A teachers salary vs true compensation why i quit teaching and perhaps you should too
Now, let's get things clear and on the open right from the start. Teaching is an extremely noble and challenging career. In fact, in its purest form, teaching in possibly the most rewarding and socially relevant vocation any human being can undertake, other than being a mother. So, if you are a teacher who thrives on the daily challenges of pedagogy and simply cannot stand the thought of being anything other than a classroom teacher, then STOP reading this article right now, it will more than likely upset and offend you. While it is not my intention to ruffle any feathers, it must be admitted that a teacher's salary is an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms. The average salary of a teacher is a joke, to say the least. Not only that, but the present state of affairs can, in some locations and under certain circumstances, make teaching dangerous and overly stressful. So, should you just quit teaching I'll share with you why I did.
The Good, the Bad, and the . . . Well, you get the picture!
I LOVE teaching! This statement might surprise you after all I've said so far, but it's the truth. I really love teaching. In fact I cannot see myself as anything other than a teacher. Everything I do, I approach from a teacher's perspective. Even raising my girls, I do with a teacher's heart and mind. I really enjoy the type of interaction and closeness that being a teacher allows you to have with your students, regardless of their age. It is also a very exhilarating feeling when you run into former students after a few years have passed and they share with you how they still think of you with love and admiration and how you positively impacted their lives.
Perhaps the most exciting part of teaching is knowing that you are in a position to help someone who would otherwise go unprotected, unloved, and even abused. Seeing a teenager's face light up when they hear for the first time that someone believes in them and that they CAN do whatever they decide to do . . . Well, it really is an indescribably feeling.
When all of that is considered, there really IS no profession like teaching. In fact, these rewards are so strong that they have kept generation after generation of new teachers emerging and joining the ranks. Most truly believing that they will change the world. And, in their own way, they do.
So far teaching sounds perfect, right Well, here comes the ugly. A teacher's salary is only one aspect that makes being a classroom teacher less than desirable. See, starting salaries for teachers vary by region, and in the United States can be as high as 45,000 a year. Now, this is by no means peanuts. However, anyone who pays a mortgage, owns a car, and has to buy groceries and pay utilities can tell you that average teacher salaries are not enough to live comfortably, let alone putting kids through college or building a proper retirement fund.
Money isn't everything, though. It is really stressful and draining to have 30 sets of eyes constantly starring at you, expecting you to have all the answers. While the truth is that most students are very well behaved, and that the teacher is the one who has to set the proper learning environment, there are always a few special students who require every ounce of restraint on your part. Whether they have real emotional problems, or just like to pull your chain, you will always have a few students that make you sigh with a combination of exhaustion and relief at the end of the day.
Teaching is also one of the few careers in which you are guaranteed homework. Lesson planning, researching resources, creating assessments, grading papers, contacting parents, these are just a few of the things teachers must do, which do not fit into the traditional 8:00am3:00pm schedule. For the truly dedicated teacher, summer months which so many think are a teacher's hiatus are actually spent researching, prepping, and planning.
As if that weren't enough, I am about to tell you one of the most uncomfortable aspects of being a teacher. A teacher cannot take a bathroom break simply because he needs one. See, teachers are basically imprisoned in their classrooms until their free time. After all, children cannot be left alone, can they So, something as basic as going to the restroom is controlled, not by bodily needs, but by a set schedule.
My WHY
Why did I REALLY decide to quit teaching Well, my WHYs have names and last names, arms, legs, eyes, and they call me "mom." My two daughters were the real reason I decided to quit. You see, it was bad enough having to pay someone else to care for my kids while I was getting paid to care for other people's kids it seemed almost ridiculous. But, that wasn't the REAL reason.
My husband and I were both working multiple jobs just to make ends meet. We were living paycheck to paycheck, many times having to choose which bills to pay and which to keep on hold until the next pay period. We hardly had time or energy to really enjoy each other or our girls. But, that wasn't the REAL reason. The REAL reason was having to figure out what to answer my oldest daughter who was three yearsold at the time when she asked me why I was always sad. See, I was using up all of my energy and selfcontrol in the classroom. Every last bit of joy I had was slowly drained out of me as the day progressed. I had to dig for every single resource I had to keep on smiling and being in control while in the presence of my students. As a result, my own girls were left with nothing but the scraps. It just wasn't fair to THEM. THAT is the REAL reason I decided to quit teaching.
The Solution
So, I did my due diligence. Spent over a year researching and looking for alternatives. I tried cake decorating, tutoring, party planning, and many other alternatives to reinvent myself. But my "why" was still not satisfied. Finally, I found out that work at home moms and teachers do exist. I put on my entrepreneurial hat, and found that teachers make great business owners. I buckled down, became the student for a while, and started on a wonderful journey to give my daughters their mom back! Now, I have a home business which allows me the freedom to set my own schedule and receive true compensation for my efforts. I have full control of my time, and my life. That is why I quit teaching. Not because of a teacher's salary, but because of a teacher's broken heart. Should you quit too Now, that depends on your WHY.
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