In my first and only year of teaching, someone attempted to bribe me, I was intimidated by administration, groped by a drunk mom, harassed over the phone and email, falsely accused of sexual harassment, and students and even other teachers spread rumors defaming my character. This was only in a span of 9 months because school was shut down in March. I came in to work every day scared of what would happen next. It started affecting my physical and mental health. I had back pain and was falling asleep while at my desk. I came to work angry and left angrier. I have experience substitute teaching in impoverished inner city schools, and the academic and behavioral problems I witnessed simply made sense. Of course they were scared, frustrated, and hopeless -- their lives were spiritually and materially empty because of poverty, abuse, neglect, etc. But this full-time position was in a wealthy community with a reputation and pride in their schools. These were people that had everything laid out for a privileged, fulfilling life, yet they acted nastier than those with real problems. It took a long time to sort out how I could love and trust people again after knowing what people are capable of. I resigned, moved, and started my own business. I am much happier now and my health has improved.
This reminds me of why church is shit. People say “the church is people” naively as if that makes it all warm and fuzzy somehow. The only problem with that approach is that most people so far as I can determine are basically shit, hence, the church is shit also. The obvious solution then is don’t go to church. So I don’t. Kind of like school is shit, so I don’t teach anymore. Same old same old.
@@marcmeinzer8859 I do all kinds of freelance work in music now and teach a class at a small college music department. I have optimism that younger people won't have the same tendencies I saw too often in their parents. Not every parent, not most, but a significant minority that was enough to make me quit. That job was going to slowly kill me via stress. I don't have to deal with parents anymore teaching college students! Plus, they're invested in the subject since they chose it and that helps too. I tell them to do the work and they do it. I love seeing students see results early on and get eager to work even harder! I hope you found new soil and new people that are kind to you either in retirement or a new career.
@@JFalcony When I first quit teaching in my early ‘thirties I went to sea for eight years since I was already a navy veteran. When I got tired of that nonsense I became a barber. As a barber I would simply refuse to serve anyone who really annoyed me. And for instance if stupid people demanded to know how much money I made I’d bluntly inform them “that’s none of your god-damned business”, so you get the idea. If kids wouldn’t sit still I’d refuse to finish the haircut. If someone yelled at me for being closed on Sunday I’d kick them out of the shop and even scream obscenities at them. I was also armed because you can’t make any money in upscale neighborhoods in barbering, but that was all right with me because I preferred blue collar clientele in urban white slum areas. As far as I’m concerned nice guys finish last so by all means certainly don’t be too nice. Mothers who couldn’t control their kids or who admitted that their kids didn’t like me out they’d go. I would tell them I was a burnt out ghetto high school teacher, don’t like kids and won’t take any crap off of them. But I had lots of fun, enjoyed the cool people, and got lots of reading done in between haircuts. I like the cool people but unfortunately most people run the gamut from uncool to stupid and irritating. I tried being a monk for one year but got fed up with all the maladjusted weirdos which is why I went to barber college. You survived because you’re a musician. I survived because I’m basically an artist and a rebel. I’m a curiosity in the sense that although I’m a barber I was originally a hippie in college with the longest hair of any male in my dining hall but then detested student teaching so much that I went to the navy recruiter and volunteered for the submarine service where of a course the first thing they did in boot camp was give me a buzz cut with a #2 blade. That was in 1977. I started college during the Nixon administration when everyone was joining ROTC to avoid the army draft. After my junior year I took Marine OCS but refused the commission. Nixon was the only president whose hand I shook in 1968 at the shopping mall behind my house when I was thirteen years old. I come from a family of professional jazz musicians but I quit playing the guitar when I started spending every summer up in Canada training as a professional canoe tripping guide summers. The college student guides up there were all draft dodgers! To me in order to survive you’ve got to be weirder than everyone else just not as weird as Phil Spector though, hopefully.
I went from being a TA for four years, to being a tutor and substitute teacher for four years, to being a lead teacher for three years, and then being a tutor and substitute teacher again--which is what I am doing now. I am happy to resettle into my current role after having worked in schools regularly for several years prior performing different roles. I am more relaxed; my schedule is more flexible; I have more control over what I do and how much I earn; and I have free time to exercise my other strengths, talents, and interests--like writing and self-publishing books and expanding my RU-vid channel! May it continue!
Good for you. I agree with your sentiments. Plus, the pay is practically the same. Depending on the school (district), the daily pay for subbing can total up to $200+.
Great channel, Isaiah. Your vids on why you quit being a teacher were hugely helpful to some decisions I had to make as I head into my first year teaching. I’m transitioning from a lonnnng management career in the private sector, and listening to you gave me some much needed intel for what I’m taking on, so thanks for that. BTW, not surprised to hear you’re thriving as a videographer; the production quality of your content says it all. Plus you’re one of the best presenters I’ve seen on RU-vid ever, so there’s that. Stoked to have subscribed to your channel, Brother. Sounds like you’re definitely where you’re supposed to be!
This inner city high school I taught at in Cleveland [ South High School] which was shut down in a downsizing move since they lost half of their enrollment in that district between the ‘eighties and the two thousand ‘oughts, was so chaotic that a mobile police headquarters unit setup inside of a giant bus had to be permanently parked there just to handle all of the thugs beings kicked out of the building on a constant basis. This was prompted by hordes of class cutters having to be hunted down in the hallways by the principal and the security guards who would handcuff everybody to the stairwell railings to be collected on the way back to the office to be suspended from school. Finally this led to replacing the security guards with regular police officers culminating in the mobile command center being parked there for an extended period. In other words, the school evolved into a reform school in all but name. When I worked there during the period leading up to this, or the mid ‘eighties, I used to get paid OT to ride around in a paddy wagon with the cops identifying the truants from our building wandering the neighborhood to be stuffed into the cage in the rear of the paddy wagon to be forcibly returned to school. One day when we got back these frantic mothers were questioning me as to whether or not there’d been a riot in the building. I was standing next to one of the assistant principals so I said “no, anyway I’ve been gone working the passenger seat up front in the police paddy-wagon so I don’t really know”.
I had a similar work related stress, talk to a physiatrist it helps, trust me. Also, I think younger people need to know that when you join a profession where your getting paid, you are expected to produce RESULTS for your pay. In any profession, the first few years are the HARDEST, but you need to endure and go forward, change your mindset, have a more positive outlook on your job. Honestly, if you liked teaching you probably could do it, just get a few years under your belt. I feel like alot of millennials, im one, fall into the wanting to make alot of money without doing work, or just lazy people not being able to hold down a job. Either way, good luck do what makes you happy :)
Been teaching for 5 years and every year is new because something major changes. Usually curriculum which means I have to start a whole new plan . Very frustrating
Same I’ve been a teacher for 4 years in Portland and thinking of quitting and moving to Miami and starting as a personal trainer kinda always been a passion of mine.
It doesn't get easier and I'm 4 years in, the workload has exploded exponentially and the kids coming out of lockdown are increasingly difficult. The admins sit around and do jack all and even some of the back end admins without any formal qualifications have power by proxy (to the principal) flaunt it in your face and treat you like shit. I've seen this everywhere.
@@NTGreekGal I’m staying in IT field lol, however I am doing a undergrad in psychology, then (maybe) grad school for school psychology, depending on how far I want to go.
Hi Would u consider doing a small video series for how to get into teaching in North Carolina or even a paid subscription/ Patreon consulting for how to start a RU-vid ?
