hi. i hate my job. i'm a teacher...should i stick it out 'till the end of the year?

Question

seriously, i'm teaching middle school in an inner city nyc school, and it's out of control. besides being cursed at daily, i have really had it! the kids are out of control, and i also feel ineffective as a teacher...no, ineffective is too sugarcoated, i feel like a failure.
so, should i stay till the end of the year and continue down this path of self-flagellation, or should i get another job. Mind you, this is my 4th year teaching, but first in the south bronx so i know i can teach , but i just think that teaching in teh inner city in nyc is just too tough. i'm too sensitive and nice...so. basically, wrong place, but should i stick it out? it looks bad on a resume if you quit mid year, but then again, it's horrible on my nerves and self esteem to stay...not to mention that the depression from teh job stress is starting to affect my relationship///

Answer 1

Have you discussed this with the school administration or your union rep? I would not do anything hasty, especially if you signed a contract for the school year. You need to know if there is a penalty for leaving before your contract ends. I agree that teaching at an inner city school takes a special kind of person and is very stressful.

Answer 2

It's too bad that the depression from the job stress is affecting your relationship and all that, but on the other hand, you need to think long-term; i.e., the part about how bad quitting mid-year looks on a resume. If you can possibly muster the courage and the guts to stay until the end of the year, then please do. Besides, you'll also be setting an example of what to do when the going gets tough.

I really doubt that you are the failure, you said that you know you can teach, but sometimes you just don't get very much to work with.

Hang in there if you can, then try to find a less stressful place to teach next year.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Yes, please stay out the year. For a teacher, quitting during the year is very bad on a resume. Your district would probably never hire you again. Just finish the year, then ask for a transfer when you are able. It will probably be easiest to return to a school where you've been.

Away from school, I hope you'll work on finding relaxing things to do, and care for yourself.

A good website is linked below.

One trick I used with middle school kids is group discipline (for reward). I'd put marbles (or whatever else you want) in a clear jar when I saw good behavior. When it was full, we had a party. It's even better if one class is having parties first--it gets the other ones going.

Answer 4

I was in exactly the same boat last year. I was teaching in a high school in the South Bronx and although I managed to control some of the most difficult students in the world I received some abusive treatment from the administration (to the point where a grievance was filed) for political reasons.

I sat down with my principal during a prep one day and was like I am unhappy and I am leaving at the end of the year and it was a load off of my chest. My principal was caught off guard and it helped them ease off me and make my life easier. It also started a mass exodus of teachers from my school because of similiar treatment by the principal.

Point being, stick it out, it's a good learning experience and focus on June. Do what you want in the classroom, make it as fun for you as possible. It looks better on your resume and will give you a chance to search, your future employers will respect you more. I have a fantastic job now because I waited it out myself.

It's not easy, but it's worth it in the long run. NYC middle schools are horrible!

PS.. If you teach English, do Holes or Go Ask Alice, my 9th graders always said they were the best books they did in middle school.

Answer 5

If you KNOW that you do not want to teach anymore, start looking for a job and when you find one, then put in your 2 week notice. If you think there may be a good chance of going back into teaching, and you don't want to have to explain anything, then try to stick it out. But you also need to look at it this way: what if you stick it out until the end of the year and THEN look for another job? who's to say that you will find one in 2 months (over the summer)? So if you know that you want to go into another career field, START LOOKING NOW. You might land a job in a month, or you might land one several months from now.

Answer 6

Stick it out but apply for other positions. Did you sign a contract for a year? Have you begun your second semester? Psychologically you will feel better knowing you only have 18 weeks left and you will not return under any circumstances. If you get a position and you know it, you again will feel much better. If, by some chance, someone offers you an immediate position take it and run. If they ask you why you want to leave your position, honestly say you are worried about your safety. Do not cut down the school or administrator. Look at this as a learning experience, you now know you are not suited to inner urban education. School administrators who hire do not like hiring people who have quit mid year on anyone. Its a pain for them and they do not want someone doing that to them. If your other three years were in one place you should be ok. It also sounds good if you can say that yes, you changed jobs and while the job did not work out you stuck out the year because you felt you had an obligation to the people who hired you.

Answer 7

Life can indeed be tough. My mom taught in NYC, and my daughter is (or was until recently) a teacher, but in a nice school in mid-western MA.

Yeah, I bet your life s**ks about now.

Long-term, sticking it out would be good I think, at least career-wise. You're closer to the end of school than it seems.

Maybe you can use the intervening time to make plans for either a new location or a new career? If you have a positive goal to focus on, it might make life more bearable.

Meanwhile, if you're staying at that school for now, you can probably relax a little because you're not trying to make points there. You're not going to fix the school system there all on your own.

Good luck, and thanks to all the crappy parents and crappy school boards in the world - they deserve each other. It's just too bad in the long run for the kids.

Answer 8

I would stick it out for this year...you have an obligation, and I agree that it does look very bad on your resume to quit in the middle of the school year.

Take the summer and look for a new place to live and teach. If you still love the city life, try Indianapolis or Denver, etc. Or try a stint at a small town. I live in a small town and yes, the teaching salaries are smaller than yours (I'm guessing), but the cost of living is also a lot less.

It sounds like you still love teaching...you just haven't found your teaching "home".

Good luck.

Answer 9

Oh dear! Yeah if you ever want to teach again anywhere else make sure you stick it through the year. Enlist the help of as many of your co-workers as possible. My supervisor actually came in and removed a kid I was having too many problems with once. Talk to the teachers who have been at the school workiing with these kids for a long time and see what you can do to make it through the end of the school year. You've only got 4 months left. Make sure to turn in your resignation(effective at the end of the year) now so they have time to find a newbie and start your search for a new job.

If somebody you are having a relationship with can't stick out 4 more months of "hard times" while you are struggling then they're not worth it anyway! The resignation should make you feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Answer 10

First of all, you should talk to the human resources department and see if you can get out of your contract. If you cannot, see if you can take a leave or switch to another position within the system.
If those options fail....you might just going to have to learn to develop a thicker skin. You say you know you 'can teach'.....
but you are just 'too sensitive and nice'. That does sound
like a cop out to me. Kids know when they have the better of someone and sounds to me like you are letting them get the better of you and they feed off that by continually getting under your skin. You might just have to learn some coping skills and show them what you are made of until the end of the year.
If you don't want to go back next year then.....don't.
Remember.....you are making a difference whether it be good or bad. I just hope you can must the strength to finish the year on a positive note. They will get 'joy' in running you off.....but if you stay you will be the difference in someones life.

Answer 11

I guess I'd tell you to stick it out. I know it's hard--but there's not that much time 'till June.
As a former east coaster--I can tell you that there's life outside of the greater NY Metro area.
I'm now teaching in the midwest where I seem to get classes full of kids who want to learn. Why not explore teaching options elsewhere this summer?
Breathe deeply, relax (punch something?) suck it up and finish. You'll feel like you accomplished something.