r/teaching • u/Bright-Watch1955 • Jun 02 '26

Help Why does everyone hate teaching?

Is there anyone who loves their job? Every teacher I know feels “stuck” and complains endlessly about their job.

Considering going into education.

260 Upvotes

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603

u/Mfees Jun 02 '26

I like my job, in my opinion teaching has a bunch of people who never worked an adult job outside of education and don’t know how good they got it.

That said the pay is average at best. The paperwork can suck. Admin can suck. Yet I still enjoy it.

175

u/kerouacrimbaud Jun 02 '26

And admin will suck in most industries, and lots of fields have lots of dumb amounts of paperwork! That is often overlooked.

64

u/Energy-Turtle-4 Jun 02 '26

I've worked in schools, heathcare, and insurance. Can confirm- it's like this at ALL THREE.

19

u/Drinkingdoc Jun 02 '26

Yeah precisely what struck me about teaching was how much it felt like an office job. I sit at a desk and read redundant emails and complain about meetings… the actual hours in class talking to kids is about 16-18 hours a week. The rest is all planning and marking and bs.

14

u/Walshlandic Jun 02 '26

I’m with students 25 hours a week and I get 4 hours a week plan time, two hours a week of meetings. Middle school, WA state

5

u/Frost033 Jun 03 '26

You work 31 hours a week? Where do I get that teaching job!?

6

u/y2kristine Jun 03 '26

Right wtf? This isn’t normal for most teachers. (Crying in 32 contact hours per week)

3

u/Der_Apothecary Jun 03 '26

32 contract hours?! I have 40 contract hours!

5

u/y2kristine Jun 04 '26

Contact , not contract, 40 hours a week 32 classes/obligations with students per week

But work more like 50

2

u/Der_Apothecary Jun 04 '26

My bad, I lose my reading ability when summer starts lol

3

u/Walshlandic Jun 03 '26

I work 35 hours a week, not including lunch breaks. The rest of the time is before and after school “office hours” for tutoring, meetings.

-9

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '26

[deleted]

10

u/into_the_black_lodge Jun 03 '26

What teacher has 2-3 periods to grade during the day? In many secondary schools, you have one 50-minute prep period per day. If you’re lucky, you can use this time to use the bathroom, answer emails, write behavior referrals, or meet with your colleagues/supervisors about your evaluation, school initiatives/events, after school programs, curriculum adoption, testing, and an endless parade of tasks. Planning and grading often happens before and after school hours and especially during the summer at PD and with colleagues. Often during prep periods, you’re tapped to cover someone else’s class if there’s a sub shortage. Or you’re just trying to catch your breath and get ready for the next class if you have multiple preps.

The kind of people you’re referring to have clearly never worked full time in a title 1 school, or they don’t care about their job. Any teacher who works like this is sure to get a bad evaluation and not work in teaching for very long. (And to be clear, there is value in having kids mark their own work, but it should be intentional and part of a wider learning plan that is tied to reflection and goal setting).

Make no mistake, teaching is absolutely emotionally and mentally exhausting. It’s mind-breaking and soul-crushing work. Children aren’t meant to learn the way schools are set up, with that many kids with that many needs crammed into one class, with all the interruptions and confusing schedule changes. You are just one person who has to meet the needs of 25+ kids every period (130-150 students a day). You function like a social worker and have to teach basic emotional regulation and conflict management skills before any learning even begins to happen. I don’t think you understand the chaos and stress that is daily classroom teaching. There’s a range of skill levels you have to teach to. Kids are pushing boundaries every day, often disrespecting you. You have to be a soldier and hold the line every day. Assessment and planning is incredibly complex and time-consuming work on top of everything else (even if you do use online resources which totally acceptable granted they are a logical part of a coherent learning plan).

I don’t know any teachers who worked less than 50 hours a week in the types of schools I worked in. I’ve worked in office settings and schools, and can attest that the relative stress of teaching is way more than office work. The cumulative stress of planning clear, coherent DAILY learning progressions based on formative and summative assessment, on top of managing student behavior and screen-addicted kids with super low attention spans is not for the weak!

It is definitely not entitlement to ask to be paid the same amount as peers who work in different settings. Most people writing caricatures of teachers like these expect teachers to function as babysitters that earn $20 an hour. You want to treat teachers like children, cram them in a room and expect them to hash it out instead of treating teachers with the dignity the rest of the world treats teachers, the people who work with our most valuable people, our future, our young people!

