Maybe it is not just about…
As an educator, I find that most people are desperate to pin down what my job is “about”. As if to say, I am a simple minded creature who cares solely about a singular thing within my career, and ultimately, my life. I have been told over and over that I need to stay put “for the kids”. But maybe, just maybe, it is not only about other people’s children. Perhaps there is room in my over-educated, over-tired, over-stressed mind to actually care about more. We tell students to pursue their dreams, take care of their entire self, become stronger through failure, and to engage with as many activities as possible. But teachers… nope, the kids, only the kids.
The truth is, in my work with “the kids” I have discovered other passions, other projects and other dreams that I would have never known. The relationship is symbiotic. There is no “I teach, you listen”; but rather: “I guide, we converse, we discover”. And I am not the only teacher who operates this way. Not only that, but millions of teachers are doing their best to operate this way despite a global pandemic, teacher and substitute shortages, personal loss, and looming legislative threats against our profession. In this time of crisis, turmoil, and uncertainty, is it really any wonder that teachers are re-evaluating and leaving the profession?
The other big protest I hear is “you knew this job was like this!” Oh, did I? In my current position as a teacher mentor, I can tell you that most people who leave a teaching degree to come into education are extremely surprised at the reality. I know I was, all those years ago. Like most teachers, I really had the dream of “fixing” something; of becoming a beacon of light in an otherwise dark perspective for underprivileged kids. (A thought steeped in a whole other set of issues we don’t have time for here.) And, if I am being honest, there is still a part of me that is working to “fix” things. You see, I like people. I want to help people. I really want to help Education. But herein lies the rub… The problem is so much bigger than what happens inside a school, or even what happens inside a district. And so, when I find I have a talent for helping others, mentoring adults, or even planning large events and projects, I look where I can use my talents and be satisfied with my career.
I have not heard of many other professionals being told to do the job for a solitary thing. Usually we talk about career satisfaction in terms of the balance you can maintain in your life. The education profession should be no different. It certainly has the potential to be something wonderful, but our current culture does not endorse that sort of independence when it comes to public service. Our culture demands teachers be “teachers” every minute of the day. Our roles as parents, caregivers, family members, leaders, innovators, creators, and problem-solvers are pushed to the back, suppressed, or ignored.
In short, it is not just about the kids, the money, the behavior, the culture, the stress, the legislation, the pandemic, or the million other things. It is about ALL of that, and more. It is allowed to be about our happiness as well. It is allowed to be about our satisfaction with the systems in our lives.
My hope is that public education catches a break. My hope is that there is a moment of reckoning and recovery for everyone. My hope is that more people can open their eyes and see the superheroes I work with, and revere them for who they are, even beyond the classroom.
