It’s late Friday night. Saturday morning technically. My husband is in bed. I’m exhausted after a short week {why are those more tiring than the full ones?!} and I should be sleeping too, but here I am at my blog. Why? Because I had this nagging feeling that I couldn’t shake and a blog post rattling around as I brushed my teeth.
When I made the decision to stop blogging anonymously and share my real name and picture here on Ms. Fultz’s Corner, I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into. I knew I would inevitably be “outed” in my real world and in my school. I knew a handful of parents would find out, and so would my principals and my local teacher friends. I was okay with that because I started this blog to share the things that happen every day in our classroom, to hopefully inspire another teacher, to make connections and develop professionally… I didn’t have a lot of negative things to say and didn’t see that my blog would need to be anonymous anyway.
But as I connect with more and more teachers around the world, I realize there’s an undercurrent we’re not talking about. Teaching isn’t easy!! There are days that are absolute garbage. There are moments when I look at my student teacher and wonder what in the world she is thinking getting into our crazy profession. I’ve jokingly {okay, not so jokingly} told her to run a time or two. Bless her heart, she’s staying though. And why? Because she’s young, idealistic, and called to teaching.
Do you remember what that felt like? I do. I knew I’d get paid less compared to many other professions with similar degrees, but I didn’t truly comprehend that there would be weeks where I’d pay for groceries on a credit card because pay day was still too far away. Of course this was happening while I was still shelling out my own personal money to build a classroom at the expense of my refrigerator’s contents. But guess what? I loved teaching anyway.
I read the statistics that say many promising teachers leave the profession within their first 3-5 years due to burn out, stress, and lack of support within their schools. Can you blame them? Those first years are the hardest. I promised myself I’d give my school 10 years before throwing in the towel come hell or high water. It’s a good thing I’m so stubborn because there were some really hairy times in there. Yet here I am on year 9. I think I just might make it. 😉
But here’s the thing… a lot of our teachers are leaving. Good ones! With lots of years left! So many of the bloggers and TpT sellers who are rising to the top have stepped out of the classroom this year, or last. I have friends who started when I did that have left teaching too. No judging here, I get it. The sentiment seems to be that the times they are a-changing and not for the better. I play with the idea of, Maybe I will just stay home and build blogs in my pajamas while watching court TV shows on my couch, or blog from the hammock while sipping mojitos in the middle of the day.
But guess what? At the end of summer, I still rushed into school to get our classroom ready {because y’all know one teacher work day before the students come where 50% of the day is eaten up with meetings isn’t enough to get an entire year ready}. And now I still get up and go to school every day. Why? Because teaching IS a calling. Because there are dozens of little minds that count on me to give them my best every day. {Yes… even when there aren’t enough resources, and we’re out of copies, and the textbooks suck, and the kids come to school unprepared to learn, and there are too many meetings and not enough prep time, and my paycheck is being tied to factors behind my control, and the same darn people are asked to join yet another committee, and I have to clean up scalloped potatoes with.my.bare.hands during lunch duty, and ALL THAT.}
Why else do I do it? Because in spite of the flaming hoops and obstacles that could get in the way, I still love getting in there and working with my fantastic third graders. Even if I leave exhausted and come home to grade papers, plan for the next day, and find new ways to reach each and every one of them. In spite of all that {and maybe because of all that} I believe that our job is important and that we are making a difference, together.
So please know that no matter what it looks like on all of our blogs, Pinterest, or even TpT… most of us have rough days too. Sometimes we even have rough weeks. And bless your heart if you have that dreaded rough year! Maybe we should tell you about those rough parts more often just so you don’t feel so alone.
But my point is, we’re in this together. And if you see one of your fellow teachers struggling down the hall {especially those new ones}, tell them to have heart, hold on, and keep moving forward.
I’ll leave you with the quote I have having in my office… we can do it!
Christi,
This is one of the best blog posts EVER! Proud to be a teacher and work along beside you…even though we are on different ends of the country! <3 you, girl!
Congrats on a very powerful and poignant blog post!
Thanks, Cyndie. Can't wait to come to Vegas next year and swap stories with you in person. Love you!
