What is it like to be a teacher thesedays?

10 comments

1. In what way?

   r/Teachers can also answer this

2. All my in-laws are teachers. They describe it as hellish. The parents are awful, the student are typically relentless and the administration is thankless and overworking them.

3. In my area, they keep lowering the minimum qualifications to be one. So if you really wanted, you could come find out! God help those kids.

4. Based on what my teachers tell us: You get overworked and underpaid. According to the parents their hellish crotch goblins can do no wrong (even when presented with clear, obvious, undeniable evidence of their kid throwing a chair). Admin wants everything from you and something is always your fault (even when its not).

   While those are the bad parts, there are certainly good parts. Great students and parents exist, admin can be reasonable, there are good days and fun activities, moments that remind you why you choose to come to work, and (no teacher will ever admit to this) talking shit about the absolute worst of the worst is fun.

5. From what I hear, kids are giving them hell and parents are supporting their kids, finally. Wish it was that way when I was in school. When I have a kid, I’m gonna make sure they know that no matter what happens, I will never take the teacher’s side. I honestly don’t think anyone becomes a teacher without the goal of being some sort of abusive to people with no power of retaliation.

6. So it really just depends on where you teach and the grade level. My mom taught inner city kids under 2nd grade through most of her career for the money. She dealt with a lot and even had stuff stolen from her from the parents, she’s now in a small town school and they’re so much more well behaved.

7. I’d assume it’s the same as always, low pay mouthy kids.

8. I was a teaching student and I loved it, but it’s so hard. My university lecturers warned us about the strict social rules that AFAB teachers could get away with but AMABs couldn’t, any sort of affection, hugging, even consoling crying students.
   I found these rules far too restrictive and it really hurt me emotionally, I got into teaching so I could support students in every way, not only in their education, but in their emotional competency.
   I understand perfectly well why hugging and any affection isn’t okay, believe me I do.
   But when a 5 year old is crying and all I’m allowed to do is pat their shoulder, a child greets me or says goodbye at the end of my placement and wants a hug, or a child is so painfully affection starved at home that all they want to do is hold my hand all day and sit in my lap when I’m reading the class a story and I have to tell them “no. You’re not allowed to do that. Please sit down again” it hurts.

   I understand all the rules and why they’re there but it wasn’t for me. To me, in order to become a good teacher, you need to be able to show the full extent of humanity to children: that often means compassion and comfort.
   I am disgusted and repulsed by the horrible horrible people that have ruined societies trust in men to such a point and I frankly wish death upon anyone who would abuse a position of power.

   I just couldn’t take having my compassion and empathy and want to comfort upset children could be twisted into a worry that I was a pervert.
   To be clear: I understand why these rules are in place, I understand that it is not a teacher’s job to console and comfort, and I understand why parents and wider society don’t find these traits acceptable in teachers. It just hurt to see that the rules were different for my female coworkers.
   So I left that field of study. I wouldn’t have survived. I’d either have gotten myself in trouble at some point, or had to pull out a part of myself.
   Neither sounded like good options.

   Apart from that though? It’s a lot of work. Insane work loads

9. Probable a lot of regret

10. In America it’s a difficult job. My wife is one and she works endlessly and thanklessly. It’s a crime what they pay her. Shit benefits too. No way we could live off her salary.