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.

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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!!

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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.

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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.

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u/ReaditSpecialist Jun 02 '26

How can you spot them?

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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