What I've Learned About Teaching

Well. Hello there. Yes, I know it's been almost three years since I posted anything. If you're an educator then you totally understand how crazy life can get and how easily time can slip away from you. If you aren't an educator, then we have nothing in common. (Ok, that might not be true... but it very well could be). I decided to get back on the blogging scene because a lot has happened in the past few years, and also because I truly enjoy writing about my experiences as a teacher.

First, I'll get you up to speed on what's happened since my last post in 2012 as a student teacher:

• November 2012: Started teaching elementary school
• December 2012: Began dating a cute boy
• December 2013: Married the cute boy
• July 2014: Moved to the Big City
• August 2014: Started teaching 4th grade at the best school anywhere in the history of places
• June 2015: Began a Masters program for Guidance and Counseling

And there you have it. Three years of my life summed up into six bullets. I'm torn between being impressed with my conciseness and disappointed at my lack of awesomeness. But, I must say, that third bullet has made my life way more awesomer than anything else I've ever done. Yes, awesomer. No judgement, I teach math.

I still can't believe that I'm about to begin my fourth year of teaching. I'd like to say that I can't believe it because time has gone by so fast, but it's mostly because I'm in denial that summer is almost over. Nevertheless, the past three years have zipped by in a blur. I've learned more in three years of teaching than I did in 4 1/2 years of college. Here are some extra nuggets I've picked up along the way:

Extra Nugget #8

Teaching is hard.

Calm down. No need to shout. I know it's shocking, but teaching is not for the faint of heart. Nothing in my life has made me more of an emotional train wreck than teaching (Except maybe engagement... sorry, Cute Boy. Your patience is quite chivalrous and I love you.) If you're looking for a job where you can feel defeated, stressed, tired, confused, and unappreciated, then teaching may be the job for you! Sometimes I wonder what ever made me choose this profession in the first place. Working with small humans is unpredictable and challenging, and often times I feel like all the hours I put in are not paying off. This is my field, and it's just how it is: teaching is hard.

Extra Nugget #9

Teaching is worth it.

My job is hard, no questions asked. I dare you to find a single teacher that disagrees. But my job is also worth it, and I think you'd be hard-pressed to find an educator that disagrees with me on that point as well. Yes, there are days when I leave school pulling my hair out and praying someone will finally put a coffee IV in the work room. However, there are days that leave me wondering why I would ever consider any other job...

 

Who else gets to see the quiet child finally come out of her shell the last weeks of school? 

Who else gets to be there to witness the "aha" moment when the lowest student does a math problem on his own for the first time? 

Who else gets to teach ten-year-old boys how to be a gentleman all year and finally see them opening the door for the girls in their class rather than running over them to be first? 

Who else gets to be there when a child comes back to school after losing his mom and just needs someone to hug him?

Who else gets to tell a young girl that she's beautiful, regardless of what her family tells her?

Who else gets to pray that a group of young people will discover their passions and the God who created them?

I do. We do. Teachers do. 

And those moments far outweigh the stressful times. Because the truth is that those small humans need someone to help them navigate this world, and I'll accept that challenge any day. Is it hard? Absolutely. I end each year unsure of how I made it out alive. 

But is it worth it? Undoubtedly.

Stay strong, teachers, as we prepare for a new school year. The small humans need us, and we can't afford to let them down.