Teachers have one of the most demanding jobs. Working with children and making sure they not only master different subjects, but also learn things about life and helping them become good and respected people deserves all the praise. And although their salaries are among the lowest in many countries, these incredible individuals do all that for the sake of their students because it really takes a heart of gold to be one.
However, many times, teachers feel like they have a lot on their plate and can’t put up with the pressure imposed on them by the parents and the society, so they quit.
Jessica Gentry, an ex-kindergarten teacher, spoke openly of the everyday struggles teachers face and explained her reasons for leaving the job.
Her Facebook post that was reacted upon more than 300,000 times is basically what every teacher out there feels and can relate to.
Firstly, she speaks of the role of parents in their children’s lives and how many moms and dads refuse to take responsibility for their kids’ actions and always blame it on the teacher instead. She feels that the classroom is the only place where some of her students actually get disciplined and that’s a really sad fact.
“Parents are working crazy hours, consumed by their devices, leaving kids in unstable parenting/coparenting situations, terrible media influences… and we are going to give the excuse that the KIDS have changed? What did we expect them to do?” she writes.
Then she goes on and speaks how technology is getting all over the learning processes.
“Kids already can’t read social cues and conduct themselves appropriately in social settings,” she said. “Let’s toss more devices at them because it looks good on our website.”
Jessica says how she had to take two planning periods a week to be trained on new technology approaches and states: “Render that time utterly worthless when it comes to ADDING to the quality of the instruction.”
She quit her job both because of the educational system and the parents who refuse to ever be hold accountable for their actions. “I was cussed out by parents who wanted to attend field trips but missed the THREE notes that went home—and when they did attend a trip, sat on their phone the entire time,” she explained.
Trapped inside the confusion her job brought inside her life, Jessica felt powerless when it came to helping children who were in a state of chaos themselves. “Watching them come in…dirty clothes…chaos at home…and knowing they need more than you can give them in a classroom…it breaks you,” she writes.
Her words make other teachers share how they feel about their job and many can relate to everything Jessica said.
“It’s the same over here, and it’s why I’m on a break from teaching,” one teacher commented. “It’s so, so sad how it’s changed, and assessment had become more important than the kids.”
“Society has changed but we need parents involved!! God bless the teachers! It does start at home,” another wrote.
Many of us have no idea what teachers really go through every single day and what challenges they face. After all, they shape little minds and prepare them for the real life and that’s something we should all appreciate more than we actually do.