Here are some intriguing answers that come from teachers around the country of varying ages, grades and subject matter:
“The hardest part of teaching is keeping up my enthusiasm when some of my students show little interest in the subject matter. I really can't understand why anyone wouldn't find dangling participles absolutely fascinating.”
“I echo "politics" for all levels of teaching. When I was in the middle school classroom (at a private school), the worst part for me was the parents who felt that because they "paid" for their child to be there, they could then control everything in the classroom, down to what seat their child sat in.”
“I agree about the politics. That's actually one of the biggest reasons why I didn't go into teaching lower grades (even with the degree). So far, the college scene has been far less political--at least as an in and out adjunct.
The hardest part of teaching--balancing my time and other jobs with grading 10pg + papers.”
“The politics and BS are the reasons I retired this year instead of next year. The nonsense. Oh, the nonsense.”
“Teaching different abilities. I teach design and writing classes, and I get students from the low to high end and everywhere in between...and balancing out who needs extra help and who needs to be challenged can be challenging at times.”
“The "entitled" generation: as the old saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." I've found that in addition to the other daily struggles in the education field (i.e. politics) I've fought to collect assignments, gain attention, etc. from my students. They feel that school is their social time. I remember as a student that I had days when class was boring, yet I always had a willingness to learn. I never dared to disrespect a teacher (even if I didn't care for them), refuse to take or finish a test, or even fail to submit my homework. I worked hard in school, and I wish that I could see more of that drive today.”
“I have several "hardest" parts. First, I'll agree with the "entitled" generation. Back when I went to college, it was an honor. Not a right.
Second, there are the students that you can't figure out how they got as far as they have with absolutely no skills whatsoever. In a Masters program, you would think the students have at least a working understanding of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. However, every semester, I see a few that are functionally illiterate.
However, I think the hardest part is forming a bond with the students who really are gifted, the ones who really "get it," and then watching them leave. Having to bring in a whole new set of students, whom you know will never measure up to the last class, and waving goodbye while the last class gets on with their lives. That's the hardest part. We all have the students that we absolutely love. And it's tough to watch them go.”
"1)Parents
2) Shoddy reform
3) Meaningless data used to punish and not improve
4) The inability to poke out the eyes of children who refuse to pause and think. If I could just get one eye, they'd think twice and we'd all be able to see the super thoughtless coming from a mile away.
Maybe that last one was too harsh.
5) People who blame my union for the end of the world. People who think my union is just there to make sure I'm overpaid. People who think that my tenure is meaningless.
6) The boxes of discs they expect you to use with your curriculum. When you open them, you realize they are just space-age dittos and fill-in-the-blank packet machines.
7) I don't mind the entitled thing. We all thought the universe spun in tight circles around us when we were young. It's really the rest of us who LET them keep this notion alive: parents, teachers, coaches, media. If we are all special in our own special way, then none of us really are that special. Instead, can't we be interrelated and responsible for the world? Just a thought."
7) I don't mind the entitled thing. We all thought the universe spun in tight circles around us when we were young. It's really the rest of us who LET them keep this notion alive: parents, teachers, coaches, media. If we are all special in our own special way, then none of us really are that special. Instead, can't we be interrelated and responsible for the world? Just a thought."
“You know, every June, I become very morose when I think of losing my kids. But then every year I get another great set. :-)”
"The piles of paperwork that take over my life and the lives of my students."
"The piles of paperwork that take over my life and the lives of my students."
“The hardest part of teaching was realizing that I cannot be divided by 150 (or number that you are teaching each term) to "save" as many as I can. Save them from ignorance, from unkind people, from lack of motivation, from the absence of inspiration.”
“The hardest part of being a substitute is realizing that despite the kids liking you, they really want their "real" teacher back. Which was a good thing. Made me regret not being a "real" teacher, but I'd passed that fork in the road long ago. I am glad I had 15 years of helping those teachers who needed more than a babysitter while they were gone. :-)”
“Perfect timing, Danielle. I just completed a distance course entitled: Preventing Burnout, which helped me to identify some of the things that have affected my enjoyment of my teaching life.
The first is the systemically poor method of recognition. In my state, I will never be recognized with a gift, bonus or raise, because we are paid on a scale. That means I will NEVER make a penny more than the least effective teacher with the same number of years of experience and education level. Maybe that shouldn't bother me, but it does.
The second issue is the public attitude that we are almost always wrong, and that "their little one" or "the student him or herself" (see entitled comments above) could not possibly deserve a failing grade; ergo, it must be our grading system, et al. This includes people's attacks on the union. True, all unions need a reality check in this day and age, but we cannot be simply ignored.
The third and probably most significant issue is our depth of caring. If we could truly leave school at school, our lives would be fabulous. No more packing extra granola bars in our briefcase for Johnny who comes to school hungry. No more skipping our own lunch to help Suzie who didn't do her homework and must stay in at recess to complete it. No more fielding requests by students who are trying to juggle parenthood, illness, accidents, multiple jobs and schoolwork who need extra time, extra help, extra exemptions, extra credit. This means we never, ever have a "safe zone"--not at school, not in public, not at home.
That's burnout. Still, if we didn't want to be in a helping profession, we wouldn't have chosen teaching. I think the truest answer to addressing the difficulty of our profession is to identify the need for frequent--even if unpaid-- sabbaticals. Clearing our own minds and re-balancing the work/life scale is essential to maintaining our enthusiasm. “
“I could ditto much of the above; I will add fruitless administrative tasks, meetings, bean-counting that eat up time that could be used in developing better lesson plans or better supporting students.”
"The hardest part of teaching? Everyone--including me--thinking that if I don't do it all right, the world is going to hell in a hand basket. The truth is if I do a reasonably good job a reasonably good amount of time, my students will learn a reasonably good amount of material which will contribute to them having a reasonably good life...at least that is what I am telling myself these days as I stare at the unreasonable amount of work staring back at me."