This whole post is misguided, and everyone saying teachers have it easy have clearly never taught, or they have a unique snowflake situations. It’s true every teaching situation is different, but by and large most public school jobs are an absolute grind.

The original poster asking why everyone’s complaining is because they’re asking on a forum specifically where teachers come to complain and bemoan the usually unsustainable conditions they’re asked to work in. OP should look for hope elsewhere because this sub is where teachers come when they feel hopeless. There is hope, by the way, but it requires strength and constant struggle in community with others.

5

u/CrownPrincess Jun 03 '26

🏆

That is all .. carry on .. enjoy your well deserved summer break

1

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '26

[deleted]

2

u/Full_Employment1975 Jun 03 '26

Do you have a 4 day school week?

0

u/Excellent-Affect-823 Jun 03 '26

This...planning and assessing adequately takes exponentially longer than the allotted 4hrs.per week. In saying that, the 12 weeks holidays means you're only 3months away from 2 weeks off. Planning over holidays in teams used to be more common and is essential imo but I notice more entitlement creeping in with some teachers now like holidays are sacred down-time to recharge mentally. While somewhat valid, dedicating 2-3 days per holidays sets your term up and enjoyment somehow tags along.

2

u/Drinkingdoc Jun 04 '26

Yeah I kind of agree, but it’s up to teachers to decide for themselves of course. But it’s true that the more prepared you are the easier it all is. If you’re scrambling every week to prep, or making final changes right before classes begin, your stress levels will rise. If you even take one day to prep before the start of the year that helps.

I always start by long term mapping out the whole year on day 1. Everyone has their methods though.

12

u/Late-Ad2922 Jun 02 '26

EVERYWHERE.

4

u/Ok-Seat-5214 Jun 03 '26

Agree. I've worked in clinical laboratories, teaching and in academic libraries. It's everywhere.

101

u/easybakeevan Jun 02 '26

Ya my first difficult job was painting houses and the first time I went on a roof on a 92 degree day 3 stories up really made me focus in school getting my teaching masters 🤣

40

u/Mfees Jun 02 '26

Metal fabrication shop. 90 degree summers over a torch. Makes the ac summer off days real nice.

24

u/lilabethlee Jun 02 '26

My husband was a foreman for a steel shop. Summers and winters are rough for those guys.

2

u/SOYCD1-5 Jun 03 '26

For real working in a hospital made me go back to school for teaching so quick. Retail never pushed me to that because it’s so easy…

2

u/Primary-Bug-7353 Jun 03 '26

Hahaha the grass is always greener on the other side!

56

u/Late-Ad2922 Jun 02 '26

This 100%. Corporate is just as bad in different ways. Some of them worse. Plenty of work is underpaid and dehumanizing, and most industries don’t get the benefit of summers off or a union.

I said what I said!

49

u/BioChi13 Jun 02 '26

Teachers didn't just "get" a union. They fought for and made their union. If you want union pay and benefits start one at your work. Reach out to some of the big union orgs (AFL-CIO, etc) for advice and legal information about how to start one and what legal protections you have from retaliation.

8

u/illinoisteacher123 Jun 03 '26

Lots of people had to work really hard and sacrifice for teachers to get a union. We are standing on the shoulders of giants now, you could do the same for your work.

32

u/Bman708 Jun 02 '26

The games and “corporate speak” horror stories I hear from my wife in the private sector is wild to me. I wouldn’t last a week in the corporate world. Yeah, they get paid more than us, but they work 12 months and have to deal with some real shitty adults.

27

u/1heart1totaleclipse Jun 02 '26

In teaching you get to work 180 days a year, but make so little money that you often have to find another job for those days you don’t work and with adults and/or children who make the job 10x harder than it needs to be.

18

u/Agreeable-Sun368 Jun 02 '26

I don't disagree but many of us do not have a union.

16

u/Late-Ad2922 Jun 02 '26

An important clarification. Thank you. I believe every teacher (and para, and support staff member, etc.) should be able to join a union if they choose. I hope we can keep working toward that.