Thank you for this post. I don't even have a job yet, but I haven't lost hope! Even though internship doesn't prepare you for those moments where you feel utterly lost and/or hopeless in the classroom, it doesn't stop me from wanting this. so. much. I've never seen myself be anywhere else but in a classroom, learning and teaching.
You're welcome. It's one of the hardest things you'll do, but that passion will push you forward. I hope you find a position soon!
There are still positions out there…. My school in Chicago needs a 3rd grade teacher and also a kindergarten teacher….
Sharon
@Christi, thank you for hoping! By the way, I'm permanently borrowing that quote… @Sharon, I live in Arkansas!! I have given some serious thought about moving away, but I don't think it could be very far… right now. I know it'll happen for me. I'll just keep subbing and giving it my all.
Thank you both!
Beautiful, honest, and inspiring. Thank you for this post. It had perfect timing. I'm so happy to have you as a friend – you're an amazing person and teacher! 🙂 – Christina
Thanks, Christina. I feel pretty blessed to call you a friend too. =)
Beautiful and so true. I needed this…thank you!
Alison
Rockin' and Lovin' Learnin'
You're welcome. Hang in there and be good to YOU!
Christi,
This post is perfection! Thank you!
Marcy
SearchingForTeacherBalance
You're welcome. Hope you've found your balance, Marcy!
Love this post. There are many days that I get frustrated but wouldn't change it for the world. I've contemplated taking a year off but I would be lost without teaching. It's hard work but the reward is great. I'm so blessed to be called to teach.
I keep threatening to run away and braid hair on the beach, but the classroom is truly where I love to be. We are very blessed, aren't we?
This is my second year teaching and I worry every day I will burn out, but every day I get up to go to work and teach my five crazy, hyperactive boys. Thank you for reminding me of why I wanted to teach. (I teach at a Deaf school)
Kelly
Bless your heart, Kelly! While each year brings its unique challenges and changes, I did find that each year got a little bit easier. Your build up your bag of tricks, learn the ropes, and can often see fires coming before they start to smoke. You can do it!
Love the quote Christi! I've been teaching for 7 years and have had some days, weeks & months but this year, hands down, is the year from hell (I'm in Australia- we are 3/4 through are school year not at the start) and I have resisted putting too much on my blog about it because a) I wouldn't want a parent to stumble across it and b) sometimes it's just nice to paint a rosie picture and talk positive (because I'm past that point at work, I'm at the "I NEED some help, somebody give it to me" and "I'm thinking about dropping to 4 days a week" stage). But you are completely right sometimes it sucks but we know why we teach and it's for more than the pay check and the holidays. And on a bad year all we can do is hang in there, keep trying and hope that it will get better.
Unfortunately, I think many of us have had "that year" along the way. I had one early on and I remember thinking it might be nice if the big yellow bus just ran me over on the way out so I could have a week off. True story. 😉 You're almost to the finish line!
Thanks Christi for this Blog. I can tell it is from the heart and may trueisms are in there. It is always nice to know that you are not alone out there and there are others who are in the same boat as you!
You're welcome. We need to count on each other a little more without feeling so pressured to be perfect!
There is so much to say, but I will just say, thank you and amen to that!
Wonderfully said! I am "stealing" your quote and putting it in my classroom! I think we've all felt this way. I had a horrible year last year for different reasons but discovered some wonderful teacher bloggers this past summer and rediscovered my passion for teaching. Yes, it's hard…one of the hardest professions there is…but we stick with it and come out stronger on the other end. Thank you for this wonderful post!!!
Amanda
Peaches and Palmetto Trees
I love that our online community is able to support so many teachers. I wish you a wonderful year!
Well done, Christi!
WONDERFUL post!!!!
Christi this is a wonderful post and I have so enjoyed reading it. As you know I have had to retire due to health issues, but I would so love to be back into the classroom. I miss working with students on a daily basis!! This post is an inspiration!!
