For the teachers out there

[Princess_AmyK]

I am a hairstylist but I am going to go to college. I really want to be a teacher. I understand the pay isn't great but if it is what I want to do and I love children, I feel like I should still do it. I wanted to hear other people experiences.
How have you enjoyed teaching?
What do you teach?
Do you wish you had studied something else? if so, what?
What is your favorite and least favorite part?

any insight is greatly appreciated!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Hey @Disvillain63 this sounds like a job for you

 

[olinecoach61]

I teach high school social studies and I don't want to do anything else. I feel like its the best job in the world!
My favorite part is working with kids and really connecting with some. I genuinely like spending time with students.
My least favorite part has been the ever increasing paperwork we spend hours on, it's getting out of hand this is my 14th year of teaching.

 

[Nemo14]

I'm a retired middle school math teacher married to a retired middle school math teacher (*yawn*) I love teaching, and I was (am) a very good teacher. It's truly a blessing to be able to make a difference in the lives of kids and to see their academic and emotional growth.
That being said, there is a tremendous amount of bureaucracy and mounds of paperwork that you have to deal with on a daily basis that can really frustrate you. If you can deal with that and with some over-zealous parents, it's a pretty great way to make a living. Good luck in your pursuit.

 

[Disvillain63]

I currently teach 2nd Grade, EIP/RTI. I have been teaching for 13 years. I did go to college to do something else besides teaching, because my parents didn't think teaching was a good career move...not enough money. I met my DH in college and he convinced me to go where my heart was. So, with a BBA in Finance and Economics, I went back to school and picked up the necessary undergrad work that I needed and worked on a MEd in Early Childhood. I now possess an MEd in Early Childhood and Middle Grades, with concentrations in math and social studies...and I teach reading. I love every grade I have taught...four years of 8th grade math & algebra; pre-K for two years; one year of special education (k-3); 5 years of 2nd grade (team and self-contained); and one year of EIP-Reading with being the RTI coach for 2nd grade. I love it!!!! Yes, the pay is not the best but I knew that going in. My kids keep me young and young at heart. Parents can be trying, but then there is the day when you have such good news for a parent that they can't hold back their 'happy' tears.

If you decide to go this path, find a great mentor!!! It may not be the teacher that the school assigns to you...find that one person that you can trust with the bad days, as well as share the good. It takes a couple of years to really get your life balanced and your school day, so stick through the rough times. (Again, that mentor ... the one you feel most comfortable with is the best person ... talk to a close family member or friend who is willing to listen...all are not...look up some of us on this forum and we'll be more than happy to listen and share...won't we @bethymouse?). Remember to that some systems put certain teachers on pedestals and those teachers may not really be the best teacher in the school...politics plays a huge part in alot of school systems, as it does with many jobs. Some of the best teachers don't receive the accolades from the system administrators; they receive quiet accolades from their students and parents. I treasure the notes, cards, and letters from my students and parents more than any 'pat on the back' from my system...work for the betterment of your students.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I'm a retired middle school math teacher married to a retired middle school math teacher (*yawn*) I love teaching, and I was (am) a very good teacher. It's truly a blessing to be able to make a difference in the lives of kids and to see their academic and emotional growth.
That being said, there is a tremendous amount of bureaucracy and mounds of paperwork that you have to deal with on a daily basis that can really frustrate you. If you can deal with that and with some over-zealous parents, it's a pretty great way to make a living. Good luck in your pursuit.

Middle schoolers You are braver than I am!

 

[Nemo14]

Middle schoolers rock!

 

[DDuckFan130]

Add me to the "middle schoolers rock" group.

I'm going into my 7th year of teaching middle school. I now teach 7th and 8th Language Arts and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I feel teachers are designed to teach a certain area. My props go to Pre-K, Kinder, SPED, and everything in between because I have no patience for kids 6th grade and below. I can be a sarcastic you know what with my kids and they love it.

I don't like to mention what my kids think of me because that would mean I have a huge ego, but suffice to say that this year for teacher appreciation I 1) received a t-shirt (the class all bought themselves the same shirt) with #Team Donald on the front and my shirt said "Momma Duck" in the back. All my kids had "duckling" and a number on their backs. One particular student, the same who thought of the shirts, gave me an authentic Walt Disney autograph on the last day of teacher appreciation, something I treasure because I can't believe he spent so much on me.

A lot of them now follow me on Instagram since they have left the school and they left me beautiful comments about how I inspire them and how I am the only one who pushed them to be better students and people. And most (of course not everyone can love me lol) parents have wonderful things to say about me and to me.

So yeah, I kinda love what I do and it's something that I've always wanted to do.

What deters my passion every now and then? The adults. Whether it's parents or administration, they sure do a hell of a job breaking my spirit sometimes. The lack of appreciation in favor of "we need better scores" hurts. But then I remember my kids' love and that's the ONLY thing that counts

Good luck in your pursuits. My honest opinion is you need to have a conviction for it. Those people who treat it as a "paycheck" and a "job" hurt not only themselves but their kids and I see too much of that and it really sucks!!