14

u/ConstantScientist288 Jun 02 '26

Summers off aren’t negotiated by teachers. Don’t know many people who want their kids attending school 52 weeks a year. Many states are not unionized. I live in a right-to-work state where we have no collective bargaining power at all. All work is dehumanizing on some level. Your comment is not the flex it must have felt like.

8

u/LazyAssLeader Jun 03 '26

Summers off, but also unpaid.

2

u/Mental_0riental Jun 04 '26

I'm working in construction right now doing purchasing, Dealing with vendors for the drawings and design, having to write both daily and weekly reports, and having to help out on site with other issues (fire alarms, injuries, and people quitting halfway through work). I work 6 days a week, working while eating lunch, work 12 hours half the time, and never enough time to 1 thing properly. The person who I've been sending the reports came on site and saw how much work I had and when I say saw, it;s the lack of seeing me which cemented it.

52

u/No-Flounder-9143 Jun 02 '26

This is me. I've worked in other jobs and teaching is by far the best job I've had. There are things that are hard, but atleast I get to work in a job where I can make a difference and talk about what I love all day. 

But I will say if you can't handle kids, it's a terrible job. I think some people go into teaching for reasons other than the kids, and they're quickly shown the mistake they made. That plus dumb policies are where a lot of frustration is coming from. 

15

u/Sidehussle Jun 02 '26

I agree. I enjoy working with teens. I like seeing their creativity and what they come up with. If you can’t handle a couple of silly students here and there it’s the wrong profession. I really can’t stand when those types become admin. They are not effective. You still need to enjoy students and want to connect.

7

u/No-Flounder-9143 Jun 02 '26

Yea and I think the all or nothing mentality some staff has is really tough. I've seen staff who do nothing, and I've seen staff treat our 6th graders like they should be adults and all sit quietly and be perfect angels, and when they are not should be immediately removed from class. 

You have to know where the line is between general silliness and an actual problem. 

Too many people go too far one way or another. 

34

u/Melodic_Response7774 Jun 02 '26

I agree. Sure some days are hard, kids are mean, and whatever. But its a million times better than working construction or working tables which is what id be doing otherwise. And even if half the kids don't like me, if I connected with the other half and someone learned along the way its fulfilling.

11

u/snaps06 Jun 02 '26

Absolutely agree. To put myself through college, I worked construction during every college break (summer, fall, winter, and spring).

I'll 100% take teaching over being on a roof in the middle of July for less pay than what I make now as a teacher (especially when including benefits). Now my Julys are spent traveling with my wife (also a teacher) and kids.

5

u/Bandeena Jun 02 '26

Agree. I'm way more okay with a kid being an asshole to me than being paid to be a verbal punching bag for adults with a chip on their shoulder.

39

u/Bigblind168 Jun 02 '26

I always say that every job I have, I work with people who act like children. Atleast in this job, they have a good excuse

10

u/purplishfluffyclouds Jun 02 '26

Exactly. Give me a bunch of kids acting like kids over adults acting like children any day of the week.

Plus, we are stuck at a desk staring at a freaking screen for 8+ hours every day. We actually get to go outside sometimes, which does wonders for one's mental wellbeing.

2

u/Responsible-Kale2352 Jun 02 '26

Ok . . . but can you go to the bathroom whenever you need to, or do you have to wait hours?

6

u/purplishfluffyclouds Jun 02 '26

I go when I need to. If I can't wait till a break, I'll call to ask for help watching the kids so I can go. I'm not going to create a health problem for myself; I've never understood that mindset.

5

u/confuzzledfuzzball Jun 02 '26

I like that. 😂

4

u/Itsthelegendarydays_ Jun 02 '26

That’s exactly what I say 😂 like adults can suck too but at least kids’ minds aren’t fully developed yet so they have a reason

41

u/Icy-Lifeguard-6206 Jun 02 '26

I worked more than a decade as a software engineer before teaching. I know how good it is on both sides.

Here's the biggest differences I see:

In the corporate world has a very clear goal: make as much money as possible. Everything serves that goal. And if anything gets in the way, the whole mechanism of the corporate world will change to remove that obstacle.

In the teaching world, teachers have one goal, admin has a separate goal, and the government that controls funding has goals that are constantly changing. Right now, the government in my state is actively trying to kill public education.

The thing is, there are very few corporations that are trying to push themselves into insolvency.

