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Gravatar Posted Monday, June 18th, 2007 by Joel
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Face it, you are not as good of a teacher as you could be. You’re not living up to your potential. Nobody is.Think of the many reasons you have to quit.

  1. Bad students
  2. Bad administrators
  3. Bad curriculum
  4. Too much paperwork
  5. Too much negativity
  6. Too much responsibility
  7. Not enough time
  8. Not enough credit
  9. Not enough PAY

Face it, you are not as good of a teacher as you could be. You’re not living up to your potential. Nobody is.


Where am I?
Seth Godin says that you are in The Dip (What’s The Dip?). This is that place where it feels like nothing you do matters. Things were going so well until you hit The Dip. It’s when you get to that point where you realize that indeed, the honeymoon is over. When the tide has turned and things are not as easy as they once were? The Dip is where both champions and quitters are proven. The picture shows you where The Dip is.

I wrote about The Dip previously, but never really sat down and applied it to education directly. I was thinking about this today and realized that it would be a great thing to address.


So just how does The Dip apply to teaching?
Many teachers spend their entire career in The Dip. They say that most teachers quit before their sixth year of teaching. Those who quit felt that they were either in a Cliff or a Cul-de-sac, as demonstrated in this picture.

I would suggest that most people who begin teaching are in The Dip. The question you must ask yourself is, Am I ready to get through this thing? If you are, then there’s some good news!

Teaching can be just as rewarding as it is frustrating. Getting your teaching degree doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be a good teacher. Whether you get your degree at a traditional university or online college, you still need to possess the intrinsic values of a teacher. But, in the end you’ll know the reason you got a teaching degree and not, say, a nursing degree.

You can get through it. It simply takes hard work, great classroom management skills, and a desire to be the best teacher in the world. Look around this site for some ideas of how to push through to success. I suggest going to My Top 10 List, or my Questions That Will Save Your Career series.

So why should we stick with this education thing anyway?

  1. Because children are worth it
  2. Because you are passionate about your subject matter
  3. Because there is more personal satisfaction in this field than any other
  4. Because giving of yourself is truly living
  5. Because you have something valuable to share
  6. Because you enjoy learning
  7. Because you need to make a difference in lives
  8. Because there are too many teachers who don’t want to be teaching
    If you’re one of them, then maybe you should reread the list at the top and find a new profession that won’t allow you to make a negative difference in lives
  9. Christmas Break
  10. Summer Vacation

Has this article helped you to decide to stick with teaching? Please leave a comment below and let me know? Has it helped you decide to quit teaching? Also comment and let me know.

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Comments


GravatarWednesday, September 19th, 2007 (5:55pm Central)
Mister Teacher writes:

There is no doubt that I am currently in the dip (as opposed to actually BEING the dip…). I could be a much better teacher. I’m still trying to figure out exactly HOW to go about implementing that, but I know I’m nowhere near the ceiling.

On another note, I dropped your book in the mail today, and you should have it within the year. :)

GravatarWednesday, September 26th, 2007 (8:43pm Central)
Eric writes:

Joel, this is a really good post. Sometimes, I do wonder if I’m making the right decision going into teaching. But I just can’t see myself doing anything else.

Author Comment

GravatarThursday, October 11th, 2007 (9:29pm Central)
Joel writes:

Hang in there. Keep striving to be the best in the world at whatever you end up doing, and you will be well on your way!

GravatarThursday, April 17th, 2008 (11:38am Central)
shanti writes:

This article has helped me to stick with teaching.

Thank you.

Author Comment

GravatarWednesday, April 23rd, 2008 (11:04pm Central)
Joel writes:

Shanti, you rock! I am so glad to read that from you! You probably don’t realize it, but you really just made my year.

GravatarThursday, May 15th, 2008 (10:09am Central)
J Frap writes:

You should also add “part time job at full pay wages”. Thats a huge benefit, how about you take one year off from teaching and work in the real world, where you would make less money, only receive one week paid vacation, you wouldn’t be given ‘planning days’ every other week, and you would have to work on most holidays.

I think if teachers were forced to do this, they would run back to taching and thank God they have the opportunity to teach.

GravatarThursday, May 15th, 2008 (3:35pm Central)
Mister Teacher writes:

Mr. Frap,
In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “You sir, are an idiot.”
I worked in the “real world” for 4 years before I entered teaching, and so I know the ins and outs of both careers. To call teaching a “part-time job” and to say that we get planning days every other week just shows a lack of knowledge on your part.
Sure, there are pros and cons to both career paths, but in my experience, I find that teaching is a MUCH more time-consuming, stressful, physically draining job than my old corporate job. Aside from the summer vacation, I got most of the same holidays off that I do now, I got a relaxed, 1 hour+ lunch every day, and I wasn’t on my feet, in the spotlight, being watched all the time, every day.
For all the people who think teaching is just an 8 to 3 job, with 3 months paid vacation, I would invite YOU to try truly teaching for a year. And then to rip off your eloquent ending, Mr. Frap (if that truly IS your real name), you would run back to your job in the “real world” and thank God that you didn’t have to be a teacher.
Hallelujah — holy crap. Where’s the Tylenol?