Teresa
Thank you! The beginning of the year is sooo hard! We forget where our little ones START from! At the end of the year we hold our heads high & say "YES! WE MADE IT!" But we tend to forget…they have to start from somewhere. ( REALLY…You don't know THAT?) Thanks for the reminder that we are ALL HUMAN! Good days & bad…we are NOT HERE FOR THE PAYCHECK! We are here for our love of kids! We want to help, encourage, inspire! When I get a hug from a 5th or 6th grader ( I teach first grade)…I know I had something to do with that! Warm Fuzzies ALL AROUND! Thanks for the reminder! wendy 1stgradefireworks@gmail.com 1stgradefireworks
I also look forward to my hugs from returning students. They won't forget the ones who truly touched them, for sure. Launching a classroom each year is difficult, but when things click together and start humming along it's so rewarding!
Thanks for a post straight from the heart. Teaching isn't easy, but it is from the heart! And we are all in this together! Thank you!!!
Melissa Reed
http://www.reedsresourceroom.blogspot.com
Christi, this is the best post I have ever read. Thank you so much for saying what we all feel. Love you friend!
Merinda
Pirate Girl's Education Invasion
You're welcome, Merinda. It had to be said. 😉 Love you!
Thanks so much! I think you said it for all of us in the teaching profession. It is a calling – that is the only way to put it.
Deb
Thanks for a great post. I have been teaching for almost 25 years and feel the same. Some days I wish I was old enough to retire! I'm not! But then, when the kiddos are doing great and learning so much, I know I am doing the right thing for me and for them! Thanks again, and don't stop blogging!
I admire your 25 years! Sometimes I wonder if I'll get there, but the students are really the ones who make it all worth it.
Thank you for this post! I'm just starting on my second year of teaching and last year and this year have been the hardest things I've ever gone though. There are more days than not that I come home crying, exhausted, and just think "I can't do this anymore" but then I remember why I wanted to be a teacher; I love children, I want to make the world a better place for everyone, and helping a child learn and grow are some of the most important things in the world! I often wonder if I made the right decision, to become a teacher, and then I realize that it's not teaching that's getting me down but admin., our district, and no support. I told myself I will not give up until I can try teaching in a different district and I will hold myself to that!
Shanon
You have the right attitude, Shanon. While there are always new challenges, it does get easier after those first few years. Hang in there!
Thank you….I'm in year 12 and after just 3 weeks, I think it may be "one of those years." I'm in this for the long haul though. I'll be one of those teachers they have to ask to retire. Ha!
-Andrea
alwayskindergarten@gmail.com
"Those years" are enough to bring anyone down. Take a few mental health days, you've earned them! =)
You've reinspired me, Christi. What we do IS valuable, and we DO make a difference. And I'm still here after 27 years. I had a brief amount of time out of the classroom after my son was born, and all I could think about was getting back into the classroom. It is in our blood, our hearts, and our minds.
I'm touched my words rang true to so many teachers. When I start dreaming of days at home, I always feel the pull of those kiddos. I would truly miss it.
Thank you SO much for this post Christi! It is exactly what I needed to read after a challenging year last year and an even more challenging year this year. It's so nice to be reminded that we ALL have moments of frustration or disenchantment but it does get better! Teaching IS a calling. We don't do it because we have summer's"off" or because we are paid well. We do it because we love watching children learn. I love that you pointed out that everything is not all "sunshine and buttercups" or Pinterest perfect in our classrooms all of the time. Thanks for keeping it real!
So glad to have shared something meaningful for you!
Hi Christi,
Your lovely post made me want to cry. It made me want to sing. I made me want to drop my shoulders and slouch. It made me want to press out my chest in pride. It was such a mixed bag of emotions. I've been teaching for 23 years and I can say I've had lots of those "days" and 2 of those "years". Last year was one of them and I am still feeling the after effects.
Your post was so honest and refreshing and I am so glad that you posted. I feel fortunate there are so many talented people out there sharing their ideas and days with me. It keeps me motivated and excited to teach. But, yes, truly, we do have a very hard job and it's so nice to have a shoulder to "lean" on through blog life. That's why I am such a big believer in teacher wellness and I blog and pin about it.
I am going to share this on my teacher wellness Pinterest board. Thank you!