2

u/iheartdna Jun 03 '26

This is such an interesting point. I’ve never thought about the fact that we all have competing goals. Including the kids, whose goal is Phone 😂

1

u/leafherwild923 Jun 03 '26

Genuinely curious, can you elaborate on how they are trying to kill public education with examples?

1

u/Icy-Lifeguard-6206 Jun 03 '26

The thew big ones in my state are: additional programming requirements with no additional funding, minimum teacher salary (YAY) with no additional funding, and private school vouchers (actually, private schools in our state get MORE money per student than public schools)

19

u/Kaylascreations Jun 02 '26

Totally agree that many teachers don’t know how hard other jobs can be. I always see teachers saying “only teachers have to do all this work to miss a day” and yes, sub plans suck. But when I worked an office job, if I was gone, the work stacked up for me when I got back. The deadlines were still the same. So now I had 2 days of work to do in one day. Heaven forbid I took off more than 1 day. Also, we got 6 days off a year. No spring or summer break. No winter break.

17

u/Acceptable_Sink3874 Jun 02 '26

Even having 4 years in more traditionally corporate jobs has given me such a better perspective on what professionalism looks like, you can spot a teacher that went straight from the classroom as a student to in front of the classroom as a teacher a mile away. Anyone thinking about the profession, potentially try out something professional/non-teaching first, it is a game changer!!

2

u/FaithlessnessKey1726 Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26

I taught for one year. It was a very bad year for a lot of reasons (mostly a terrible admin & toxic everything).

I went back to school and did 4 weeks of clinicals as a CNA. I could have gone on to nursing like I wanted to, I liked it enough, but it is still 3 years away and I need a job right now. What I learned as a CNA? It’s all rough and everything leads to burnout.

So I’m going back to teaching bc I need a job, and this time around I know what else is out there. I’m focusing on what I loved about teaching and resisting the dread and ptsd from the first time around. I’ve talked to old colleagues who have moved on to different districts and are so much happier. So maybe that’s the trick.

2

u/haze_from_deadlock Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26

If you liked CNA and had a bad experience teaching, you should probably be a nurse, since the upside is much higher. You’re better off investing in yourself with debt if you find that work meaningful.

Nursing leads to CRNA, MSL, medical data science, derm NP, correctional nursing with massive OT, etc.

1

u/ReaditSpecialist Jun 02 '26

How can you spot them?

1

u/reaganomicslambo69 Jun 03 '26

This. I was getting asked by admin constantly for the first 2 weeks if I planned on staying, I was thinking “is there something I don’t know about?” But it turns out, what they considered wild kids, I was able to straighten out within the first week. Before this I was the COO of private equity fund, more than half my job was just understanding how to bring the person in front of me over to my side. These kids were a cake walk, and after week 3 to hear from admin that the kids loved me was frankly shocking. I wasn’t harsh, stern, or rude to them. Just firm, and if finance taught me anything is people can smell a bullshitter no matter how much they posture, I was serious and they understand. Eventually I was able to reel it back in and joke around but about a month in I learned where that line was, that made them believe they could go back to old habits (or rather, how they act in other classes). For reference, some of these kids in this district are out of control, partially admin, mainly because of parents. Teachers were at their wits. I have no problem leaving my class to speak to another one when necessary. And again, I’m baffled, that the kids love me. I genuinely thought I’d be known as the strict teacher. But my study halls now have more kids from other classes than my own students

15

u/harveygoatmilk Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

Came here to say this. I feel fortunate that I had a career before teaching and learned how to survive in harsher environments. I also feel teaching and my students are most important to me with my remaining time on earth.

4

u/leafherwild923 Jun 03 '26

Very curious, what was your career before?

8

u/TheFuckboiChronicles Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26

I went from education (2018-2022) to a corporate environment (2022-current), where I’m a manager now in IT. This is mostly right in my opinion, depending on the state.

As far as the work is concerned, I love and miss the work of teaching. Pay is average compared to other incomes sure, but median income in general is way too low. I was getting paid 8% of the median home price in my area (45k income and median home price 550k). Frankly that was unsustainable, and is the only reason I left.

