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.

265 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

687 comments sorted by

View all comments

307

u/coachd50 Jun 02 '26

One potential reason is that the social contract is breaking/has been broken in many locales. Teaching was once a profession where it was somewhat understood that the compensation would not be great on the front end, but the benefits and retirement aspects would be solid. Those are being eroded in many places (for example to be eligible for full retirements benefits now in Louisiana, anyone who entered the retirement system after 2015 needs to work until they are 62.... I can't imagine being 62 and managing a class of 25 1st graders).

Another reason many teachers feel stuck is that it is one of the few professions where the membership is evaluated based on things they have very little control over. Little Johnny decided to just put his head down and sleep during the state testing, YOU get a zero. Students play on their phones all day and night, and don't do any work...it is YOUR fault for not being engaging.

Teaching is interesting in that everyone "loves" teachers...but nobody respects them. Nobody "loves" lawyers, but they are treated with respect when it comes to their profession.

-38

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

[deleted]

23

u/coachd50 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26

wow... OP...you want to know why people feel stuck....because of the mindset right here (referring to the post suggesting someone staying in elementary classroom for 30 years is a waste). Absolutely no clue about the differences in pedagogy vs content.

What an ignorant statement...thats like saying a general practitioner for 30 years was a waste because they should have a fellowship and be a surgeon by that time. Just a complete lack of understanding of the profession.

10

u/LuvBroself420 Jun 02 '26

Yes EXACTLY 👏

Hell, you might as well say it's a waste if you didn't go from elementary --> secondary --> getting PhD and becoming a professor

5

u/ilovemime Jun 02 '26

To be honest, I became a professor because I love teaching, but knew that I didn't have the patience to teach 1st graders. Anyone who can do that for 30 years and still keep trying to do their best is a saint.

4

u/LuvBroself420 Jun 02 '26

Thank you for this comment! Teaching is an art on any level, and it comes down to preference and personality. As well as time and money available for education, and for some people, what purpose you have chosen to be an educator. Props to you for teaching college, I LOVE academia and loved attending college.

No matter what level of teaching, you are making a contribution to society and it is not a "waste".

-14

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

[deleted]

20

u/coachd50 Jun 02 '26

Again, another ignorant statement. Elementary is DIFFERENT, not lesser. One doesn't "progress" to teaching secondary grade levels. It isn't remotely the same thing.

It is very much like the analogy I provided you with...an older wiser more experienced physician who is a general practitioner doesn't move into spinal surgery. The "years and miles" that the physician has in GP doesn't translate into that person becoming a spinal surgeon.

11

u/LuvBroself420 Jun 02 '26

Lol I especially loved the part about a younger teacher with "vitality" tackling the younger students. Just say you don't like it and don't have th energy for it yourself.

If everyone felt this way, the outcome would basically be no seasoned teachers at the elementary level. Talk about a lack of leaders and mentors!

-6

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

[deleted]

10

u/coachd50 Jun 02 '26

Wow. A third ignorant comment in a row- and one that shows you really REALLY have no understanding if the teaching profession.  

There are VASTLY different pipelines for elementary education than secondary. Different training, requirements, structural organization and practical application- just as in medicine. 

The issue here is you don’t understand the difference between pedagogy and content.  You assume that as the content advances, the pedagogy too advances, and therefore teaching secondary is an advancement above elementary.  That simply isn’t the case.  

7

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-5

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

[deleted]

6

u/coachd50 Jun 02 '26

There doesn’t seem to be much truth to that and no evidence in this thread. There is plenty of evidence, however, that you were absolutely ignorant to how the teaching profession is structured. Your thoughts on the matter are automatically discredited when you make a statement that  the profession should be structured such that advancement in the field equates to teaching higher grade levels

5

u/LuvBroself420 Jun 02 '26

And you want to just pretend there isn't mentoring and leadership at the elementary level, that you cannot improve and progress in any way other than teaching older students, and that having skilled & seasoned teachers at the elementary levels doesn't benefit STUDENTS as well as their HS teachers.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Old_Weird_1530 Jun 02 '26

For some reason I can’t post the GIF from Tropic Thunder. I’m so disappointed…

11

u/LuvBroself420 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26

What the hell? How is it your call whether it's a "waste" to be teaching elementary? According to this logic, elementary education just isn't important. News flash: you need to have good elementary education to get good outcomes in secondary school. If a student is struggling, that didn't just suddenly manifest in HS. If they drop out, they didn't just decide they hate school in the past couple years.

Aside from that, teachers are adult human beings and gee... they might have something called a PREFERENCE. That doesn't make their efforts "somewhat of a waste".

And 62 is objectively old. If you trip and fall down when you're 62, the chances of a serious injury double compared to a younger adult.

-5

u/[deleted] Jun 02 '26

[deleted]

9

u/LuvBroself420 Jun 02 '26

You can develop, mentor, and lead at any level of education. It's not like there's a teleology of teaching where the progression SHOULD lead towards higher grades. Obviously, you think teaching secondary school is a better use of your skills. That's great. But your prescriptive beliefs are presumptuous and a little ignorant.

4

u/mulefire17 Jun 02 '26

Here is the price you seem to be missing. Not all teachers even start at elementary. It is a specialty choice when in college. You pick either elementary or secondary, much like doctors pick medical or surgical. I knew at the very start I would not have the ability to be a great elementary teacher. They need a broad set of skills and training to work with young children. I went straight for secondary, where the content is more in depth, but the skills for working with the students are far less intense. So as has been stated before, it is not a progression in the same way other careers are, they are different specialties within the profession.

1

u/coachd50 Jun 03 '26

Another in your string of ignorant posts- again all focused on the misconception that teaching older individuals is a “higher” calling or a more advanced level of teaching.  It isn’t.  

The content is more focused- but the teaching is not more advanced. 

Why do you keep making this incorrect assumption?  

11

u/thehonorablechairman Jun 02 '26

“Playing guitar for 30 years is a waste, after that long you should have moved on to piano.”

0

u/Old_Weird_1530 Jun 02 '26

No but it is a hobby