Teaching can be immensely fulfilling work. The idea of shaping young minds and guiding kids toward their own futures (not to mention having summers off) leads a lot of people into the teaching field. However, not everyone is cut out for this kind of work. The last thing you want is to discover that you aren’t up to the task while standing in front of a class your first day on the job. It’s best to decide whether or not you’re teacher material before even pursuing a degree in education.
Here are 5 issues that may make you decide that teaching is not for you.
1. You’re not adaptable.
One plus one will always equal two. The alphabet will always start with A and end with Z. World War II will always begin in 1939. The information you teach may never change, but the way you teach it certainly will. Perhaps your particular administration will demand you rewrite that lesson plan you submitted or the school’s curriculum has changed. Perhaps what works for a class of well-behaved students will not work for an unruly one. A teacher must be able to adapt to any number of predictable and unpredictable situations. If you don’t think you’re sufficiently flexible, then teaching probably isn’t for you.
2. You don’t like homework.
Your students won’t be the only ones who’ll have tons of homework. A teacher’s workday rarely ends at the sound of the bell. There will be papers and tests to grade and lesson plans to prepare. Excited to have your summers off? Well, don’t get too excited, because your summers will be spent doing professional development work and getting ready for the next school year.
3. You are not 100% comfortable with kids.
As they say, kids can be cruel. And they don’t just pick on each other. Students may have it in for their teachers as well, and the monkey-see-monkey-do nature of the classroom may lead good kids to mimic the behavior of the bad ones. Before you know it, your class is out of control and it’s your job to rein it in. Some people have an innate ability to do this. They are natural-born teachers. However, if the thought of playing zookeeper to a room full of squealing, nasty (and perhaps even insulting) young people sounds terrible to you, you may want to choose another career path.
4. You want to get rich.
Do you want to make loads of money? Well, you aren’t going to get rich as a teacher. The average starting salary of a teacher in the U.S. is just $36,000, and teachers can spend hundreds of out-of-pocket dollars on class supplies. That isn’t to say that the job is not rewarding in countless other ways, or that the worth of a job is measured by the amount of a paycheck, but if making bank is your ultimate goal you’ll unfortunately have to look elsewhere.
5. You can’t deal with parents.
Maybe you love the kids… but the parents? Not so much. This can be a real problem, since a teacher’s job often involves managing parents. When it comes to their children’s educations, parents can get pretty emotional or downright out of control. You might have a mom yelling at you or a dad breaking down in tears. Upping the “ick factor,” a parent might even hit on you. Such situations are tricky to navigate, and you never want to blame the student for a parent’s inappropriate behavior. If you become a teacher because you think kids are a dream and adults are a nightmare, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise when you have to deal with both on a regular basis.
FAQs
Sign 1: You're Constantly Stressed
Long hours, low pay, an increasingly dangerous work environment, and ever growing workload are just some of the factors that make working in the classroom so stressful. Teachers have become so normalized to stress that many do not even realize that THIS IS NOT NORMAL.
How do you know teaching is not for you? ›
Sign 1: You're Constantly Stressed
Long hours, low pay, an increasingly dangerous work environment, and ever growing workload are just some of the factors that make working in the classroom so stressful. Teachers have become so normalized to stress that many do not even realize that THIS IS NOT NORMAL.
What are 4 reasons that there would be a shortage of teachers? ›
The 5 main causes of the current teacher shortage
- Low Teacher Salaries. Teaching has long been considered a noble profession, as educators shape the minds of future generations. ...
- High Workload. ...
- Unrealistic Pressures and Expectations. ...
- Challenging Working Conditions. ...
- Teachers Feel Underappreciated, Silenced, and Unsupported.
6 cons of being a teacher
- Breaks without pay. Although some districts may follow a year-round schedule, most districts use a schedule that provides students and teachers with summers off for breaks. ...
- Budgetary challenges. ...
- Professional development days. ...
- Varied learning styles. ...
- Workload. ...
- Student performance evaluation.
The bottom line is if you find yourself thinking, “I hate teaching” on a regular basis, it's time to get help (therapy, burnout support, other) or leave the profession. If you know changing grades, schools, or districts wouldn't help (or you've already tried that), it's a good sign it's time to go.
When to quit teaching job? ›
Teaching leaves you more exhausted than it leaves you energized/excited. It is normal to have a rough day at work, especially as a teacher. But if you find yourself exhausted 179 out of 180 days that you are in the classroom, consider it a flashing neon sign that it's time for you to make a change.
How do I know if I have a toxic teacher? ›
They Display an Attitude of Dissent
A toxic teacher might bring great ideas to the table when talking with parents or colleagues, but they don't necessarily welcome other great ideas. While they claim to be participatory, their input is almost always negative and ensures that next to nothing gets accomplished.
What is the number one reason teachers are quitting? ›
The #1 reason why teachers leave education is compensation. 48% of educators are planning on leaving the field due to compensation, while 42% have already left because of the same reason. Expectations are the second most common reason – 33% plan on leaving while 31% have left due to this reason.
Why are teachers declining? ›
The biggest reason Schroder sees for the declining numbers of fledgling teachers is the low pay. So let's go there. “In 2022, teachers made on average 26.4% less than other similarly educated professionals,” he says. “Over the past few decades, this pay penalty has been increasing.
Why is teaching so hard right now? ›
Many of the predominant challenges teachers face, including safety concerns, low salaries, funding deficits and declining mental health, are not new issues — but the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has intensified existing problems within the profession.
Potential teacher weaknesses could be:
Poor communication, interpersonal, or public speaking skills. Difficulty comprehending complex student relationships and empathizing with others. Over-planning. Inability to adapt.
What are the 2 biggest challenges facing teachers today? ›
The top 7 challenges in teaching, according to real teachers
- Students falling behind. ...
- Behavioral challenges in the classroom. ...
- Adapting to technology. ...
- Balancing work and personal life. ...
- Lack of resources. ...
- Large Class Sizes. ...
- Dealing with Parental Expectations.
Rely on other teachers where possible.
Take full advantage of other resources, such as designated tutoring times led by other teachers, to learn the subject taught by the horrible teacher. Just because you can't learn a topic from this teacher doesn't mean you should learn it at all!
Will teachers always be needed? ›
There will always be educational needs, which means there will always be a demand for teachers.
Can you just quit as a teacher? ›
Unless your district gives you consent, leaving in the middle of the year may be considered a breach of contract. The school district may have the power to have your teacher's license suspended for a period of time.
How do you know if you are good at teaching? ›
The Top 14 Qualities that Make a Good Teacher
- Adaptability. Adaptability is a must for teachers, who need to continuously evaluate what's working for their students — and even more importantly, what isn't working. ...
- Empathy. ...
- Patience. ...
- Engagement. ...
- Active Listening. ...
- Lifelong Learning. ...
- Free of Bias. ...
- Respectful Attitude.
When trying to find new ways to work as an educator, it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed and struggle with self-doubt. After years of working with students in the Beyond the Classroom course, I've realized that teachers go through a few predictable stages when they begin to look for work outside of teaching.
Am I burnt out from teaching? ›
For teachers this may include both emotional and physical exhaustion. Evidence of this may be frustration and irritability, mood swings, impaired concentration, chronic fatigue and insomnia as well as physical symptoms such as increased illness, palpitations, gastrointestinal pain, headaches and dizziness.
Why did you quit teaching? ›
Teachers Leave The Classroom For So Many Different Reasons.
Why teachers quit – stress, expectations, low pay, burnout, lack of support, you name it. It's usually not because of the students or families they work with.
