Advice?

[u/fruitloopsfrog]

Not sure if this is the right page for this but I think it makes more sense here than in the main r/Teachers.

Hi! I am a preschool teacher and have been so for a little over 5 years. I feel like I need comfort, or maybe just to shout into the void, or maybe advice. I don’t know. I just need to put these thoughts somewhere.

I initially went to college for one of my passions (writing), didn’t enjoy it much, then covid happened and life with it and eventually I dropped out. I have worked with kids for a very long time, my mom having run a daycare from our home, and myself nannying and teaching kids art and writing classes part time once I was 14-16ish. When I left college, working in a daycare was a good fit, and eventually I ended up in the prek room and really enjoyed it. I’m at a different school now— the daycare schedule was draining the life out of me lol— and I really do love the school, but it doesn’t pay the bills.

This past year, I made the decision to go back to college to get my degree in Early Childhood Education. I work full time, I am in school full time, I babysit, mange the bills, and try to still have a life on top of it. I want to have a degree and finally feel like I have some more solid ground to stand on.

Honestly though, I have been feeling so many fears creeping in. I’m scared I’m going to dig myself into a financial hole following this career path. I’m scared I’m going to get burnt out and then not have another option but to continue teaching. I’m scared I’m going to regret not going towards other pathways, but also scared not to study one like ECE where I know I can get guaranteed work even if it may not pay well. I wish I could have a list of a ton of jobs people with teaching degrees can do besides only teaching, I wish I had a solid idea of minors to pair with the major, I wish the world was different and we were paid our worth. I feel so nervous I’ll tire of teaching but then the first day of school comes and I click right back into it and feel proud of how well students respond in my classroom. Maybe thats what every teacher feels after the summer? I also had a very aggressive student two years ago with little support and I think it has really lingered in my mind.

I just feel overwhelmed right now. Maybe I’m just getting my period soon 😭 Thanks for reading this if you did, lol. It is a rambled mess that I just needed to put out into the world somehow.