Don’t quit teaching. It could be that every single struggle you’ve ever faced as a teacher has been leading you to an amazing breakthrough that will happen this year. Make it happen!

Fear
I’m not a fan of listening to the fear-mongers on TV telling us that the sky is falling. It’s been falling since the 1980s when I first saw news. I bet it was falling before that. That doesn’t help anything. I found that when I intentionally stopped paying attention to news a few years ago, the quality of my life actually got a little bit better. But fear isn’t the reason to stick with teaching. In fact, it’s absolutely not the reason.

Honestly, I don’t have a real good reason for you, but I know it’s the right thing to do. I deplore the idea of giving up on a dream just because external circumstances make things difficult. To me, that is actually all the more reason to push through.

I think I can, I think I can…
If there’s one thing that my (incredibly slow) running exploits this year has taught me, it’s that giving up is always easier, but never better. Sometimes you need to stop or take a break so that you can regroup and live to fight another day, but you always need to stay in the battle.

A couple of weeks ago, the following comment was posted by “Joel Is An Idiot”

Joel, it sounds to me like you have no idea how difficult teaching truly is. Do you have an out of classroom position? Are you an administrator? I refuse to believe that you are a teacher in the classroom. If you are, then you must be one of those people that has their heads so far up their principals a$ that they cannot see the truth. You are truly pathetic!!!

Either this dude has a highly unfortunate name, terribly cruel parents, or is trying to attack me personally. Either way, I think it’s important to address the comment. The comment was posted in response to my article Invalid Reasons Teachers Quit. A basic summary of the article is that there are good reasons to quit and bad reasons. The “invalid” reasons for quitting are (1) Bad students/administrators/curriculum/demographics, (2) Too much paperwork/responsibility, (3) Too much negativity, (4) Not enough time, and (5) Not enough respect/not enough pay. Essentially my argument is that these factors are things that might be solved by transferring to a different school or district, or that these are problems common to many workplaces, or that these excuses are symptoms of much deeper-seated problems that should be addressed directly.

So the complaint was that I side too much with administrators and I think that is a fair complaint when the stuff written on my blog is taken at face-value for the most part. Maybe it’s because I read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Habit 5 is Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood), but I try to put myself in the place of administrators and see if it’s really a legitimate complaint against them. Plus, I always hate the idea of complaining about something and acting like a victim when I actually have the means to activate change in the situation.

Victim mindset/Loser language
One thing I can’t stand is the “I can’t” type of thinking. I won’t allow my students to tell me they can’t do something that I know they are capable of doing, and it’s even worse when I hear adults complain about that.

No complaining
It has been a crazy month, which explains why I haven’t taken care of much of the email I’ve received, put up guest posts I received back in June, or done much else on the blog (besides some cosmetic changes). I will write about this stuff more over the upcoming weeks and months. There have been some staff changes in the band program here and so things are going to be interesting here pretty soon. But before any of this happened, I determined that my one rule for this year was going to be: No complaining. Pointing out problems and suggesting solutions is contributing. Pointing out problems without suggesting solutions is complaining.

Upcoming guest articles
Some guest blogs are already coming in. I am trying to organize a handful of articles about making this school year be the best school year ever. Maybe you had a great year last year and want to continue it. Maybe you had a terrible year last year and have some specific changes you’re setting out to implement. Whatever the case, your personal experience will be beneficial to others! If you’d like to share it with the readers of So You Want To Teach? then go to the Guest Posting Page for more details.

No Rights Reserved

50 Reasons To Love Your Job As A Teacher

Habit 2: Classroom Habits

10 Things I Wish I Knew As A First Year Teacher

The Best of SYWTT 2009

Top 5 (Plus 14) Character Traits Of Superior Teachers

This is a guest post by Thomas Warren, a content writer for GoCollege, one of the oldest and most trusted resources to guide students on how to finance and succeed in college.