Shelley
The Perks of Teaching Primary
Yes, yes, yes! I so relate to your comment. Those feelings you describe are ones that only a great teacher could understand and relate to.
Thank you, Christi! I needed this today.
Sheryl B.
I'm such a Ms. Fultz Fan! Well done, you.
<3, Mrs. Simons
Awe, thanks Marie!
I know how your student teacher feels – being one myself, I can say that it is definitely a wake up call and a joy all wrapped up together! She sure is lucky to have you as a mentor, though, because I can tell you really care about your students and you go the extra mile, even when the going gets tough! Keep up the great work, Ms. Fultz. 🙂
Miss White's Classroom
Right on the money or lack of it 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Oh, sweet friend! You nailed it!
This has been the roughest back-to-school start for me since I jumped in head first 12 years ago. While I would've loved an easier go of it, I wouldn't trade professions with anyone else.
I love my kiddos, I love this job, and I love having friends all over the world just like you who truly "get it."
Bravo!
Abby
Third Grade Bookworm
Thanks, Abby! I feel the same way. I would miss interacting with my kids every day. There's nothing else like it.
So very well said! Thank you :0)
This was a perfect post. I'm on my 14th year of teaching and after last year, I wasn't sure that I could come back. I love my job, but last year was one of those (as you put it) rough years. At some point during my summer "off" when I was working from home trying to figure out how I was going to meet the rigors of the CCSS with my 3rd graders, it came back. That butterflies in my stomach feeling that I get when I talk about my job and how I inspire others. My students this year are outstanding. We are already learning so much- teaching is my calling and I can't imagine myself doing anything else! Thanks for letting me know that it's okay to struggle and get back up on that horse! You are an inspiration!
This is an absolutely wonderful post! You've shared what all of us are thinking everyday. Thanks for pouring your heart out to share with us!
Lori
The Reinspired Teacher
Such a wonderfully written post! It was a great reminder of why we do this! Thanks for sharing your heart!
you said it all and you said it best. exactly my thoughts. thank you for sharing. i know many teachers will give it a second thought and reach out to new teachers even though their own loads are heavy because of your post. we ARE all in this together.
Elementary Expedition
Thanks for sharing this with the blogging community. Love that we can all come together at the end of the day to share, inspire, motivate, and love one another! I'm grateful to be a part of this blogging family.
What a fantastic post!!
Courtney
Polka Dot Lesson Plans
This is exactly what I needed to hear right now. With a little frustration from dealing with admin and a couple of kids who are making my hair turn gray (and I'm 23…), this is just what I needed to hear. I'm in my second year and it's so good to hear that I'm not the only on feeling it! 🙂 Thank you for the pep talk!
You are definitely not alone. Year three is so much easier than the first two as things start to click into place. Hang in there!
What an amazing post. And how true it is. Some days it just plain stinks, the whole thing, the kiddos, the paperwork, the whole profession in general. But again, like you, I get up each and every morning and rush to work early to have my quiet time to prepare an activity that came to me in the middle of the night. It is a calling…some days I wonder why….but it truly is something I feel as if I've been called to do.
Thanks for this post and being so open and honest as to how, I'm sure, we all feel.
Nicki
Mrs. Thigpen's Kindergarten
I so relate to the middle of the night ideas and early mornings to go in there and get it ready. 🙂
Thank you for your honesty in your post. I appreciate your pep talk, and reflection on our challenging career. I have started year 10 and I still have butterflies meeting my students on "meet the teacher day" and I have sleepless nights wondering "what more can I do" to help my students be successful.
Thanks!!
Lisa
4th grade FL
Yes! I never sleep before the first day of school either. I'm always so anxious/excited/nervous to meet my kids each year.
Simply put: Well said!!
Christi, This post is one of the reasons I began following you. You are honest and tell it like it is. After watching Teach last night I was invigorated to get back to work on Monday. I've had a sub for two weeks due to double knee replacement over the summer and my principal asked me to be there every morning despite not being released from the doctor at the point school started. I gained such valuable insight into my 21 third graders these past two weeks. Teaching is my second career and like many I knew going in I wasn't going to become a millionaire. I come from a long line of academic type people in my family. Your post was SPOT ON! I can't thank you enough for all you do to inspire us and share your work with us.
