Quitters Never Win, and Winners Never Quit
It is sad to see anyone leave the teaching profession when there are so many students in need of good teachers. I suppose that most people who leave teaching feel that they are not good teachers, and they use this as rationalization for leaving the profession. "The kids will be better off with someone else," they think. In Mississippi, however, this is generally not the case. Even a beleagured first-year MTC teacher will impart more knowledge than a typical long-term substitute. This thought was more than enough to convince me that I could never leave during my first year of teaching.
Is being a first year teacher tough? Of course. It's tough anywhere, what with lesson planning, learning a new school system, and practicing classroom management all demanding a great deal of time and patience. It is especially tough for outsiders to come to Mississippi and experience culture shock. However, there are several things more difficult than being a first-year MTC teacher:
1. Being a 19 year old high school junior. You still have two state tests left to pass, and you know the consequences for failure. You could be a mother, a father, an orphan, a homeless person, or a runaway. These problems are a lot more prevalent in the Delta than in Vermont where I grew up.
2. Being a substitute teacher in the Mississippi Delta. You only work a couple days a week and get paid between $40 and $45 a day. Sounds great, until the rent is due or you get sick and have no insurance. Kids treat you like crap, lie to you, and you don't know any of their names, so how do you write them up? I am speaking from personal experience here...subs have it tough.
3. Being a Delta principal. Everyone blames you for everything that goes wrong. Students mock you, and teachers talk about you behind your back. You are responsible for attending every school function, and school takes over every waking hour of your life. You are a human pinata. I would much rather be a teacher than a principal.
My number one suggestion to new teachers who are thinking about quitting? KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE. Whatever your situation, it could be worse. Things will start getting better for you as soon as you start to help yourself. There are ways to improve your plot if you just think outside the box. Finally, never forget that as bad as things get for you, there is someone out there with a hand much worse than the one you have been dealt.
Is being a first year teacher tough? Of course. It's tough anywhere, what with lesson planning, learning a new school system, and practicing classroom management all demanding a great deal of time and patience. It is especially tough for outsiders to come to Mississippi and experience culture shock. However, there are several things more difficult than being a first-year MTC teacher:
1. Being a 19 year old high school junior. You still have two state tests left to pass, and you know the consequences for failure. You could be a mother, a father, an orphan, a homeless person, or a runaway. These problems are a lot more prevalent in the Delta than in Vermont where I grew up.
2. Being a substitute teacher in the Mississippi Delta. You only work a couple days a week and get paid between $40 and $45 a day. Sounds great, until the rent is due or you get sick and have no insurance. Kids treat you like crap, lie to you, and you don't know any of their names, so how do you write them up? I am speaking from personal experience here...subs have it tough.
3. Being a Delta principal. Everyone blames you for everything that goes wrong. Students mock you, and teachers talk about you behind your back. You are responsible for attending every school function, and school takes over every waking hour of your life. You are a human pinata. I would much rather be a teacher than a principal.
My number one suggestion to new teachers who are thinking about quitting? KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE. Whatever your situation, it could be worse. Things will start getting better for you as soon as you start to help yourself. There are ways to improve your plot if you just think outside the box. Finally, never forget that as bad as things get for you, there is someone out there with a hand much worse than the one you have been dealt.
posted by Joel Hebert at 4:30 PM
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