We all have knowledge and ideas that we would love to pass on to others. Is there any better legacy to leave than that of learning? And yet, not all of us are cut out to be teachers. Just because you have something to say doesn’t mean 1) people need to learn it, 2) you can relate it effectively, and 3) you actually want to teach. If you’re considering becoming a teacher, you should take a long hard look at yourself; your talents and your motivations. Here are a few things you may want to consider.

1. Do you have good communication skills?
   Whether you have knowledge of a subject or not, you have to be able to relate it to others, so if the thought of public speaking leaves you frozen in your tracks, or you prefer to carry on all of your relationships via email, then perhaps you should consider writing a book (and leave the teaching to someone else).
2. Do you harbor a desire to help others?
   Being a teacher is more than just spouting information. You have to want to help others learn. This is a fundamental concern when becoming a teacher, because it is a profession that requires flexibility, understanding, and patience. Students excel at different speeds and accumulate and retain information in different ways, and you must be prepared to teach everyone the same material, but with a variety of tactics.
3. Do you have the right disposition?
   All good teachers have a few very specific personality traits. You should be calm, for starters, because without fail, you will have to deal with students who are frustrated, angry, lazy, distracted, and even combative. You have to be able to keep a cool head and offer advice and encouragement. You should also have a sense of humor. This is not easily quantifiable, and yet, almost all of us remember that one teacher who made the lessons fun and kept the whole class laughing.
4. Are you passionate about your subject?
   This is really important, especially as students get into middle school and high school (where they are more apt to deal with distractions like hormones and peer pressure). If your subject bores you, it should come as no surprise that it bores kids, as well. In order to keep it entertaining, you need to have a desire to keep learning and translate your level of interest into every lesson.
5. Are you a good listener?
   The best way to improve your performance is by considering feedback. Children tend to be much more receptive to learning if they feel like they can interact with and confide in their teacher on an equal level. And most kids are pretty savvy, so don’t expect to get away with giving them lip service. When they approach you with concerns, you must be able to gain their trust.

There is no magical recipe to make a good teacher. Certainly there are resources available that will impart teaching techniques to improve your classroom performance and allow you to deal with students of varying levels of ability or interest. But mostly, being a good teacher requires a strong desire to help others, an aptitude for delivering information in a manner that is not only succinct, but exciting, and the flexibility to continue learning yourself. This is a career that must be taken seriously. You are, after all, sculpting the minds of future generations.  So if you find you don’t measure up in one or all of these areas, then you may not be cut out for teaching.

How Do I Keep My Students Learning?

10 Things I Wish I Knew As A First Year Teacher

50 Reasons To Love Your Job As A Teacher

9 Reasons To Quit Teaching (And 10 Reasons To Stick)

Learning New Lessons – Tips for Rookie Teachers

5 Surefire Tips For Handling Misbehavior

About a month ago, I received this email in my Inbox:

After 17 years of teaching, I was diagnosed with ‘burnout’ and needed to take some time off. I fought it, but when the lab results showed body systems shutting down, I complied… for awhile. Part-time only made it worse. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I LOVED my job, my students, my teaching. I dreaded the politics, the nay-sayers, the whiners. Still, how could I be burned out? I thought that only happened to folks who hated what they were doing or had been there too long. It seems remaining a teacher at the top of your game requires more than 3 hours of sleep per night, a general acceptance of less than perfection, and a realization that no matter what you do, there will be some people whom you just cannot make happy. I’m not there yet. I’ve been on disability since March. I actually left the classroom over a year ago, but I had a year of sick days saved up. (Ironic, isn’t it? I couldn’t possibly take a sick day and leave my classroom in somebody else’s hands!) My advice to others is use your sick days. Take time to just relax if you need it. Have trusted friends who will let you know when you are crossing over that fine line between a strong work ethic laced with heavy perfectionism and true obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or generalized anxiety disorder behaviors.