Thank you, Karen. What a touching comment! I think it's important that we share what doesn't always go the way we planned too. I have my disaster moments as well. 🙂 Best of luck on Monday!
thanks Christi! I'm so there with you – and I even have a teacher that is doing an undercurrent subtle meanness- I'm wondering if I even say any of this… but with all we have to do and want to do with and for these little guys- co workers shouldn't be mean to make us feel little. that's all I'm saying…
Focus on the positive and surround yourself with the positive people who will build you up!
Well said Christi!! teaching is NOT easy, and it is definitely a calling. Many of years, I have asked why I do it, and then there are years where I KNOW why I do it!
Thanks so much for saying what so many of us are feeling. I'm in my 36th year and there have been so many times I've wanted to throw in the towel. Right now I'm a single mom trying to put my daughter through college, and struggling more than ever to make ends meet. I've been accused of being "too old to teach", "set in my ways", or "out of touch with what's new" simply because of my age and experience. Yet I'm the one who is staying late, trying new ideas, making new products, spending hours on Pinterest finding "just the right trick" for that little struggling guy or "just the perfect product" for that little girl who needs a challenge. I get all the most challenging kids because I'm the one who can "handle them". Yet I keep going. Not because of the paychecks (clearly!) but because of those kids. They inspire me. As old as I get, teaching never gets old! Thanks for your thoughts!
Sally from Elementary Matters
One foot in front of the other, right? I am so inspired to hear all of the awesome things you are doing with your kiddos, even 36 years in. They are lucky to have you!
Wonderful post ! Thanks for sharing and inspiring….28 years in and I love what I do, but I have weathered many storms and rough classes and administrations. At the end of the day I am a teacher and love my kds.
Love that!
Christi! Thank you for sharing your heart with the blogging world tonight and not just letting those words stay in your head. I'm a first year teacher this year (only on day 3) and I got goosebumps reading this!
I love my classroom and my kids already but I know there are days to come where these words will come back to my mind and I'll come back here and read this post again and again!!
What a blessing to be able to share our hearts for teaching with each other. You've inspired many tonight, thank you!
Colleen
The Rungs of Reading
The first year brings with it so many fun times too, in addition to the challenge you'll inevitably face this year. Remember to take lots of pictures, save the notes/drawings from your kiddos, and take time for yourself too!
Christi,
That was so honest and heartfelt! Teaching is hard! It's also a calling! We do need to share the highs AND the lows so we all know we're in this together! This is my 23rd year, and blogging has re-energized me and made me want to keep going! Thank you for putting it out there, my friend! Very nicely said!
Laura
Thanks, Laura! =) I couldn't agree more about our blogging circle. There are so many things to be thankful for in our group!
Thank you thank you thank you! I've been teaching for 15 years now and I had one of those weeks where you come home and cry and you wonder why you keep going back. I needed to read this more than ever tonight. I've been sitting here working on lesson plans and dreading Monday morning and I needed to remember.
You're going to nail it Monday. <3
This post has gone viral. Saw a link to it on Facebook and had to see. All the things you mentioned (except maybe the scalloped potatoes, gross, lol) are what make me TIRED!!! But all the things after that are why I, too, stay. I vent on my blog a little also. These days it's the nature of what is going on and it directly impacts my job, so why not say something? I try not to get political but….
Thanks for hanging in there.
Jannike Johnsen
http://www.anautismconnection.blogspot.com
I am so amazed that my midnight ramblings rang true for so many of us. I think the scalloped potatoes during our new lunch duty probably signified a whole new low for me. 😉
This is a wonderful post and just what I needed today. I'm in the same boat as Shannon. Year 2, (Which isn't much easier than year 1), exhausted, stressed, sometimes wondering why in the world I chose this profession… but I think it is important to remember that we are here for the kids and we were chosen for this profession, not us choosing it. Even if its just one student who tells you that you changed their life… all of the long nights, tears, and sweat has all of a sudden become worth it. Thanks for being such a wonderful inspiration! 🙂
Ashley
There were many days that I was thankful for my 30 minute commute so I could get it all out before coming home. The first years are the hardest, you'll feel things turning around soon!
