I'm a pretty angry, negative person to begin with. And there are quite a few major problems with the public education system, so there is plenty to be angry and negative about.
Today I was having a particularly end-of-my-rope day, and thinking I was done for good with this (however, given the nature of my day job, I can't put in my two weeks' notice until two weeks before the school year's out). My mood lifted slightly in the last hour or so, then I read this post by Janet Reid, about the publishing industry and its naysayers, and the last two paragraphs struck me:
If you've worked for ten years in an industry you don't value or respect, with people you find distasteful, that says more about you than it does about the industry.
So take a piece of advice from me: quit your job. Leave the work to those of us who love this damn industry more than we should, despite its myriad flaws, against all odds and really for no good reason.
Shut up and get out.
I'm a couple of years shy of ten, but everything else fits. Is God trying to send me a message? (If so, he's pretty nifty - I clicked on her blog post link on Twitter.)
I have a bit of sorting out to do. And I have plenty of time to do it in, since I can't change my job status until June. But I think I should keep these words in mind as I sort.
Criss, you're not an angry, negative person, not at all. Now, do you appreciate a certain degree of irony and realism in this life? Certainly.
ReplyDeleteBut I understand that if teaching doesn't make you happy, it's time to seek greener pastures. So not worth it. I'm sure your skills and sense of humor would be appreciated elsewhere...but will you get summers off? It's almost worth dealing with teenagers for those two months!
And you know...apparently beer is not high-carb. I was reading that in Runner's World. But it's a good source of chromium...so that's why I drink it, right?! Just not before, during or after exercise...that's insane. :-)
Hey Criss, my heart went out to you reading this.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can work out where you want to be, and then go for it with all your ability. Succeed or fail, you only get one life; spend it doing what's right for you.
Do you feel an obligation to the kids? B/c I've known of teachers who quit mid-year (I think that's how Uncle Tom got his job, being a permanent sub...).
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason I never went through with being a public school teacher, I didn't think I had it in me to deal with all the crap. I think it's admirable that you have done it for this long, and kept up hope enough to change and try different jobs and positions, at different schools and ages, rather than throw in the towel at the first complaint.
I think there's some truth to the words in that blog post, but if there isn't a good fit it's not just you but also the profession. If something doesn't make you happy despite you trying your hardest to make it work, then it might be time to change for good. Too often people settle for jobs they sorta hate b/c they don't think there's another option. The right job will of course have its own frustrations and bad days, but your passion and inspiration for wanting to do it well should override all that.