Stop Being the “Persecuted” Teacher

Oh boy. This topic is the one I have had heated debates with others about. Teaching is (IMO) the most difficult profession out there. We’re not respected. We don’t feel heard (and most of the time we’re not). We are the scapegoat for parents when there is something wrong with their child. With that being thrown at us on a daily basis, it’s easy to be the ‘persecuted’ teacher. You know the one. Each time you get together with friends, they tell everyone how hard they work and then criticize everything about teaching. You tell everyone how bad the education system is and how these kids and parents are out of control. You can’t go to this or that gathering because you don‘t get paid enough. We get it. Teaching is a thankless job. However, I love teaching! Yes, I have had to budget from day 1, but that’s ok. Some students are out of control, but I don’t lump all of them into that category. I feel that way too, but I talk about ANYTHING other than teaching when I go out. I will answer questions honestly if asked, but the last thing I want is for everyone to get constant negativity from me and associate it with my job. This makes people hate being around teachers and start seeing them differently.

One of my favorite quotes from a movie is from The Ref. Loyd’s mother was the ‘persecuted mother’ who was always getting ‘slighted’ and made sure everyone knew. During the apex of the movie, he looked at her and said the greatest line ever in a movie. “You know what I’m going to get you next year for Christmas? A big wooden cross. So the next time you feel unappreciated for all your sacrifices, you can climb on up and nail yourself to it.” This is what I think of when anyone paints such an awful picture of their teaching career. I’ve always been a big believer of fixing problems instead of just complaining about them. Do we need a place to vent our frustrations? Absolutely! I am not saying you shouldn’t complain and I do think collaborating with other teachers over a glass of wine to get everything off your chest is extremely therapeutic. I just believe that there is a difference in venting your frustrations because you are frustrated and venting so others will look at you as a martyr. You are not persecuted. You are not special. All teachers feel this way which is why there are plenty of open teaching positions. Go find one that fits you. Teaching is a very difficult career to stick with, but you’re not unique because you work 10 hours a day. It’s difficult, stressful, and undervalued, but that is not going to change anytime soon. Try to let go of all the negativity. Go find a group that will help you vent appropriately, but please stop making us look like we are miserable people to be around because we teach.