As a new teacher, this is exactly what I needed to hear. It's nice to know that everyone has those rough moments. I remember having a breakdown during student teaching last fall, when my lesson was failing. My cooperating teacher was so helpful and told me that it happens to everyone and to not be so hard on myself. I started teaching in January as a middle school teacher, but my heart is in elementary. So, this year I made the move to 3rd grade, my dream position. There have been a few days already where at 3:30, I think to myself, "Why did I ever want to be a teacher?" Then I have days like yesterday, where a student was leaving early and I asked for a big hug, and she held onto me for dear life. With tears in her eyes, she said "Miss Johnston, I don't understand…why is my dad here? It's still mommy's week." Her mom was arrested that morning and her house was being decontaminated for meth. Needless to say that these kids need us and I'm so very blessed to be able to be their teacher.
Lindsey
The Journey of a Beginning Teacher
You are absolutely right about those kids needing us. They pay us back so much. When they come back to visit you years later, it's all so worth it.
This post made me cry (in a good way, I promise). As much as I LOVE teaching, there are some days when I do feel so alone and wonder what on earth I'm doing wrong that it's so much harder for me than others. It's a really good feeling to be reminded that all teachers (especially those like you, and the other teacher bloggers I admire so much) have those rough days too! Thank you for posting this!!
Amanda
Let's Get Fancy in First
The rest of us have those hard days too. We've just learned to fake it. 😉
Thank you for this post. This is exactly what I have been feeling these past few weeks and am still wondering if I'm going to make it the school year. Take everything above, add in contract negotiations (not going well), failing levies, and new teacher evaluations/student growth measures, and this year has been more stressful than ever. It's always comforting to know I'm not in it alone.
Keep putting the kids first and the rest will work itself out. I hear you on all of that!
Thanks, Christi! I saw a link to your blog post on Facebook, and I am now a new follower. I was just trying to figure out how to write on my blog what I've been thinking about today. I am going to link back to your post as well (if that is ok with you). Come and visit my little corner of the web if you get a chance. Thanks again for your encouraging words!
Amanda
A Very Curious Class
Of course that's okay. I look forwarding to reading it. 🙂
I am on year 7. I had a much longer comment to post, but I will just say lovely post and HAPPY BACK TO SCHOOL!
Amanda
eveningstar02@hotmail.com
teachingbiliteracywithmrsestevez.bogspot.com
Thanks! No matter what year you are on some days are awesome and some just are not! I am on year 29! Most days I love my job, but the politics still stink! And some years are just harder than others. Thanks again for the post it helps to know we are not in it alone. What all the others said! Thanks
I think you wrote this post specifically for me! I really, really needed this! I think far to often we forget that it's the hard times that make the good times so GOOD! I will have heart, I will hold on, and I'm going to keep moving forward. Thank you for the much needed motivation!
Saw your post on Facebook and appreciated your candor. Why do we always put on a good front for society? I've been teaching for 20 years and it is more challenging every year. When I tell people I teach kindergarten they always say,"oh that must be so fun!" I just smile and think to myself that they have an interesting definition of "fun". Are there times I want to run and never come back…yup. I'm sure other professions feel frustrations too. But I compare my job to my golf game…I can play a really crappy round with mostly bad shots but all it takes is one great shot to keep me coming back. My clubs aren't great, playing conditions could be better,the game is costly but I LOVE THE GAME. Live for the perfect shot…remember what made you fall in love with the game.
KEEP ON KEEPING ON
These are sentiments that are felt by many teachers across the United States. Teaching is a calling, and it takes a special person to be a teacher. Thank you for sharing this with people across the United States and world.
Christi,
Thank you so much for writing this post. Sometimes, I feel that people have no idea what it means to be a teacher. It takes a big heart and a lot of patience. I am only in my 4th year and it has definitely been rough at times. I put in so much time, effort, and money all year long (more than I knew I would). At times, I have felt so frustrated by the circumstances I’ve been presented with. Yet, every year I suck it up and do my best. I have a passion for teaching and guiding those precious young minds. I appreciate your candor and words of inspiration.
