Gut check
Summer is flying by! The fourth of July is already a memory.
Perhaps you still have that summer vacation to the beach ahead of you. You still have a lot of summer left! But if you are a teacher, I bet you have already begun to think going back to school.
I urge you to take a gut check right now. When you think about going back, are you excited?
Are you eager to get back into the building so you can start arranging your room?
Are you the teacher who goes in early on your own time to put up bulletin board displays?
Did you buy the bulletin board displays with your own money at the local school supply store?
I used to do that. I used to be that teacher. I loved school.
In fact, I loved my job! I never dreaded a single day of work once I made it through my first year. That first year is another story, but I survived it and made it through 32 more years. Not that everything was always peachy-keen. Every school has its challenges after all.
All in all, however, I had a great time as a teacher/library media specialist. Truth be told, I had the best job in the building. I loved being the school librarian. It was the perfect job for me.
The best days to be a teacher, however, were before the politicians began to meddle in our schools.
Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against being held accountable for doing a good job. I think everyone should have annual or bi-annual reviews of their performance.
And I think principals should be honest with those teachers who need to step it up. If a teacher isn’t doing a good job, I hold the principal responsible for that.
It is the principal’s job to evaluate honestly and provide honest feedback. Too often, they are too busy, though. They just check the boxes without having done a proper observation.
I know this because it happened to me…a lot!
I went through several evaluations without the principal ever observing me. That should not happen. But it did…too often.
That is probably why the politicians felt like they had to step in in the first place. They observed that teachers they knew weren’t doing a good job and came up with a scheme for evaluating.
The scheme they came up with is flawed, however. I don’t buy into holding teachers accountable for things outside their control. Using arbitrary benchmarks that have nothing to do with real teaching and learning is ludicrous. Tying those arbitrary test scores to a teacher’s evaluation is wrong. It is harmful to all concerned, and the entire system is suffering for it.
School has become less about learning and all about testing.
Something is wrong with that whole picture.
Yet, teachers have been powerless to do anything about it. In fact, they are increasingly powerless to do anything of their own accord.
Would those in the public sector accept similar accountability measures for themselves? Let’s create some arbitrary performance figure for them to meet. Then let’s throw in a bunch of variables that they have no control over. How would that go over? Not well, I imagine.
But I digress. Believe it or not, this is not a post about testing or accountability.
It’s about you as a teacher doing a gut check to see how you feel about going back this year.
If you are excited and can’t wait to start a new year, that is awesome! I hope you have the best year ever!
If you are feeling a sense of dread, though, you need to take note. If you feel a heaviness in your heart every time you consider going back, it may be time for you to consider a change.
Unhappy Teacher
It is probably too late in the summer for you to find a new job that pays you commensurate to what you are making now. I don’t recommend that you quit your teaching job without having something to go to.
But if you are dreading going back to school and it’s only early July, it may be time to explore what your options may be.
I always urge people to plan their next move carefully. Don’t be impulsive. Don’t quit your job in a huff. You may need a good recommendation from your principal someday.
But you should think about planning your future. You don’t have to stay stuck in a job you don’t love anymore.
Stuck?
Your options may be more varied than you think! I know a lot of teachers think they are stuck with teaching because they are “just a teacher.”
Most of the teachers I know are pretty smart, however. Many of them have talents that are being underutilized. In fact, your current sense of discontent may be the result of your feeling that you could be doing “more” in your career
You should open yourself to possibilities. Let yourself consider what options you may have.
If you aren’t excited about going back to school this year you may want to schedule a chat with me. Sign up for a complimentary 20-minute Discovery Session. It won’t cost you anything but your time. Just click on this link to schedule a time that works for you:
And check out my free giveaway, “7 Signs of Teacher Burnout.” You may find it useful in assessing the level of your discontent with teaching. Click here to download it instantly: https://kittyboitnott.lpages.co/7-signs-of-teacher-burnout/
If you aren’t sure what your dream job might be, download this additional giveaway. It’s entitled, “What is Your Dream Job?” It may help you consider what you else you are called to do. To download it instantly, click here: https://kittyboitnott.lpages.co/what-is-your-dream-job/
If teaching is still your dream job, that is wonderful!
We need dedicated teachers who want to stick with the profession. The more experienced you are, the better!
For those who are feeling the ill effects of teacher burnout, however, here is what you need to know. If you aren’t having fun anymore, your kids aren’t enjoying themselves–or you–either.
Kids deserve to have teachers who are 100% committed to them. If you have started to feel that your future as a teacher is limited, we should talk. I want to help you discover the world beyond teaching that you may not even know exists.
Until next time.
Teachers in Distress 