Thoughts on NOT becoming a teacher
By Mark J. Welch (
MarkWelch@MarkWelch.com)(April 3, 2007)
Five years ago, I wrote that I was considering becoming a teacher, and four years ago this month, I wrote joyfully that "I have decided that I definitely want to become a secondary-school English teacher (that is, I intend to teach English or Language Arts in high school or middle school)."
Since then, a number of people have sent me emails (and a few have called) to ask what happened? Did I become a teacher? Am I happy teaching? Did I regret my decision?
Sadly, I decided not to pursue a career as a teacher. While I was sorely disappointed by my experience, I must be fair and acknowledge that nothing that happened was really a surprise: in my 2002 essay, I'd outlined many of the obstacles that I faced.
Accepting Failure: Five years ago, I wrote that I knew it would be difficult, but that I knew I would have to "learn to accept limitations and failures," both my own and my students. In the end, that was what made my decision to quit so easy: I realized that I had abandoned so many expectations that I was no longer part of the solution -- I was part of the problem.
Lack of Support: A huge factor in my decision to quit teaching "midyear" was the lack of administrative support. I accepted a full-time teaching job in an urban school, and many of the "worst" 10th graders were "dumped" into my classroom. Without support, and with nearly zero follow-through from administrators, I faced serious behavior issues, but oddly enough that wasn't the worst of it.
Indifference: I was surprised at the level of "indifference" from students, parents, and administrators. This resulted in a climate where failing was completely acceptable. I had experienced "indifferent" students before, but in most of my classes I was failing 40% or more of my students, and it seemed as if nobody cared -- not the students, not the administrators, not the parents.
Hard Work: Before I started teaching, I commented that I knew that teaching was "really hard work," involving long hours preparing and grading, and specifically I knew that teaching involved "steady, intense work" every day. I wrote: "I'm also worried about the enormous load and the potential for a 'triage mentality.' . . . . Apart from the raw work involved, and the energy level to maintain my own focus and attention during every class each day, I wonder how well I can serve those students whose needs are different." What I didn't realize was that the workload was quite simply impossible, and that I'd be forced to make decisions every day (every hour, really) about which "required task" was most important and which would have to be abandoned. I worked 10 to 12 hours every weekday, and more hours on the weekend.
Stress: Two days before Thanksgiving, I experienced severe, disabling chest pains, which stupidly I tried to ignore for many hours because I had important, essential work to do. Finally, at 9:00 p.m., I drove myself to the emergency room. After taking my blood pressure, the nurse quickly summoned a doctor, who immediately gave me a pill to reduce my blood pressure. After several hours of tests, I went home with a diagnosis of extreme stress, and a recommendation to try to reduce stress. I went straight back to class the next day.
Intern Credential: In 2002, I wrote: "I was also reluctant to pursue the common 'entry path' for many teachers, which was to accept a full-time position as a teacher under an 'emergency' or 'intern' credential, thus teaching before receiving any meaningful training as a teacher," and with very little supervision or direction. I ended up accepting a full-time teaching position as an "intern," which was a huge mistake. While I recognize the financial pressures that make an "intern credential" seem necessary to the state, to local schools, and to new teachers, I now believe that the "intern credential" should probably be abolished. (In theory, an intern credential might work if a high level of support were provided, but in practice, districts provide very little support and would simply not follow through on any new requirements.)
Teaching to the Test: I taught four classes of 10th graders, who faced the "High School Exit Exam." Many of my students had no expectation of ever passing the HSEE, and more than half came to my classroom with skill levels that made passing uncertain. I felt that I had no choice but to reduce genuine education time in order to meet ill-conceived bureaucratic goals. Although I concede that the HSEE is a very low hurdle and that high school students who can't pass it probably don't deserve a diploma, the test is simply unfair to urban students who haven't been taught by an indifferent school system.
Preparation: I was interviewed on a Monday at noon, and received a call that afternoon telling me I was hired -- to start teaching that Thursday. I was given a classroom that was nearly stripped bare. I was given no resources to teach with (other than the teacher's edition of my textbooks), and I received very little guidance and nearly no help preparing to teach. During the five and a half months that I taught five classes per day, I was supervised for fewer than 20 hours total, mostly because I begged for help.
Spending on the Classroom: During the first few weeks of school, I spent thousands of dollars on materials for my classroom. I had money from my dot-com days, but by February it was nearly depleted.
Money: As a teacher, my salary was lower than any other professional job I've ever held. I worked harder than I've ever worked at any other job in my life. Financially, it wasn't even a close call, really not even in the same ballpark. Financially, teaching was not worthwhile.
Joy: Every day I taught, I felt more joy than I've felt in any other job I've ever had. Although many of my students were challenging, and I often felt incapable of meeting their needs, I loved my students every minute of every day. I often acted stern, angry, or abrasive in order to try to encourage students, but even when they resisted and challenged me, I enjoyed the experience.
Quitting: While I was teaching, my girlfriend (now my wife) was incredibly supportive. The day I told her that I had decided to quit, I thought she might be disappointed, but instead she was relieved, and immediately told me that I'd made the right choice (though perhaps five months late).
So Why Not Teach? Before I taught full-time in that urban school, I worked as a substitute teacher for a year in an affluent suburban school district, and I returned to substitute teaching the following school year. I knew that if I "tried again"to become a teacher, and did "student teaching" instead of full-time teaching to get my credential, and refused to work in a district that provided no support, it was likely that I could complete the credential program and become a full-time teacher. But in the end, both my heart and my mind realized that all the "obstacles" that I'd listed five years ago would be present even in the best school, and while I might enjoy teaching -- perhaps even more than any other work I might do -- it would almost certainly kill me.
If you have any advice, comments, ideas, directions, or criticisms, please write to me at MarkWelch@MarkWelch.com