Carol
Super Sparkly in Second
An excellent post Christi – teachers in Australia are very well paid in comparison to the US (on returning I was being paid $20K more in Australia), however we sit at the bottom of the scale compared to others in different work forces also – but I LOVE this job more than money – so I am happy.
Congratulations on your milestone on Teachers Pay Teachers!
Alison
Teaching Maths with Meaning
No words. You have said them all. As I enter my 21st year with probably one of my most challenging groups and with more expectations than ever…I will hold this close to my heart.
Great post! I had another career before teaching and I will never go back. Teaching is my calling. With the good, the bad, and everything else in between we do make a difference. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas with all your followers.
Love this post. I'm a new teacher and I always love to hear from other teachers. I have those days but I love to teach. Keep up the good work.
I love this post! I have definitely had these feelings before and have almost left the teaching profession because of them. It is so awesome to read teaching blogs everyday and have my feelings validated. I often say, "I feel like this!" or "I do this, too!" Makes me feel part of a larger teaching community which I really appreciate. 🙂
Christi, Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!! This post brought me to tears because I felt understood for the first time. This is year two for me and it's a rough one already. It's hard to hang on and when I look around I see so many teachers that make it look so easy. I was beginning to think it was just me. It means a lot to know the bloggers and TpT's struggle too. Thank you for restoring my faith in this calling and for validating my feelings. You saved one teacher from leaving the profession with this post 🙂
It is not just you. You are not alone. <3
Christi- Thank you for this post! Many days I feel like I could of and should of been better at something. Even after 18 years of teaching, each year I feel like I am new again! I changed schools this summer going from comfortable and consistent to the unknown! I survived the first week and I am trying to do this all being positive! Teaching is not for everyone but when you know it is the profession for you, you are willing to put in the hours, the sweat, and most of all the tears (and there are usually lots of those!).
I am so appreciative for your blog and others that I find who encourage, support, and create freebies to help make my life easier!
May you have a blessed year!
This is a terrific reminder. Thanks so much for posting. I am in my 10th year, and while some things get easier, some get tougher. The challenges change.
A positive attitude and willingness to learn and grow is what helps to keep many of us moving forward.
For those who think that teaching becomes easy after so many years, please get that thought out of your head! If teaching ever becomes easy for you, you're doing it wrong – in my opinion. 🙂 Great teachers are always looking for new and better ways to reach each of their children, every year.
Thanks, Christi, for putting this out there for so many to read! You make a difference to so many teachers!
Dawn
Love. Learn. Teach.
As a teacher entering my third year with Kindergarten, thank you. It's nice to hear that there are others who struggle like I do. It's not easy, but then you're preaching to the choir. Thank you for putting into words how it can feel on a day to day basis being a teacher. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
THANK YOU!! This week was a hard one, especially after changing grade levels. Thank you for what you do every day, all day and we'll not only get through it, but succeed as well!!
http://www.thisthingcalledteaching.blogspot.com
Thank you for writing this beautiful and honest post. I am going into my 8th year of teaching and I have had moments where I just wanted to quite. Last year I had one of those tough years you were talking about. I often put of buying groceries or other personal items to buy more supplies for my classroom. The whole thing can get very frustrating. But then a magical moment happens in your classroom. I was blessed with one of those moments this past Friday, my only regret is that there wasn't another adult in the room to witness it. It's those magical moments that I hang on to when things get rough and I get frustrated. Thank you again for sharing this wonderful post. Often we get to read about the wonderful things happening in the classroom (which I love) but it is reassuring to know we are not alone in times of struggle. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
What a great post! I really enjoyed reading it :o) Teaching is ROUGH!
Christi,
This post is so beautiful and poignant. You totally hit the nail on the head, and this was exactly what I needed to read.
Thank you,
Rachel
Perfect timing… I had JUST text my husband because I'm 4 hours into Monday at school and I am so over all the bs I'm throwing a sicky and having tomorrow off.
