Teaching: Tears or Triumph?
When I say I am a teacher, many people respond in a way similar to “oh wow! I could never do what you do” or “man, they sure don’t pay you enough!” Although I know each individual has the best of intentions when saying this, it does bother me somewhat. Yes, it takes a special type of person to have the amount of patience it requires to teach children. And yes, I do not make the amount of money to equate to my 24/7 job requirements. But, instead of looking at the teaching profession as if it were the plague, step into my shoes and really see what it takes. Maybe you could “cut the mustard.” Maybe you would be “the next best thing.” But don’t knock it until you try it.
This brings me to the inspiration behind this post. I came across the following article in Ed Week entitled “The Cop Who Wouldn’t Take My Teaching Job” and realized some look at teaching as an opportunity for a triumph and others see it as a daunting task ending in tears. Which are you?
You see, to an outsider many jobs seem unappealing for various reasons. On the other hand, some jobs seem like a “cake-walk” in comparison to others. “Teachers get the summers off. If only that were MY job!” Well, that statement is highly inaccurate. I have to make ends meet, thus I end up searching for a summer job each year and it always comes down to the wire. It’s exhausting and stressful to find 2-3 months of full-time work. Many businesses hire college kids for such vacancies and who can blame them? They’re cheaper! Some might even say that they don’t want to wipe children’s noses all day or tie shoe laces. Well, there is a vast array of ages that you can impact, it does not have to be Kindergarten.
I see where the cop is coming from though. If all you ever see is the bad side of a job, yes I can understand how you might say “I could never be _________.” TEARS. As the teacher realized in the post, she too only knew the scary sides of being a cop and was thankful for her own line of work. TEARS. The lesson here is one I would teach my class: Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Teaching is very rewarding. TRIUMPH. Yes, there are several drawbacks, but also many perks. At first glance you might find it daunting or you might find it exciting. Either way, there is more to the story than what meets the eye. What I would prefer to hear is that someone admires my TALENT instead of my CHOICE. Rather than fearing the child I teach, admit you do not have the skill-set to educate a young mind. Instead of glamorizing “summers off,” congratulate me on the hours I work beyond the time clock so that I can be the most impactful voice in a child’s life. Instead of fearing the chaos of one person maintaining a classroom of 20+ children, applaud my organization and leadership capabilities. Instead of glamorizing the Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day parties held at school, give thanks for the preparation of staff members who worked tirelessly to create the event and tie it to every Common Core standard so that little boys and girls could have some fun every once in a while. TRIUMPH.
What I am getting at here is that there a lot of skills required to be a successful teacher (notice I did not just say “a teacher”). If you do not think you could ever do a single job, what is the real reason beyond the cosmetic and superficial fear? You are scared of being out in public at night. You dislike the elderly. You despise getting dirty. These are EXCUSES, not LIMITATIONS. You cannot be a cop because you lack the strength to run down the bad guy in a wet, dark alleyway. You cannot be a pilot because you lack the concentration to focus for long periods of time. You cannot be a teacher because your are incapable of multitasking and dividing up your day into 20 minute bite-sized chunks of educational value.
When you give someone a compliment for doing a job you think you could never do, stop and think about WHY. Maybe you need to try it for a day to prove to yourself you are more capable than you allow and or imagine. Otherwise, think about the skill set needed to perform this job successfully day in and out, and then tell that person explicitly why you admire them. That is a meaningful compliment worth sharing.
Being an educator for me has brought tears, but that is because learning can be scary and confusing. But, when I look back at my journey, I see each tear as a triumph that lead me to where I am today. Teaching is a challenging job that impacts the individual in profound ways- some might even say it impacts the person more than the child. Triumph.
What job do you think you could NEVER do?
What if you were given one day to try- would you take the risk?
About the author, Gretchen
I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.