Jenala does feel like you made it a competition though and it isn’t, or shouldn’t be.
The trouble is that there are still so many misconceptions about teaching. Some of them are being eroded, but it’s clear that there are people who find it difficult to understand that it is a stressful job.
Because almost everyone went to school, they think they know what schools and teaching are like. Well yes, they know what schools were like when they were there, but not now.
I think that people who went into teaching years ago, did so because it was a vocation. It was described as such and regarded as an important and respected profession. That was in the days when children had a responsibility to work hard to achieve. Now it’s the fault of the teacher if they don’t.
I was a teacher for a long time. I had some wonderful experiences, some delightful young people to work with, some great colleagues. I also was wrestled to the ground, punched, kicked so badly, my leg was bruised for six weeks, sworn at and shouted at by students and their parents and reduced to tears by the behaviour of some classes.
That is stressful. I would never say that teachers have the monopoly on stress. They don’t. But the reason that people went into the profession initially- to work with young people, watch them growing and developing understanding, help them to achieve their goals- have been eroded by the relentless scrutiny that I think everyone knows about now.
I wouldn’t choose it again. It’s apparent that increasingly fewer numbers aren’t choosing it either. Since experienced teachers are expensive and therefore pushed out and younger teachers are leaving after a short time, what next?
No one should feel so badly about their job that they would consider damaging themselves rather than go to work. And thecpension is not that good. Mine certainly isn’t.