I also agree with Dawn (above) it doesn't get easier the longer you do it… well it does in some ways, but in others you become more and more bogged down with the extra stuff- which most of the time is great, but once politics start entering into it you start to question why you bother.
I'm definitely looking forward to the day off tomorrow- especially since I don't think it's fair on my kids that they have to deal with a stressed out grumpy teacher because she's so distracted by the politics outside of the classroom. As happy and positive as I try to stay in the classroom it shouldn't be this much effort.
x Serena x
Magic Mistakes & Mayhem
Very well said! I love the quote, and was wondering if you happen to have a printable version of it available?
The impact of your post was reinforced by the time it took me to scroll down to add my comment. Your poignant post mirrors what teachers across the globe face each day and still continue on their heroic journeys. Thanks for your honesty and reminding me that we will prevail for the wonderful kids in our classrooms.
Love that comment, thank you. I have been reading comments to my husband as they come through. Isn't it an amazing thing how we can all connect, despite our distance and different circumstances.
I love this… Thank you so muuch for sharing.. What a great read on a Sunday night before a week that I know will be extra crazy begins.. You are right- it IS a calling, and it IS hard.. But in the end- so worth it! Do you mind if I share this on my facebook page?
Not at all. Maybe it will help with the Sunday Blues so many teachers get. 🙂
Thanks Christi for this post. I have been teaching for over 25 years and I still look forward to going in and meeting my new students in September. It definitely has changed a lot over the years, and it is a much more complex job now, but I still love it. I am nearing retirement, but I think it will be hard to let go completely. Blogging and doing TpT might help to make the transition easier.
Right now, I am preparing to meet my new students tomorrow and I am looking forward to all the great moments we will have.
There will be difficult times, but as long as I remember take care of myself, I will be able to give to my new charges.
Hang in there. It is worth it!
Charlene/Diamond Mom
Diamond Mom's Treasury
This post has definitely struck home for many of us. I left the classroom after 13 years of teaching. After being out of the classroom for three years I went back, and while there are definitely challenges to face, I know that it is where I belong.
Good luck to you this year!
Chris
Wow! Incredibly honest and valuable words of wisdom! Thank you so much for staying up late to share from your heart with all of us! I almost missed this post, but I'm so glad I thought to hunt out your blog this afternoon, wondering "I wonder what Christi has to say on her blog right now…" Thanks again.
~Deb
Crafting Connections
I love your words of wisdom and honesty. I work in a 8th grade classroom and am currently working to get my Masters in Elementary Education and certification in Special Education. Your words mean a great deal to me and helped to remind me what wonderful teachers we have in this country and around the world.
Thank you,
Susan
Wow, Christi! This is so beautifully written, and so very true! Teaching isn't easy, and I sometimes find that there are so many happy-happy posts I can't open my blogger feed. It IS okay for us to have bad days or weeks. Thanks for putting it out there! 🙂
Have a great year!!
~Erin
Mrs. Beattie's Classroom
Well said!
Laura
Read-Write-Create
Well written! Well said! I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks for posting our thoughts for us! Many non-teachers believe that teaching is the easiest job in the world, but in reality it is the hardest. (Prior to becoming a teacher, I use to work within the financial industry. I was working with million dollar corporations and trying to meet strict deadlines. What I had to do then doesn't even compare to what I have to do now.) Having said all that, I still LOVE teaching! It's my passion and my calling! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with us! I so agree with all you said!
Najda
Christi-
Thanks for this post! As a long time blog reader I was always amazed that these classes were always doing such amazing things and I wasn't living up to it. But it's so true that we all have bad days. I'm new to blogging and next Wednesday I'm trying to start a linky party called What!? Wednesday where teachers can link up and share the funny, ridiculous, and downright awful stories so we can both laugh and be frustrated together. I think it's a good thing to show both sides. Hopefully you can stop by my blog that day and link up 🙂
Heather
The Land of I Can
Wow!!This brought tears to my eyes. Well said!!
((HUGS))
Wow!!This brought tears to my eyes. Well said!!
((HUGS))
Me tooooo. HAve a look here..!!
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