Would you go into teaching over again?

Question

If you are currently a teacher, based on your experience, would you go into it again? Based on my experience (much of it quite negative, to be honest), I probably would not do it over, knowing what I know now. I've seen violent students not punished much at all, am constantly surrounded by profanity and inappropriate sexual language and behavior, am disrupted to the point where teaching is often not possible much of the time, and do not feel that the administration support is effective. What about you, and why?

Answer 1

No I would never do it again and I will explain why. I taught for 6 years and my first 3 years I loved it. In fact teaching was why I choose to get my college degree after retiring from the Navy. I was an advanced composite instructor in the Navy for 5 years and excelled at it. Therefore I thought it my destiny to go on and teach our children. After my third year of teaching everything went down hill. The straw that broke the camels back was when a student told me to get F...ed after I told her to pick up a full water bottle she threw across the class room (almost hit a student) and go to the office. The office staff did nothing about it. Thats right nothing. In fact she was back in my class two periods later. I can not tell you how livid I was after that young lady made a fool of me like that in front of the students. From that point on I became hyper sensitive to any small or minor misbehaver. I found myself hating to get up in the morning and going to work. I also did not want to be one of those teachers you would always find and hear in the teachers lounge that would cry out how he/she hated the job so much that they were quitting at the end of the year but they would always be back at it again the next year.

I still have a hard time letting go, even to this day I think of subbing (no contracts please) night classes after my new day job I now have and love. Anyway, I knew I might have problems with the lack of discipline at the schools, with me being retired military and all. The bottom line is, in the Navy no one would have ever talked to me the way that young lady did 6 and a half years ago and I do not have what it takes to let that bounce off me and move on to be a good teacher for our kids. So I did the smart thing for myself and the kids and quit. Now I got a job I love.

Edit update: One more thing, students still thank me for turning their lives around today on the street, in the mall almost 4 years after I quit. Nevertheless, I am past the point of no return and I still think I did the right thing for them and myself.

Answer 2

I was in the classroom for 6 years and I've moved into central office administration for the last two.

If I could afford to go back to the classroom I'd do it in a heartbeat.

There is nothing in the world like teaching kids! I found so many intrinsic rewards in the small things like a student learning to read, a kiddo learning to control his behavior, an outstanding lesson, and even in working with parents.

While teaching is one of the toughest jobs, I would absolutely do it all over again.

If you don't think your administration is supporting you, try transferring to another school. I taught at one school for 4 years (until I'd absolutely had it) and transferred to a different school. Every school has a culture, and every school has a different feel.

Answer 3

I would definitely be a teacher again, if I had to do it all over again. Remember, you're either born a teacher, or you're not. I hope to have many, many more years to help shape our youth.

Being an educator who works in the inner city, I experience a great deal of negativism - from students, parents, faculty and administrators. But thinking of the lives I help shape (and in some cases save) outweighs these negatives. YES, it is disheartening to see children abused by their parents, bullying other students, addicted to drugs, being part of a gang, etc., but remember the ones who you turned around and made them want to continue their education.

Some days it is very difficult to continue teaching in an environment that seems to be deteriorating each day. But, for me, I remember the kids who come back to me years later to say, "thank you, you were the best teacher," or "you saved my life by making me understand how important an education is."

When YOU start feeling that you can't see any positives, it is time to get into another field.

Answer 4

I would definitely do it all over again. I love my job. I felt like you do when I started. The power to control the kids is something you have to find in yourself. Watch the Dog Whisperer - I'm not kidding - I find a lot of what he says applies equally to people.
I have been teaching for 13 years and none of it was in a upper middle class neighborhood school. I teach the kids what science I can and enjoy them for who they are. I challenge them and don't get angry if they aren't interested or don't get it. I work hard and the kids respect that. Work with them outside the classroom, treat them with respect no matter what they do but make it clear you won't take their crap - it's an artform to balance it.
I don't know where you are - but it also helps to move to a state where they pay teachers more than they pay McDonald's workers and there aren't many of them.

Answer 5

Yes I would because teaching has allowed me to share my belief in the importance of education and because of the students who have come back to me later to thank me. It is a difficult thankless job and I can definitely identify with your feelings of frustration. As a high school teacher of 10 years, I can definitely say that kids will make you feel hopeless sometimes and they will definitely make you feel like you are "wasting" your professional life. You will have rough years and rough classes, so you have to focus on your overall goal. I had a student tell me a few days ago that she had attended a private school for years where her parents spent $5,000 or more per year to educate her and she said that she learned for the first time in my class. Now, that is the true payment of teaching...

Answer 6

I currently teach at a couple of local colleges. A month ago I was a ninth grade Algebra I teacher. I lasted three months. But please don't think I didn't try...that was my SECOND attempt at teaching children. I lasted a year two years prior to this most recent attempt.
I love teaching...TEACHING. I do not love playing mother, security, bouncer, doctor, therapist, custodian...you know the drill. It's funny you said you would not enter the teaching profession a second time because I did. And I regretted every moment of it. God bless the teachers because I couldn't keep my sanity and teach the children of today.

Answer 7

I love teaching, and I have been teaching now for about 7 years. I love what I do even when I have challenging days and students. I wish I had gotten my teaching credential earlier, also, like right out out of college. I came to teaching late in life.

Answer 8

There is no one answer to that question, it is based on the individual. If you are that unhappy, you CAN change the situation you are in. Teaching should not be a "life sentence". Life is too short to be miserable in a job.

Answer 9

I'm not a teacher, so I can't really answer that, but have you considered teaching elementary school?