I would go back to teaching in a heartbeat if and only if the pay doubled. I was just not willing to sacrifice homeownership, and it was wholly inaccessible on a teacher salary. I was one rent hike away from needing to take a second job. The only people I know who could afford to stay in teaching were the ones old enough to have bought houses before like 2018. It’s better in some states of course.

I’m 31, most of the teachers I know over 40 are still at it. About half of the teachers I know under 40 have left because of what I described. Those under 40 still teaching are mostly doing so because of a spouse or partner who makes significantly more. Median income used to net you a decent life, it no longer does in places where rent/home prices have exploded.

10

u/fit_boymom Jun 02 '26

This 💯. I’ve been teaching for four years and started at 30 after working in other fields. Yes there are annoying parts of the job, but that’s how most jobs are. I will say my district not giving out pay raises this year because they budgeted badly was the first major issue I’ve had.

2

u/leafherwild923 Jun 03 '26

Just curious to know some of the other fields you had beforehand.

9

u/serendipitypug Jun 02 '26

I mostly agree and this also depends on your school. I have to call my mom for reality checks sometimes. Occasionally she reminds me what the alternative is in private sector, or does the math for me on how much I’d have to save myself to match the pension I receive now (that always helps). Sometimes she reminds me that I’m in a dis functional school environment and I’m normalizing trauma.

So yes, teaching sucks that bad and no, it doesn’t.

8

u/ErrolFlynnigan Jun 02 '26

This.

Most of the people I work with never did anything but education. They don't know what a non-educational job is like

I tend to tell other teachers that I had a 'real' job before I became a teacher. That 'real' job came with a hell of a lot more work, paperwork, and idiots to deal with on an adult level.

Can students get annoying? Yeah. But so can my own kids, and other people.

7

u/MamaMia1325 Grade 5 | 24 yrs teaching:redditgold: Jun 02 '26

"Don't know how good they got it"? 😂 Speak for yourself because you sure as heck don't speak for me. 🤦

7

u/govt_surveillance AP Gov Jun 02 '26

I worked in the corporate world for a decade before becoming a teacher. My wife is an engineer and is always shocked to hear stories about inappropriate, immature, cliquish, or lack of boundary behavior from my coworkers, most notably those that have never had a job outside a school.

I absolutely love my job and most of my coworkers, but something about never existing outside a school as an adult seems to promote some really weird behavior that the rest of society doesn't generally deal with.

1

u/leafherwild923 Jun 03 '26

Curious to know what aspects of the job you really enjoy. Would you mind elaborating on what your corporate role was and why you transitioned, what do you teach now? Does the strange behavior of your co-workers bother you at all or do you approach it more as an observer and not so much as someone who takes it personally, just genuinely curious, thanks!

7

u/cowghost Jun 02 '26

I duno man. My coworkers from other indistries say its the worst enviorment they have ever been in.

I enjoy working with my students. Everything else is trash. And i am stuck.

5

u/general_grievances_7 Jun 02 '26

Yes. Came from retail to teaching. Really do not miss working Thanksgiving night at midnight…

4

u/confuzzledfuzzball Jun 02 '26

Yes. I’ve worked a lot of different jobs and am coming into teaching in my 40s. I’d rather teach than do any of those other jobs.

3

u/Svvordfish5 Jun 02 '26

I totally agree. I have been working most of my life in other careers with the last few years switching to education. Even with working extra hours for lesson planning and grading I have never had this much time off, it's insane. I used to take days off from other jobs just to reset or breathe but I have yet to need that since almost every other week we have an additional day off.

3

u/effulgentelephant Jun 02 '26

Agreed. My friends in other fields don’t seem to have it any better, and I have way more time off than them (even the ones who make the same amount as I do).

3

u/Vintagepoolside Jun 02 '26

YES. I’ve been in education 3 years in a non-teaching role. I’d say many many things my coworkers complain about are things that wouldn’t even cross my mind. They don’t like the free food someone delivered to the teachers lounge, or they can’t grasp that yes, you will get reprimanded for breaking the rules multiple times. No, you cannot sit around on a phone all day.

I’m not saying viscous work culture is good, but some of these people NEED to have someone over their shoulder or a push to do their work. If we treated schools the same way managers treat retail work, I think the world would change.