Today, I was told that if I can return in the fall, I can go back into my highly coveted Title One reading position. (This is causing quite an uproar. Many people do not believe I should be given the chance to take it back.) There were two of us, but due to a consolidation, and a reduction in funds, one position was eliminated. (I had lower seniority.) I had been chosen in the interview, began the program in my building, and then helped implement and support it in all 5 district elementary buildings. Now, due to retirement, the position is open, and I’ve been asked to return, if my doctors release me. I know that I am not ready today. I was supposed to enter a residential program this summer, but don’t know what to do now. Administration wants to know by July. I’m scared to death! If I go back, I’d love my position again, but I just want to get well. I don’t want to walk into a position where everybody is already mad that it’s my job and not theirs. Another year, and I think I would have been much more ready.

To add to the anxiety… our district is offering a resignation incentive this year. If I resign by 5:00 on 5/26 (4 hours from now), I get paid 25% of my base salary on July 1st, 2009, and 25% on July 1st, 2010. (Total 50% of my base annual salary in exchange for walking away from my job.) My disability insurance payments and medical premiums would still continue until March 2011, if I continued to be disabled. The monthly payments (60% of my monthly salary) would continue until retirement, but I’d lose medical coverage March 1st, 2011, if I continued to be disabled after that. I feel like I’ve wasted this past year worrying about what to do about my job. “If this… then what?” I’m tired of thinking about making the ‘right’ decision. If I were single, I’d sign now, and never look back. I’m married, with one child beginning college this year, and another starting next year.

I hate to give up a decent job at a time like this. Should I just let the position go for now and take a self-contained classroom when I’m ready to go back? Do I take the buyout, pay off my mortgage, and see what God puts in my path in the future? I could return to a consulting job I dabbled in before my breakdown, or substitute teach, (I loved subbing… all the plusses of teaching without all the extra paperwork and responsibilities… but that was 20 years ago!) My head tells me that walking away from my relationship with this district when I am “not in my right mind” seems an impulsive, unintelligent, weak, quitter choice. I just wonder what other teachers would do.

Whether you have any advice or not, it helped to write it out. Thanks for your site!

Words escape me to respond to this, but I think sometimes writing things out is the best thing we can do. A follow-up email came in:

As I said, just writing it was helpful, so you can decide what to do with it. Thank you for listening and responding! I listened to my head and didn’t take the buyout. I just felt like I wasn’t capable of making a decision of that magnitude at that time. I’m not at peace with my decision, but I probably wouldn’t be at peace with taking the buyout, either. It’s why they call OCD the “doubting disease.” If you decide to post it, I would be curious to hear what others might have done in this situation, or from others who have been “burned out” and made it back to tell about it.

The field rep for our medical insurance told me to “be patient” so I don’t have “be A patient.” That probably makes sense to everybody except teachers who have nine months in which to make a difference in each child’s life. Patience with kids, I have. Patience with myself, that shouldn’t be necessary. As a reading specialist, I’m accustomed to identifying the problem; implementing an intervention; monitoring for progress; changing/altering/intensifying/continuing the intervention; assessing growth and sending students on their way once the problem is fixed. Patience is not an option. Action is the option of choice. Perhaps the problem lies in my trying to apply that philosophy to every aspect of my life. Hmmm…

I’ve seen your blogs about quitting and staying. Is there any place where you’ve written about people who have gone too far without taking care of themselves and what happens as a result? I’d love to read about how others have handled similar situations. I know they’re out there because the agent assigned to my disability case said he has helped hundreds of teachers complete all the paperwork. He said he is amazed that one specific occupation has such a high level of these types of claims, but that he sees many make a full recovery. (He was explaining why he was so excited about helping me in this situation. He explained that there definitely was hope for my successful return, as opposed to those who are filing due to possibly terminal reasons, such as cancer.)

Clearly there are a lot of points to be drawn from this email exchange. I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts!

Nobody Works Harder Than Teachers! You Sure About That?

How Do I Keep My Students Quiet?

