Is teaching worth it?

I'd love to hear from current and former teachers (of children as opposed to adults) on why you find it worthwhile or why you chose to leave (without getting too personal, of course).

I ask because I've finally hit the point in career (I'm an HVAC service tech) when I need to get out of it. I've been at for 15 years, and I no longer find any satisfaction in it. I'm doing it just for the paycheck. But I knew this day would come, and spent six years of night school to earn a BS in Political Science. Now I just need to determine the direction I want to go. My ultimate goal is to earn an advance degree and eventually teach at the college level.

I keep thinking about teaching high school social studies and civics, but I'm not sure about it. I like to teach ( training apprentices in both on-the-job-training and classroom settings is part of my job), and I slip into "teacher mode" pretty easily much to the discomfort of my kids, my coworkers, the kids my kids hang out with, kids at the synagogue.......

You get the picture.

But I don't if I could be effective at teaching teenagers. I think it would be amazing to get them to understand the impact they can have on our future and country if the understand and participate in our political system, but I don't know if I could get through and actually do it. And then there's the horror stories I hear from the teachers I do know about attitudes, discipline issues, and administrative hurdles.

I love it. Been teaching kids, teens, and adults for close to 25 years now. There is nothing like seeing the "a-ha" moment in their eyes, and then watching them storm out and achieving all they wanted. It's very sweet of former students who send thank you notes, or stop by to visit to share what they are doing (they still want my approval, bless their hearts, even though I don't think they need my approval to live their lives). But watching them living a dream to its reality is more than enough satisfaction for me.

I've taught in public schools, in private schools, in four different universities, and in the private studio industry. The experience is all the same to me. I don't see myself doing anything differently, even after so many years.

If you can't do, teach. Simples No seriously, don't become a teacher, kids are going to swear at you, you can't swear back. They're going to chuck stuff at you, and you can't do anything about it. If you see a hot student, you can't ask her out. I really don't know why anyone would want to become a teacher, it requires an astronomical amount of patience.

ignition said:

If you can't do, teach. Simples No seriously, don't become a teacher, kids are going to swear at you, you can't swear back. They're going to chuck stuff at you, and you can't do anything about it. If you see a hot student, you can't ask her out. I really don't know why anyone would want to become a teacher, it requires an astronomical amount of patience.

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That's my main hesitation at this point. I do pretty well with most of the kids I know, but I doubt all the kids I'd have would be like them.

Tarheeler said:

That's my main hesitation at this point. I do pretty well with most of the kids I know, but I doubt all the kids I'd have would be like them.

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It genuinely comes with an attitude, IMO. Teaching kids is a commitment to listening to them and seeing where they're at, and having a shared vision of where they'd like to be. At least it is in my profession, but I don't think my approach and educational philosophy is rare.

If you have already found yourself doing well with most of the kids you know, spending any considerable time with other kids you don't know will help you get to know them, and to get them to know you. If you show an investment and an interest in who they are and what they want to learn, finding that connection, relating to them, and then offering them door after door to walk through offers them many chances to look up to you and to respect you as a mentor.

That's a good point. I'm going to have to try find a way to try it a bit so I can really see for myself.

Tarheeler said:

That's a good point. I'm going to have to try find a way to try it a bit so I can really see for myself.

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I think that makes a lot of sense. Too bad some of the colleges who train teachers didn't provide the opportunity a whole lot sooner. Some people have the knack for it. Others don't. I taught for nearly 30 years, but younger kids. You seem to have high expectations on your influence. Although many do return and stay in contact over the years, there are those that have an hate chip on their shoulders that nobody can move. If you can tolerate those types, good luck. In high school, many of them will have dropped out. That's unfortunate for them, but maybe a bonus for teachers too. Maybe the worklace can provide some hard lessons.

I never regret my career choice. The positives far outweigh the negatives.

Not for the state -- of Texas, anyway.

Teaching college is awesome, though. Again, not for the state.

I love teaching. I'm an ESL teacher, and I teach children as well as adults. It's extremely rewarding. You have to be willing, as others have mentioned, to meet the student where they are. You need to WANT to discover their goals, their talents, their areas of improvement, and their unique personalities. I'm always more than a little dismayed when I hear burnt out teachers griping about how they can't "control" their kids. If control over others is ever a goal of yours, I'd recommend not getting into teaching. At best, we can help and encourage people to manage their own actions and behaviours. Overall though, I try to focus on getting to know the students.

If you're worried that "not every kid will be like the ones I know", you're absolutely right. You'll meet kids who, at first glance, you might feel completely alien to. But that's part of the beauty of it: you're tasked with the challenge of getting to know them, understand them, and guide them -- whether or not you and/or your own kids would share anything in common with them. I love it. It's a fun challenge. In the end, I find that most people aren't so different than me - they're curious, they want approval, they want to do well, they want to ask questions. I can always start from there.

Don't go into teaching expecting to change the world or you will quickly burn out and become frustrated. The best high school teachers do inspire their kids to succeed, but you have to challenge them, which can create an oppositional relationship. You have to be willing to accept that there might be days they hate your guts. If you're not getting them to complain, you're not challenging them.

delete .. doubled.. sorry mods

So.....

I've been getting more involved with the kids at the synagogue, and I've started teaching Sunday school.
I think I'm going to go ahead and look into getting my teaching license.

I might need to look outside the state though; NC seems to be rated dead last in the country for teaching in all aspects.

Tarheeler said:

So.....

I've been getting more involved with the kids at the synagogue, and I've started teaching Sunday school.
I think I'm going to go ahead and look into getting my teaching license.

I might need to look outside the state though; NC seems to be rated dead last in the country for teaching in all aspects.

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I taught full-time for 36 years and part-time for several more, and if I had to do it all over again, I don't think there's anything I would do different. During my latter four years of teaching full-time, my oldest daughter taught math several doors down from me, and I'll never forget what she said one day to me after we had been together there for two years.

She said "Dad, I know why you still love teaching so much", and I asked her why, and she said "Because you shut the door and deal with the students and don't get involved in all the politics and gossip".

Yep.