Teaching Is Not For Wusses

Posted by Ashley, Special Educator

I’ve recently had quite a few conversations with new teachers about their first-year experiences in the field.  The common theme of these conversations is that most new teachers start out feeling overwhelmed, incompetent, and sleep deprived!  That’s exactly how I felt my first year of teaching as well!  This is no reflection of how much you love your job or your students.  It’s just a tough job, especially in the beginning!  I don’t think that any one, or any educational program, can truly prepare you for your own classroom.  It’s sort of like being thrown in the deep end of a swimming pool.  You feel a little shocked, your feet don’t reach the ground, and you have to decide pretty quickly if you’re going to sink or swim.  Not to mention that you’re not exactly sure how to swim!  Sure, you’ve taken some classes, watched some videos, but you’ve never had to do it on your own, you’ve never had to do it without your life jacket.  But, here you are, in the deep end, with no lifeguard.  It’s just you (and a bunch of children you’re responsible for!)  That can be a pretty scary feeling, and is a feeling that I think a lot of new teachers can relate to! 

But, here’s the thing: it should be scary!  As teachers, our job is a pretty big deal, and highly underrated!  We have the very important responsibility of educating children.  This should not be taken lightly.  We have an obligation to our students and to their families.  These families are trusting us with their children, and trusting us to do the right thing for them.  Really take a minute to consider that.  Each day, we get to walk into a job that directly impacts children’s futures.  Every day we have the opportunity to change people’s lives—for better or for worse.  In my humble opinion, there is no greater honor or responsibility than that.  So, with that being said, I think us teachers should feel a little stressed out sometimes!  It means that we care about what we’re doing and that we care about the quality of our work.  I think a little stress is a good thing, and is a sign that we are dedicated to this field.

For all of you first-year teachers out there, rest assured that these feelings are normal and that it does get better!  As a teacher, learning goes in both directions; you teach your students and your students teach you.  In the beginning it can be overwhelming.  You are supposed to be the person with all of the answers, but you yourself are learning!  What if you don’t have all the answers?  Well, the truth is that no one does.  We’re all (teachers, students, families, related service providers, etc.) in this together.  This is one of the many reasons we created this blog—as a forum for professional development.

Here’s my advice: be open to learning and accept the lessons your students will teach you.  Sometimes your well-planned lesson will crash and burn.  Sometimes your students will hate what you thought was going to be an awesome activity.  Some days it will feel like everything is going wrong.  Some days you’ll probably break down and cry (yes, this too is perfectly normal!)  And sometimes you just won’t know what to do.  Listen, we will all make a million mistakes along the way.  It’s okay.  Own those mistakes, turn them into learning opportunities, and try not to beat yourself up over them.  Do your research, ask for help, and don’t be afraid to just try new things!  The best teachers are not the ones who are perfect—they are the ones who always remain students.  They are the ones who recognize that they do not have all the answers, but who never give up on trying to find them.  So, embrace the stress!  Do not ever let yourself get too comfortable.  If you’re too comfortable, then you’re probably not expanding your horizons as an educator.

Teaching is not for wusses.  You have a lot to learn and a lot to do.  This job is never stagnant—you must always be moving forward.  You will always be faced with new challenges.  Despite popular opinion, this is not a 9:00am-3:00pm job.  I’ve been teaching for several years now, and there are still plenty of days, and weekends, when this is an 8:00am-8:00pm job.  Not because it necessarily has to be, but because I make it that way.  Sure, I could theoretically walk out right after the kids do every day and go home and not think about it.  The only problem is that I absolutely cannot do that!  I can’t do that because I care about doing the best job I can for each and every one of my students.  When these kids leave my classroom, I want to know in my heart that I did my best for them.  I want to be able to hug their parents at graduation and look them in the eye, knowing that I did my best for their family.  This does not mean that I’m perfect or that I did a perfect job.  It just means that every day I will try to be the best teacher I can be.  And that every day I will try to forgive myself for being imperfect (which is a very difficult task for me!), and hope that my students, their parents, and my colleagues will forgive me as well.  So, if you are like me and find yourself planning lessons and writing behavior plans late at night, it is not because you are incompetent.  It it most likely because you are motivated, dedicated, and passionate.

Just remember that no one ever said teaching was easy.  Or, if they did, it was obviously someone who knows nothing about education!  It’s a hard job, but also a beautiful one.  How does the saying go?  Nothing in life worth doing is easy.  Well, I happen to agree and cannot think of anything I would rather be doing than this.  We are incredibly fortunate to be in such an important field.  We are so lucky to have all of these amazing children in our lives, and to be a part of their progress.  Each and every day I feel truly blessed to walk into a job that I love wholeheartedly.  So, even when things are tough, keep it in perspective.  Remember what’s important and remember how fortunate we are to be teachers.

Teaching is not for the weak at heart, but it is for the soft at heart...