50 Reasons To Love Your Job As A Teacher

Habit 1: Communication Habits

Enough Is Enough! Why I’m Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired, and What I’m Doing About It

Less Stress: Reduce Phone Calls

Many of my readers have left comments or sent emails asking me if I have more information about transitioning from teaching to another field. Unfortunately the answer for them is simply that I don’t. But I think I can finally refer you somewhere that should help out. If you stick with teaching (which is sometrhing I highly encourage you to do), you can at least perhaps see what it’s like vicariously.

I was somewhat confused this morning when I opened up Twitter and started reading some disconcerting comments to @ddmeyer referring  to him leaving teaching. I tracked back, and found it.

So that’s that. This year was far and away the most fun I’ve had in a classroom, which definitely complicated my decision to leave teaching.

I hopped over to his blog dy/dan and read his latest post entitled What Just Happened? In it, he outlines some of what he plans to do in the future, and I think it will be a positive experience for him.

The reason I even point all this is out because he isn’t leaving because he’s fed up with teaching. He’s not leaving because he doesn’t know how to teach. He’s not leaving for any of the common reasons that teachers leave teaching. As I see it, he wants to help other teachers more and sees that his teaching responsibilities get in the way of doing that as effectively as he would like.

I applaud Mr. Meyer on his decision!

Ever since I found his blog back in ‘07, I was impressed by his eye for design and his passion for just flat out being a math nerd. If I had gone into math teaching (which was a serios consideration for me my until I met Mr. Calculus and had to really start working), I have no question that I would have turned out pretty much like he has. In fact, I have considered taking some courses at the local college here to become a certified School Administrator. Hopefully following Dan’s journey will help me decide if it’s a step I want to take…

The Single Most Important Advice Anyone Can Give To A First Year Teacher

5 New Edublogs To Keep On Your Radar

Recession 2009 And Its Impact On Teaching

Twitter Guide for Teachers

9 Reasons To Quit Teaching (And 10 Reasons To Stick)

I Give Up! 10 Reasons Why I Am Quitting My Teaching Job

I got a comment on this post yesterday that I wanted to address more in-depth tonight. I posted a teaser this morning to see what kind of responses the community would come up. So far, I have read some incredible (and almost all positive) pointers.

• I’ve written a great deal about classroom management in the past here
• I’ve written about how I changed course and overcame a poor history of teaching in March of my second year of teaching

I suppose this is sort of a follow-up to The Honeymoon Is Over: What Killed My First Teaching Job And 7 Tips For Getting Your Next Job.

In that initial post from April of 2008, I outlined the things that I did when I was struggling to figure out how to get kids to be quiet and get my classroom under control. This time, we’re going to focus on some things that you can practically do to be sure you are employed when August comes, whether those changes really take effect or not.

First things first
Make sure you have your résumé updated and ready to send out. I recommend having it available as a PDF to avoid any typographical differences between your comupter and the prospective employers’. You can create them for free with PDFCreator. Even if you end up not leaving, it never hurts to have an updated résumé on hand. Check these out for more help with crafting your résumé.

• The Total Résumé Makeover
• Polishing The Résumé
• Revisiting The Résumé

Decide if you really need to leave
Sometime despair trumps our reasoning. Emotionalism isn’t the best reason to to leave a job. I can’t honestly say that it’s the worst reason, but you need to run the plan through your logical filters first. Before you decide to move on, take a look at these articles:

• When Is It Time To Relocate?
• Why I Hated Teaching During My First Two Years
• Recession 2009 And Its Impact On Teaching
• Valid Reasons Teachers Quit

Look for a job
Before you ever quit your job, it would be wise to have a new job lined up. Most job searching is done online these days, although most job openings are actually filled by people who have been recommended to the job search committee. Did you get that? Reread it if you need to.

