What are the ups and downs of being a school teacher?

Question

College sophomore. I recently switched my major from nursing to elementary school teacher education and was wondering what are some of the things i should expect from the profession. So far it seems like the most satisfying thing anyone can do, teach and i'm very excited and passionate about it.

Answer 1

Pros:
~great health care/benefits in most places
~403b (equivalent to 401k) in some places
~kids in grades K-3 adore you, for the most part
~most of the kids you teach,
~you can "steal" ideas from other teachers... it's really sharing, but it's much more fun to say you stole it ;)
~in 30 years you will have taught between 750-1500 kids!
~you are constantly learning (that could be considered a con to some people)
~you have total flexibility to teach how you want to teach... sure there's guidelines, but in *your* classroom, it's your rules... way fun!
~some rewards you get immediately; others you may not get until after you retire
~you ultimately have a direct impact on all those hundreds/thousands of lives
~you learn more about who you really are
~variety!! who says you have to do things the same way twice? for me, I hate repetitious/tedious/mindless work. this is one of the reasons I loooove teaching- generally it's the same, but every single day brings something new and unexpected. keeps you young!
~endless opportunities to challenge yourself
~endless opportunities to be creative and try new things
~reading aloud time! I even did this when I taught 4th grade... it's such a precious time of the day and it quickly became my favorite. I became a better reader and so did my children. It's always fun to add in different voices- kids never expect it. :o)
~the ability to network with awesome colleagues (hopefully) who are willing to share their gold nuggets with you
~the option to be paid over the summer! not only do you get summers off (I teach summer school anyway for extra pay and to keep me sharp) but you also get paid and you don't have to go to work! woohoo!
~having an impression on students in specific ways you wouldn't expect... for instance, I recommended several of my children for the People to People Student Ambassadors program last year, and only one went... but she will never forget (she told me this) that I believed she was responsible and mature enough to go.

Cons:
~it's one of the few professions where "they" expect you to be an expert on your first day. not kidding.
~you usually end up paying for half of your supplies, but some places reimburse you partially
~in the first few years until you earn tenure, you always have an authority figure watching you
~the few and far between but nonetheless truly anal parents with psycho kids
~SOLS/Standards of Learning tests.... end up "teaching to the test," whether you want to or not :(
~if you plan on being a parent and a teacher, it can be very challenging in many ways. one way you wouldn't expect is that all day long you give and give and give to 25-50 kids, so much so that when you get home, you just want to veg out and relax. but you can't. you have your own kids, and you need to give more to them, because they are your life (your own kids is not the negative part, just how hard it is to dole out enough for the ones you teach and the ones you gave birth to).
~balancing time w/spouse and time for grading/planning is really difficult and can confuse your spouse.
~I always get sick the first month of school... don't ever begin the year without these things: a huge supply of Airborne from Walmart, a box of Echinacea tea from Celestial Seasons, and pop those vitamin C pills like there's no tomorrow! It's really not worth it to write sub plans until October. Trust me on that.
~sub plans!!! I'm detailed and very anal with who has control over my classroom when I have to be out, so they take me HOURS to write!!
~some people think you don't get paid enough... I haven't decided yet
~some school districts strike, and that just sucks for everyone
~if you are of the Republican persuasion, it's hard to hang out with your mostly Democratic colleagues, especially around big voting seasons
~paper work, paper work and more piles of paper work. And no, not from teaching- you actually have to secretarial work like federal cards, emergency contact sheets, updating their cumulative records, shuffling papers to/from the office.... it's enough to drive you crazy!! It really adds up fast.
~you need to learn to be organized- and STAY that way.
~not being able to always fend off that little voice that second-guesses if you've done enough, if it was really your best, even though you know you did
~you have an impression on children... sometimes in ways you don't expect and that aren't always the best. For instance, when I was hired, I was the youngest on staff by at lest 20 years. **20!!** I had my ear cartilage pierced and didn't think anything of it until two of my 5th graders came to school one day with theirs done too, because they said they thought mine was cool. In fact, another teacher even got hers done because of mine! lol.

I could go on for miles. Bottom line, cons can't ever outweigh the pros. Just keep in mind that teaching isn't for everyone; but if your heart is in it and you actually like kids and learning, you can do it. Best wishes!!

Answer 2

Being A School Teacher

Answer 3

Downs: low pay, students who don't care about their learning as much as you do, parents who think their child is perfect and couldn't possibly be messing around in your class so it's your fault he's failing.

Ups: when a child's eyes light up because they understand something new, thank yous from former students, support from your administration, thank yous from parents.

Good luck

Answer 4

being shot at!! big downer