 

[Nemo14]

exactly!!!

PS - Hi Regina!

 

[DDuckFan130]

I currently teach 2nd Grade, EIP/RTI. I have been teaching for 13 years. I did go to college to do something else besides teaching, because my parents didn't think teaching was a good career move...not enough money. I met my DH in college and he convinced me to go where my heart was. So, with a BBA in Finance and Economics, I went back to school and picked up the necessary undergrad work that I needed and worked on a MEd in Early Childhood. I now possess an MEd in Early Childhood and Middle Grades, with concentrations in math and social studies...and I teach reading. I love every grade I have taught...four years of 8th grade math & algebra; pre-K for two years; one year of special education (k-3); 5 years of 2nd grade (team and self-contained); and one year of EIP-Reading with being the RTI coach for 2nd grade. I love it!!!! Yes, the pay is not the best but I knew that going in. My kids keep me young and young at heart. Parents can be trying, but then there is the day when you have such good news for a parent that they can't hold back their 'happy' tears.

If you decide to go this path, find a great mentor!!! It may not be the teacher that the school assigns to you...find that one person that you can trust with the bad days, as well as share the good. It takes a couple of years to really get your life balanced and your school day, so stick through the rough times. (Again, that mentor ... the one you feel most comfortable with is the best person ... talk to a close family member or friend who is willing to listen...all are not...look up some of us on this forum and we'll be more than happy to listen and share...won't we @bethymouse?). Remember to that some systems put certain teachers on pedestals and those teachers may not really be the best teacher in the school...politics plays a huge part in alot of school systems, as it does with many jobs. Some of the best teachers don't receive the accolades from the system administrators; they receive quiet accolades from their students and parents. I treasure the notes, cards, and letters from my students and parents more than any 'pat on the back' from my system...work for the betterment of your students.

I totally agree with the accolades. Mind you, I won teacher of the year my second year teaching, but in my area it's not much lol except for the bonus. I have to enjoy the quiet accolades from students and teachers and everything you mentioned because I don't get any "pats on the back" from my administrators that's for sure.

 

[DDuckFan130]

exactly!!!

PS - Hi Regina!

*wave*

 

[Nemo14]

Even though I retired last year, I still get e-mails from a lot of my students, and I'll be watching my 8th graders graduate this week. Great group of kids!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Middle schoolers rock!

Not at 7 am on a school bus they don't. Especially when you're trying to sleep a bit more before physics.

I always say I admire middle school teachers. You all must truly love that age group. It takes especially good people.

 

[Princess_AmyK]

Thanks for everyones feedback! I was born into a family of teachers and nurses, so I feel like its in my blood to do something caring with my life.
Im just going to go for it even though ive had people tell me im crazy to want to teach!

 

[wdwmom2+1]

I went to college for biotechnology but after having kids decided i wanted to teach so I went backup school and got my teaching degree. I have been teaching middle school science for ten years. But am looking at going to elementary in a year or so.

 

[bethymouse]

I'd be glad to chime in

 

[englanddg]

I miss teaching (college).

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Teach high school! High schoolers are awesome and love their teachers! So many memories...like the one teacher who wears kilts because he insists they're comfortable, though we told him he wore it the first day of school just to scare the Freshmen. Or my Journalism teacher whose voice went up in the middle of the sentence and called our vocabulary books "Hideous Orange Vocab books". You'll get kids who say weird stuff. Like last year a guy walks in from outside late to choir practice, and the teacher says, "Where've you been?" and he says, "Bathroom." My choir teacher asked him to warn him where. So mature

 

[englanddg]

Teach high school! High schoolers are awesome and love their teachers! So many memories...like the one teacher who wears kilts because he insists they're comfortable, though we told him he wore it the first day of school just to scare the Freshmen. Or my Journalism teacher whose voice went up in the middle of the sentence and called our vocabulary books "Hideous Orange Vocab books". You'll get kids who say weird stuff. Like last year a guy walks in from outside late to choir practice, and the teacher says, "Where've you been?" and he says, "Bathroom." My choir teacher asked him to warn him where. So mature

Ah, proof of the superiority of our educational system. No wonder outsourcing took hold... <kidding...sortof...there are a lot of good teachers, but there is WAY to much politics in the public education system to allow them to shine, and a lot of clowns who leech off the system>

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Ah, proof of the superiority of our educational system. No wonder outsourcing took hold... <kidding...sortof...there are a lot of good teachers, but there is WAY to much politics in the public education system to allow them to shine, and a lot of clowns who leech off the system>

My high school had excellent teachers. But I agree. Our principal was a total bureaucrat. Didn't even want to shake her hand at graduation. But I like the superintendent, so I shook his hand. He's new and done some stuff to improve. Like actually paying for graduation instead of forcing schools to pay themselves and then for the schools to all get different facilities at different prices, some of which were not close to the schools.