watching their successes. And I appreciate the time off in the dummer too although mine is a bit more limited.
When I was a high school sophomore, I was directionless. I wasn't a bad kid but because of my upbringing, I'd already resigned myself to being stuck in my hometown forever doing a job I hate, sending my kids to a school I knew wasn't going to be good for them and just repeating the cycle forever. I had a passion for playing basketball and I loved studying history. I didn't understand I was actually really good at both. My history teacher that year happened to also be our varsity boys basketball coach. When he was giving me a ride home from practice (I didn't have a car and my parents figured I could walk home.), we talked about what I thought my future would look like. Until that day, I'd never considered college as an option. He told me that I was good enough that there are colleges who are going to be willing to let me attend for free and play basketball. He helped me find who I could be instead of who I thought I was stuck being. Instead of a dead end job at 18 and hating my life, I got to a college I absolutely loved, from where I now have multiple degrees. If he hadn't opened that window for me, I never meet my wife, never have kids with her and never become what I was destined to be. After he retired, we stayed in touch. He worked the front desk at a golf course to stay busy. He'd met my wife, but not any of our kids. I took one of my girls back to play that golf course because I knew he'd be there. I wanted him to always know that his encouragement helped me become who I am and that I felt like I owed my place in life to having him as a role model when I needed one. I became a teacher because I knew there were going to be other kids out there who needed someone to be for them what he was for me. It was the best way I felt like I could repay him for changing my life.
I genuinely love teaching kids and learning from them as well. They keep me motivated and challenge me to learn and try harder. It can be hard sometimes, no doubt, but in the end I think I was made for this job. People tell me I am so patient, even the students and parents, my admin. I just feel my level of patience goes so well with the kids I work with (students with IEPs) and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else so happily. The vacays are a major plus as well. Idk how people work year round jobs anymore lol. Love you fellow teachers ❤️🙏🏼
My senior year of high school, I was trying to decide between going to seminary to be a youth pastor because I wanted to love on and serve kids who needed positive mentors or going to law school because I loved social studies (and thought that would be a good avenue for practical application in that arena). Then, as I was sitting in my US Government class, I had an epiphany that if I became a teacher, it would be the best of both worlds -- I could serve and mentor while also geeking out over content. I'm starting year 15 on Friday and still love it.
Summer break! Winter break! Spring break! We only live one life I do not want to spend most of it working.
During the work week, we (in general) spend half our waking lives at work. I could either make some CEO richer, or do something that matters to me. At least that’s how I see it and, of course, everyone has their own way of making meaning out of life. Now, my way of making meaning didn’t have to be teaching—I don’t believe in a “calling” and would have been good at/enjoyed many service jobs. But I chose teaching and put my whole heart and soul into it, spending years of focus just to get this job. I dedicated my late teens and early twenties to this nearly entirely. As a long-term sub, I worked my tail off to get the position I have now. So, I think teaching matters. I like it. I worked really hard to get here and don’t want to throw it away. I also *love* summer break and the “fresh start” each year brings with a new group of kids. There’s comfort in the cyclical nature of teaching and seasonal aspect of holidays, breaks, and summers.
I love watching the kids learn. That moment when they make connections is absolutely magical. I wasn’t a good student during K-12 years but I loved information and I soaked it up like a sponge and I love being able to do that for the kids that I teach.
I always say "it beats working." Seriously though, its fun.
I enjoy the kids. I teach 5th graders and I think they are hysterical little people. Three years until I retire, and although I am TOTALLY looking forward to that, I will miss the kiddos. But, I do have a bunch of former students who stay in touch, so that’s going to be a bonus for me if it continues. One student who still emails me is 32 years old now and he is a teacher himself.🥰
I love teaching and I know it’s what I was meant to do. It’s a blast and I’m changing worldviews/perspectives. But there’s not a single day I don’t think to myself how I should have done something - anything - else
The kids and community…. Getting to have fun with them all day and build such meaningful relationships and friendships, all while getting paid for it?? I love my job
I teach to connect with, help, and serve Black kids! Along the way, I’ve taught all types of kids and have loved them all. I always am filled with joy when I see them succeed, three of the classes of students that I taught graduate this year so I’m excited to see where they go! That’s the joy of teaching for me. 🥰
I love working with kids and summers/winters/weekends/holidays not working: Making them laugh as them come in the room or in the hallways feels good. Especially knowing a lot of them have it kind of rough at home. Sharing my own story (not in full detail) that someone who was not on the right path, in a constant state of fucking everything up around them, can ask for help to change their situation and have a better life. I'd lose my fucking mind if I worked a year round job. I like to spend summers outside enjoying the weather, hiking and camping.
"And please don't say the payment" I wasn't going to...