Why Teachers Stay
With all the talk about the teacher shortage and all the controversy going on with the school systems right now, many people may wonder what influences a teacher to stay in the classroom? I’m not going to lie. Teaching is HARD, and with each passing year, and the crazier the world becomes, it trickles down to the youngest children in elementary school. There are a lot of issues in schools that we are certainly not going to solve anytime soon; however, there is a mystery among us, a real questionable phenomenon. Many wonder, why do some teachers stay? How can some teachers hang on? Is it possible to sincerely enjoy teaching in this day and age? Of course, some teachers need a break, a change of scenery, a fresh start, but for the teachers who stay in the classroom year after year, or decade after decade, this may help give some insight as to “why.”
We really do LOVE kids (I swear)!
Many are not going to believe this, and it may sound cliché, but the truth is we LOVE children. We have this special bond with kids that is unexplainable to the regular world. Most of us figured out that we wanted to be teachers from a young age because we just have this unique ability to see a child, their strengths, their weaknesses, and want to be a part of their world. It’s not always love at first sight, but within the 9 months of sharing a classroom together, we grow to love each and every one of our students. We prefer spending our days with children, rather than adults (sorry), and we thrive knowing that we have a room full of different personalities that will soon become family. You can give us a classroom, some children, and a new curriculum every year, and we will close our door and work wonders with what we are given. And the best part is … we secretly love the challenge.
Our co-workers are our “ride or die” people.
There is no bond on earth stronger than the bond of teacher friends. We go through so much together, see each other at our best, at our worst, and support each other in ways that no one else would understand. Teacher friendships unknowingly share the same sentiment as wedding vows … “For better, for worse, through good times and bad, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish….” We could not make it in this field if it weren’t for our “ride or die” friends. We have each other’s back, day after day, year after year. When we need a break, when we need to take that phone call, or when we need them to read that email before we send it, our teacher friends don’t judge, they just do what they need to do. Teachers get so close, we inevitably start dressing the same, text non-stop on the weekends and go on vacations together. There is no camaraderie that compares to this bond, and this motivates us to stick it out … together.
This is our creative outlet.
Teachers were not given one unbelievable talent for the whole world to see. Teachers are given a plethora of talents that only a select few get to see in action, and that would be our students. We are only famous in our classrooms, and we are content with that. Teachers are planners, organizers, creators, caregivers, entertainers, leaders, crafters, singers, dancers, mentors, moderators, artists, coaches, nurses, comedians, etc.
We go from the beginning of the year questioning “How on earth am I going to do all of this?” to the end of the year exclaiming “I did it!” We fight through the beginning of the year feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated to the end of the year feeling overjoyed and accomplished. We start the year feeling a little scared and hesitant to meet our new class to not wanting to let them go at the end of the year. It is a roller coaster of emotions that we anticipate and welcome year after year.
We thrive in chaos!
I remember a particular day that our school was doing an early dismissal due to threatening bad weather. There was an eerie feeling in the air. The kids were wild, the parents were panicking, the administrators were delegating, and the teachers were preparing ourselves for complete disarray. Another teacher and I caught each other’s eyes in the middle of the chaos, as we were preparing to get 500 little children in the correct car before the storm hit, and she said to me “I don’t know why, but I love this.” I knew exactly what she meant and I said, “me too.” And guess what? We did it. With all the chaos, with all noise, with hundreds of students, teachers, and parents all going in different directions, we got each and every one of those dear children to their caregivers, just in the nick of time. We thrive in this environment. We know that staying calm and in charge translates to the kids, and they feel safe because of our vibe. We are chaos coordinators, and we live for this stuff. Rain or shine, sleet or hurricane, field day or picture day, we got this!
We are inspired by the best.
There is no question that there is a lot of negativity surrounding the teaching profession, and many of us have looked into a new career in real estate at one time or another, but in every school, you can find someone to inspire you. Whether it is your principal or vice principal who can accomplish more in a day than most people accomplish in a month, the secretaries and administration who keep the school running even when it seems impossible, our cheerleader coaches, our talented enrichment teachers, our superhero paraprofessionals, that veteran teacher for continuing to give 100% year after year, or that fresh faced new graduate with all their hopes and dreams ahead of them …
Somewhere in our schools, there are people we get to witness using their gift and making a true difference in our schools and in our world. These are the people that inspire us, that keep reminding us that we are all here for a reason, that we all share one common goal. I live in a constant state of “awe” watching the talents of the people around me. It keeps me going, it keeps me motivated to work harder, and it makes me proud to share this career surrounded by extraordinary people.
Sure, we have bad days, maybe even bad years, but just as we are routinely teaching our students these mantras every day …
“You are capable, you are strong, you are resilient, you are unique, you are worthy, you are loved, you can do hard things, you have a purpose.”
… sometimes, we, the teachers, start believing these words ourselves.