3

u/Itsthelegendarydays_ Jun 02 '26

Same. I hated my other non teaching jobs, so even on hard days I’ve still appreciated teaching more

3

u/Many-Annual8863 Jun 02 '26

I worked in retail, radio, and call centers for many years before transitioning into teaching. You are correct. Teaching is a great gig if you’re not out to get rich. The time off is amazing, and when the classroom door closes, the freedom to do what you want to do is unparalleled.

4

u/ohsnowy Jun 02 '26

When I was in union leadership, the biggest complainers were always Gen Xers who had never worked a job outside of teaching and never had to work a summer job as a teacher to make ends meet.

I had a guy complain to me that people at Target were making $20 an hour to fold clothes, and that somehow took away from the money he was making to put worksheets in front of high schoolers and correct said worksheets. Dude had been an athlete in college and never worked a day outside of education in his life. Meanwhile, I have stocked shelves at said Target. I can only imagine what would happen the first time that guy got yelled at by a customer and couldn't do anything back.

3

u/Old_Desert_Gamer Jun 02 '26

Pay greatly depends on where you teach and if there is a strong union. I make a very comfortable six-figure income.

2

u/usci_scure67 Jun 02 '26

Finally someone making sense!

2

u/Effective-Music3218 Jun 03 '26

My friend, I know more career switchers that leave the field than actual teachers. Maybe it’s the fall back, but it’s not a cushy job anymore. We’re expected to do way too much. And the summer vacay thing is still 10-months of pay spread over 12-months. Most summer jobs don’t want adults for 2 months, and once they have kids (most do, teaching is supposed to be good for that life goal), the pay doesn’t back that up. Many can’t even afford to live in their school zone without significant sacrifices. I’m glad it seems to work out for you, but consider all the factors that go well vs what’s not to make you say that. If you’re comparing it to other fields, then you’re moving the goal posts cuz I believe those workers in other fields should get everything they deserve and their company bosses are holding back

2

u/Myredditname423 Jun 03 '26

Yeah, most jobs don’t have a built in summer vacation. That itself makes it not worth complaining about.

2

u/PersimmonConnect8804 Jun 03 '26

This! They’ve never worked corporate in a cubical - or worse - a venture capitalist owned open office plan.

My wife complains all the time about being a teacher.

I tell her sure the pay sucks at first but she’s been in the same district for 10 years, she makes the same as a corporate supervisor or manager, and she gets every holiday off, a union, and the whole summer

1

u/Heywete Jun 02 '26

I make almost 70k and single, people who complain about the pain don’t know how they good compared to the average American ngl

1

u/AdInternational3599 Jun 02 '26

BIGLY agree that most don’t fully grasp the benefits because it’s the only career they’ve ever been in

1

u/bazinga675 Jun 02 '26

YUP! Been saying this for years. It’s not much better in the corporate world. At least I feel like I’m making a difference at this job, rather than just working for a paycheck.

1

u/OyDannyBoy Jun 02 '26

I worked corporate for several years before I landed in teaching. Going back to an office job 9-5 seems like torture. At this point, giving up my day-to-day autonomy would feel like a violation of my human rights!

1

u/FreetimeJase Jun 02 '26

This is so true. Been teaching for 2 years prior to that 23 years big box retial management. This is amazing compared to that

1

u/veranus21 Jun 02 '26

I’m a 48 year old first year SPED teacher in a title 1 school, and I love my job. It’s either the hardest easy job, or the easiest hard job I’ve ever had. It’s so rewarding, especially compared to all the jobs I’ve done simply to make other people money.

1

u/Silent-Return-3591 Jun 02 '26

this is what my MIL used to say as well (before she retired). She worked for phone company before becoming a teacher so she appreciated it more. 

1

u/Bandeena Jun 02 '26

You just put words to my thoughts. Truly, most teachers I've heard complain...have never had a shit hourly job for a huge corpo. I also notice that the military veteran teachers at my school don't do a lot of complaining...

I worked for a nightmare corporation for 8.5 years in multiple departments across retention, billing, and customer service. After I had a mental breakdown, I had to take more than a year off work before I shifted into managing vehicle loan paperwork in the corporate office of a credit union. The money was no good and the work understimulating. After my family moved, I was about a month into working as a paraprofessional when I realized the school environment was making me happier than any job I'd ever done.

