It Will Never Be Enough - My Best Advice For Fellow Teachers

Have you stopped to look around at all the amazing teachers lately? These teachers are killing it. They have kids engaged in learning that's mind-blowing.

If you aren't a teacher let me give you a quick glimpse into our lives to help you understand this post's central message. We have 20+ (give or take a few) kids in our classes.  Each one of these beautiful children comes with their own special set of care instructions.  Each child comes with 0-4 parents and 0-8 grandparents who sometimes want to communicate their thoughts with the teacher about how they could be doing it better.  Some children have a varied set of abilities like throwing desks as far as a discus thrower or throwing themselves on the floor for a marathon tantrum, all while these teachers keep teaching, solve the child's problem and never stop loving that kid who just spit all over them.  Teachers understand that behind every behavior lies a broken child who needs help.  They stay up late at night coming up with the perfect lesson that will support Johnny while helping Jane to flourish.  That amazing teacher will stop by the store at 6:00 a.m. and spend their own money to get the needed materials for today's lesson.  They know what it means to differentiate and move every child in the room through at least a year's growth.  Only to have their district personnel come in the next day for a walk through and rip them apart.  Meanwhile the district isn't upholding their contracts and providing compensation so that the teacher can eat and pay their electric bill.  While they're standing in line the person next to them decides to tell them that they should be thankful because they get summer's off.  Any teacher will tell you that this scenario is common place and not an exaggeration.

As a mentor teacher one of the most frequently asked questions that I get is "What would you like all new teachers to know?"  To that I answer this, "It will never be enough".  You can stay up all night and it will not be recognized.  You can teach your heart out and it will be expected and not appreciated.  You can spend every last dime to provide for your students and you'll be thanked by having your tax credit taken away.  For my fellow teachers, just know that I'm with you.  I've shed the same tears over the same sorrow as you.  I suggest you do what you can in the classroom while living in a way that provides a happy life for you and your family.  In the end it will never be enough in the classroom, but it will be in your home so choose wisely friends.

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