What should  become evident then, is that your interpersonal skills are really more important than your résumé’s information. The résumé gets you an interview. Your interpersonal skills get you a job. Hone your communication and interpersonal relationship skills with these articles:

• 4 Ways To Effectively Deal With Important People
• 4 Tip’s For Being Respected
• Habit 3: Relationship Procedures
• Less Stress: Deepen Your Relationships With Friends
• Where Do You Want To Teach? Navigating The U.S. State Educator Certification Criteria

Find a potential job
Each state and each subject area undoubtedly has their own ways of finding and posting job openings. For music teachers in Texas, this would be the TMEA Job Vacancy Database. Even with that, there are a few other sites that a saavy job-seeker will use (TBA/TCDA/TODA, TASA, ATSSB). And that’s just for music. Most districts post their jobs on their own district websites too. The deal is, search as if your job depended on it!

Be prepared for the interview
Today, Seth posted Things to remember on a job interview. In it, he links to www.howtonailaninterview.com, a great site with 22 tips on having a great interview (complete with videos of what not to do).

Follow up
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going full out with the letter-writing, but a well-crafted thank you note goes a long way. At the bare minimum, you should make a phone follow-up to indicate that you are interested in the position. This is another opportunity to show the potential employer that you are interested in working for them.

Remember: You are not alone
Hope is an amazing thing! It always helps to know that you’re not alone. Check out these past articles and read the comments.

• On The Brink Of Quitting
• The Essence of Hope

There is hope for you, regardless of whether you decide to quit teaching altogether or not.

When Is It Time To Relocate?

4 Ways To Effectively Deal With Important People

5 Surefire Tips For Handling Misbehavior

On The Brink Of Quitting

Less Stress: Deepen Your Relationships With Friends

The Total Résumé Makeover

I got a comment on one of my articles about quitting teaching last night that touched my heart. I will respond to her more in depth later on today, but I don’t have time right now to get back except for briefly. I thought I would use the opportunity to tap the resources of the SYWTT community and throw the question out to the readers for some feedback.

She writes in part:

I think it is too late for me. In my 2nd year of teaching 5th grade – first year barely made it and this year is worse. I definitely have some helth issues that have just sucked away my creativity this year. I always struggled with lesson plans and being an engaging teacher. This year nothing is working and worst of all I did not get a good review this year. It is obvious the handwriting is on the wall. That would make me sad because when it did work, it was the best feeling in the world. If I had a second chance, things would be different, but I don’t think it will happen. I need a game plan to get through the next 8 weeks with an out of control class, an admin that is after me. Any advice?

Survival Kit For Teachers Looking To Relocate

Total Teacher Transformation Begins

All Time Best Teaching Advice

Nobody Works Harder Than Teachers! You Sure About That?

9 Reasons To Quit Teaching (And 10 Reasons To Stick)

Valid Reasons Teachers Quit

When I entered the field of education, I was well aware that I wasn’t going into teaching because of the prolific amount of cash I could accumulate from the career. I entered education basically because it’s a good thing to do and it’s something that I absolutely love doing.

Last week, I posted a question about when the right time to relocate to a different teaching job might be. I received some great responses (in the comments, through Twitter, and in email). However, some of the comments sort of caught me off guard.

A few of the comments referenced the Recession of 2009 as being a reason I might want to stay in my current teaching situation (despite the social reasons I had indicated).

My question for you is:

How are some ways you see the recession of 2009 having an impact on teaching and the education industry altogether?

In addressing this issue with some of my Twitter followers, I realize that asking a broad question like that is opening up a huge can of worms perhaps. So consider the can opened.

Farewell To Teaching: An Ode To dy/dan

Who’s Looking For A Job This Summer?

Why I Removed Comments From My Blog

Last Minute UIL Concert & Sight Reading Preparations: 10 Things I Am Doing To Try To Get Sweepstakes

9 Reasons To Quit Teaching (And 10 Reasons To Stick)

Twitter Guide for Teachers

I am featured as a guest blogger over at I Want To Teach Forever as a part of his 52 Teachers, 52 Lessons project. I recommend going over there, reading the article, and adding some comments.

