Teacher. That’s my
occupation. My profession. Some people say that it’s a calling, but in my case
it’s not. It’s just something that happened because I like languages. And
people. So I figured, why not combine the things I like the most?
Teaching can be absolutely wonderful and it
involves so many aspects. The first one people immediately come to think of is
taming a bunch of wild kids. Contrary to what some believe, many times it has been the kids who have saved me from going completely crazy. Hearing from
students that you are a source of inspiration, that you have excellent teaching
skills and that they like coming to your lessons are among the best experiences
you can have as a teacher. Having caring and competent coworkers is another privilege and a source of joy. Let’s face it: teachers are
outstanding people. They’re full of knowledge and they know how to explain it
to others in so many different ways. They’re patient, ready to share, flexible,
open, curious..
As a teacher you always move forward in that
you learn new things and you learn new ways of teaching. If you’re a book worm
like me, just imagine the luxury of actually getting paid to read a novel,
because that’s part of your job!
Nevertheless, under bad circumstances teaching
can be a pain. A group of 32 slack, spoiled kids with a nonchalant attitude won’t
thank you for being an inspiration. They barely listen to what you say, they’re
mean to each other, but still want good grades and respect from their
classmates. You have to spend an endless amount of hours and energy trying to
sort out the kids’ conflicts. Furthermore you must talk to the parents,
parents who won’t always understand that their kid misbehaves. Meanwhile, the
time that should have been spent on preparing the lessons just disappears. As
if that wasn’t enough, you have a mountain of essays and tests to correct.
Getting just a little bit behind in this area will increase your stress level
immensely. But it doesn’t stop there. In the afternoon you have teacher
conferences with more tasks to do, further advice on how to improve your
teaching and new teaching methods to implement. No matter how you turn or what
you do, you’re never good enough. This is the teacher’s dilemma.
Somewhere around three years ago I realized
that I can’t continue working as a class teacher. Despite holding an honorable
and admirable profession, it’s pointless wasting all the energy on countless administrative details and people who don't show any appreciation. I still want to be a teacher in sharing the truth, and I
want to work for the best employer in the Universe. That’s why I have decided
to find another occupation that will facilitate this pursuit. So this will be
my final year as a teacher, but what I will do next I honestly don’t know.
Obviously my dream would be to write for a living, but I still have no idea how
to realize this vision.
Do you guys have any ideas?
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