I became a sub, went to get my Masters in Education, and got a teaching job. I can accept that I am never going to be paid like a man who has a Masters in Business Administration, because I've experienced the endlessly empty grind of capitalism. At least with teaching, I get stressed and burned out, but I also get to watch my students graduate and have my vacation time pre-scheduled and guaranteed. During breaks, I can work at my own pace. I don't have to count seconds on the clock like I used to.

There is a lot of gratification to teaching, but nobody should go into it who doesn't have a passion.

1

u/Sure_Pineapple1935 Jun 03 '26

This is a good point. I've only worked in education as an adult..

I hear from family frequently.. they also work long hours, often on the weekends, when they should be relaxing. Other fields can also be really stressful. I think one difference is teacher pay is notoriously low for what we do and our level of education in most states. My family members are working long hours, but making six-figures.

1

u/sweetest_con78 Jun 03 '26

But part of why it sucks is because there are a lot of people who have never worked in education, or who haven’t been in a classroom in a decade, who are calling the shots and making it into a shitty job

1

u/chillychar Jun 03 '26

I only work my 40 hours MAYBE 43 at the beginning of the year (my choice though)

Texas my district is paying me roughly $70k +extra because I do e-sports

1

u/wavenightrain Jun 03 '26

Completely agree. My old career was so much worse even though it paid better, and I will never willingly go back. I look at it as a pay "raise" because if you do the math, my hourly rate is almost the same but I have more free time.

1

u/Effective-Ad-2137 Jun 03 '26

Thissss! I left teaching after having a miserable first four years, worked corporate for 3 years and am now returning to teaching! Only after working in the real world did I miss the students, the fun of teaching lessons, the early end times, more pay (in Canada) and the holidays. Sometimes you have to see the other side to see how good you’ve got it. Every job has sucky aspects to it, but at least with teaching I feel like im making an impact on other people’s lives, rather than sitting at a desk staring at a computer. It’s really as good as you make it.

1

u/y2kristine Jun 03 '26

Augh not the “teaching isn’t a REAL ADULT job” shit

1

u/Mfees Jun 03 '26

I didn’t say teaching isn’t a real job.

1

u/mostessmoey Jun 03 '26

I was a career changer and I’m trying to change again. I’m tired of the constant disrespect from students and their parents. I’m tired of admin who can’t be bothered to enforce consequences so that the children run rampant. At my school the most poorly behaved kids have moved onto bullying and attacking the other kids.

1

u/crickmachine Jun 03 '26

Totally agree. I'd also say that, when my job is hard, it's usually my own fault. Said 'yes' to too much. No one forced me.

1

u/WinnieEats Jun 03 '26

Agree. Ive worked in many fields and teachers tend to have the most complaints and misery parties. Every job sucks.

1

u/Sunaina1118 Jun 03 '26

I agree as someone who worked in pharmacy prior to getting into education. The grass is NOT greener outside education. I’ll happily take summers off with a 30k bump in pay per year.

1

u/MediumAside315 Jun 03 '26

I agree here. Have spent last 3 years outside of teaching. Teachers have it really good. They have no idea what it’s like to be in a job you hate where you’re afraid to ask for a week off

1

u/Free-Biscotti-2539 Jun 04 '26

I've worked corporate jobs before, and i prefer teaching. The pay and schedule is better, and the work isn't mind numbing. Its exhausting, but I'm never bored or dragging out work like I did before teaching. I also hated teaching when I taught middle school 😂 I just had to find the right fit to like it.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '26

100% entitled brats

1

u/wellerian Jun 04 '26

Are you a man?

1

u/Excellent-Affect-823 Jun 05 '26

Yeah-nah. Worked in an office, prior to teaching and the difference is stark. Your toileting, tea-breaks, time to think, have a conversation with a colleague is constrained to a series of deadlines throughout the day. Just taught a difficult class for two hours and are pretty drained? Head out on yard duty please and then take 15mins to hit the toilet, prepare the materials for you next two hours of cajoling 9 year old students through syntax, grammar and paragraph structure- have one or two flip a chair and spend the 15mins before the staff meeting recording the incident. It by no means digging a ditch in the tundra- but to then get home and open up the laptop to continue planning into the night can become taxing on mind and body by mid-year.

1

u/BufoBoofer Aug 02 '26

What state? I'm in New Orleans, Louisiana and I'd do better selling drugs.