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OK, 2 months. What other career gives you 2 months of vacation AND every major holiday, AND a break at Christmas and in the spring, AND days scattered throughout the year?
I'm not knocking it, but let's be truthful here.
Let's be truthful also that most of us are not paid for the summer yet are still required to attend workshops/conferences and as such cannot obtain any sort of summer employment for extra money. Thus why I tell many beginning teachers to enjoy the first few years where you have few in the way of summer requirements unless you want them. By about year five they become a necessity.
I get you are not trying to stir up trouble, but as long as we have remarks like this floating around, people feel justified in all of the "teachers have it good" rhetoric. If teachers had it so grand, we would be facing all of the issues that we are facing in terms of teacher retention.
Celebrated Teacher Discourages Young People From Entering The Profession
I'm certainly not a "celebrated teacher." But I retired last year after more than 20 years of teaching HS science in large public schools, and I'm in the "Who's Who in American Education" for all that represents, which isn't much.
I'd offer the same advice to any young folks contemplating a teaching career: don't do it. It will be almost nothing like you imagine it to be. Mindless, time consuming, irritating, counterproductive bureaucratic administrivia has become THE overarching characteristic that will quickly drive you on to some other career.
The joy of schooling has been almost eradicated for both teachers and kids, at least at the HS level. Worse, there is no recognition among the policymakers that they've created this problem, so there is no move to address the damage, meaning that it will likely be a decade or more before the first halting steps are taken. Indeed, the asinine common core currently being implemented in most states is simply taking the worst aspects of the failed NCLB fiasco and putting them on steroids.
I'm certainly not a "celebrated teacher." But I retired last year after more than 20 years of teaching HS science in large public schools, and I'm in the "Who's Who in American Education" for all that represents, which isn't much.
I'd offer the same advice to any young folks contemplating a teaching career: don't do it. It will be almost nothing like you imagine it to be. Mindless, time consuming, irritating, counterproductive bureaucratic administrivia has become THE overarching characteristic that will quickly drive you on to some other career.
The joy of schooling has been almost eradicated for both teachers and kids, at least at the HS level. Worse, there is no recognition among the policymakers that they've created this problem, so there is no move to address the damage, meaning that it will likely be a decade or more before the first halting steps are taken. Indeed, the asinine common core currently being implemented in most states is simply taking the worst aspects of the failed NCLB fiasco and putting them on steroids.
For you sanity, choose another career.
I am afraid of developing a reputation myself as "anti-teaching." Which would be absurd because I am one of those ridiculous few who are still in the system. Maybe this is just another teachable moment, but as I have said many times: You have been warned.
It is amazing what the job will do to your physical health, as well, if you don't have the good fortune of being in a good school in a good system with good administration.
OK, 2 months. What other career gives you 2 months of vacation AND every major holiday, AND a break at Christmas and in the spring, AND days scattered throughout the year?
I'm not knocking it, but let's be truthful here.
My husband get five weeks vacation plus all major holidays. He's an engineer. He gets to work from home sometimes, and has a more flexible schedule in some ways. He does have to travel for work though. He does get paid waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy more than I did.
I got seven weeks in summer the years I didn't teach summer school. Plus three weeks during the school year. If I taught SS I had four weeks off.
the authority professions are getting a raw deal these days if you dont like being kicked dont pick them.
i picked one. i managed to retire but its the reason i have developed a great love of plants and cats.
Bottom line is that if you don't like the job, find something else to do. Please.
Don't write a book about it after wasting your life doing something you hated, like so many others in the teaching profession. Find something better before the pension puts out.
The problem is that we can't ever get our Social security. We pay into teacher retirement instead. So even if we quit teaching and pay into SS, we will never be able to get that money back. People who enter teaching after long careers often don't know this. We pay into our pension. It's not like it's just given to us, and it's only about half of what we earned teaching. So I will get about a quarter of my salary a year after my age plus years of service equal 80. For younger teachers it's even higher, about 90. We can't rely on taking social security, even if we have fully paid into that too.
There are many wonderful things about teaching, but someone needs to be aware of the pitfalls.
Last edited by Meyerland; 06-29-2015 at 09:53 PM..
The problem is that we can't ever get our Social security. We pay into teacher retirement instead. So even if we quit teaching and pay into SS, we will never be able to get that money back. People who enter teaching after long careers often don't know this. We pay into our pension. It's not like it's just given to us, and it's only about half of what we earned teaching. So I will get about a quarter of my salary a year after my age plus years of service equal 80. For younger teachers it's even higher, about 90. We can't rely on taking social security, even if we have fully paid into that too.
There are many wonderful things about teaching, but someone needs to be aware of the pitfalls.
Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and the DC teachers are not eligible for Social Security. Additional states have varied coverage where many teachers also remain left out, depending on dates of service and location within the state. That really impacts just how valuable that pension is in reality. Plus, it is a nightmare for teachers like me who moved around following a spouse - let's put it this way, after 27 years of full time teaching (plus numerous years of subbing) if I had to live on my retirement and significantly reduced Social Security I would qualify for food stamps, housing subsidies and pretty much any other safety net program out there.
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I know a young woman who used to babysit for us when she was still in high school. Great young lady, very bright, and also athletic (plays basketball, and she was actually the kicker on the football team her senior year). She loves kids, is great with them, and would make a great teacher. Her mom works in public education.
She saw what was happening here in Wisconsin and across the country...she is currently majoring in business. I think she made the right decision.
I would to. No time off, 18 hour days, have to pay for your own school supplies, kids don't want to learn, parents don't help out, fad chasing administrators, low pay...I truly feel sorry for the people that are forced in to this wretched profession.
To date, I've yet to hear any teacher say one good thing about the profession. It's all negative all the time, almost like indentured servants.
18 hour days seem a little extreme. So you get 6 hours of sleep, have zero commute time, and don't even eat dinner with your family?
Not saying teaching isn't difficult, but if you're pulling 18 hour days then you're probably not doing it right.
My dad taught high school accounting for 30 years, special ed for 7. I don't think I saw him once pull an 18 hour day.
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Celebrated Teacher Discourages Young People From Entering The Profession
