For Years I Despised Teaching
How 9 horrible years in education led me to teach juveniles in prison.
Work is something most of us must do to earn money to live. Whether you own a business or run on the hamster wheel for a company, it's all work. The trick is creating or finding work that fulfills you. The pandemic has exposed many people to how much they hate their jobs. Millions of workers are saying they quit. Sitting at home with the kids for 12 months or more revealed how much stress they were under at their current employment. Work must be fulfilling. I am blessed that my current job saved me from a mediocre existence in several other educational positions.
I’ve been an educator for over 23 years. I’ve taught kids in three different states. However, I’ve spent the last 15 years of my career in Illinois. Teaching is a tough gig and scrutinized the most by people who have no experience in the field. However, the students make it worthwhile. I didn’t enjoy my work for years. It's filled with useless standardized tests and meetings that usually reap little to no results academically. The art of teaching is almost non-existent in modern education. Teaching to the test is the norm these days. We are in a nationwide teaching shortage, and we are doing nothing to make the profession more attractive to young college students who may want to pursue one of the noblest forms of work in the world- teaching.
I was a school leader for six years. It sucked the passion out of me like a huge tick. The job became a burden on my shoulders, and it was showing in my demeanor. I was short with kids and staff. I was living in a perpetual state of anger. The morning alarm became a torturous sound. It was satan calling me back to hell.
I despised the useless meetings I attended. I honestly believe most meetings are exercises in mediocrity. Life is too damn short to live a significant portion of it in meetings. How can I manage or lead a building when I am constantly in some mind-numbing training about a new educational product that reaps little to no benefit after purchasing it. Where is the joy in work? It’s gone, I tell you. If you don’t believe me, why are there so many jobs open right now? Some say unemployment compensation keeps people home, but I believe many are choosing to wait for something…