Sometimes Quitting Is The Best Thing You Can Do!

Quitters never win? Au contraire
The old school adage is that quitters never win. Unfortunately, that trite saying is too simplistic. Sometimes quitters are the only ones who win. Consider these examples:

• In an auction, the one who doesn’t quit often ends up with an overpriced item.
• The boy who doesn’t quit pursuing an uninterested girl often wastes a lot of time, burns bridges, misses out on other opportunities, and alienates the girl and her friends in the
  process.
• In Vegas, the woman who quits while she is ahead is rare indeed. Usually people win and then squander most or all of their winnings trying to hit the jackpot again.

Read more…

Nobody Works Harder Than Teachers! You Sure About That?

Habit 2: Classroom Habits

Top 5 (Plus 14) Character Traits Of Superior Teachers

9 Reasons To Quit Teaching (And 10 Reasons To Stick)

5 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers

How Do I Keep My Students Quiet?

A little bit of levity here, in light of my current Student Teaching Project. (By the way, if you are student teaching, join us by writing a blog and letting me know about it!)

Brought to you by TeacherPortal.com.

Habit 1: Communication Habits

How To Use Twitter In The Classroom [VIDEO]

5 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers

9 Reasons To Quit Teaching (And 10 Reasons To Stick)

Total Teacher Transformation Begins

Wake Up Call

I got a comment on my article Valid Reasons Teachers Quit tonight:

I am up past my usual time and I just decided to go on the web. I came across this. I have been teaching for seventeen years. Maybe you can help. Every morning I dread the thought of going to my job. This has been the worst year ever. I don’t have the desire to ever teach another child. Last year a child brought a knife to school-told his friends he was going to kill me. This year I seem to have the class from hell.

I love to teach-but not children any longer. I am sitting here practically in tears bbecause I feel as though I am about to have a nervous breakdown from the stress of disruptive children and non supportive parents. I believe that I have nothing else to give. I believe that this is my last year, I don’t care about the money. I think it is unhealthy for me and for the children. I try to give it my all, but I am so discouraged until there are days I have nothing to give my own family. I am bitter and disgruntle by the time I make it home.

Today was another rough day. I have rewarded, discipline, encouraged, ask for parental support, administrative support (”All I can tell you, hon, is I don’t know” response). I feel like I should leave the field because I have nothing left to give- I have more bad days than good days. I think that summer, weekends, holidays are no long worth my staying. I don’t mean to sound like a selfish teacher.

I do my job-it’s just a fight every single day. I don’t sleep on the job, nor play around-I am accountable to someone else other than my principal. I know how to do the job, and I do it well. I think that since my heart is so far away-it is time to leave…

I’m going to ask for the help of my over 250 subscribers and other visitors. Please encourage Jackie the way that so many of you have encouraged me this year. You can do so by leaving comments here and also on the original article.

If this is you, check out these articles:

• 65 Things You Should Do Right Now To Avoid Burnout
• 25 Tips For Less Stress
• 50 Reasons Why I Enjoy Being A Teacher
• The Honeymoon Is Over: What Killed My First Job And 7 Tips For Getting Your Next Job
• 50 Reasons To Love Your Job As A Teacher

My take on the situation is included in the comments to the original article.

The Blog Revolution Project begins tomorrow. I’ll post some preliminary steps you can start looking into, along with an outline of some of the things you can expect. The official kickoff with the assignments and everything will be on Monday May 5th.

The Honeymoon Is Over: What Killed My First Teaching Job And 7 Tips For Getting Your Next Job

Nobody Works Harder Than Teachers! You Sure About That?

65 Things You Should Do Right Now To Avoid Burnout

Top 5 (Plus 14) Character Traits Of Superior Teachers

Valid Reasons Teachers Quit

50 Reasons To Love Your Job As A Teacher