@@paperclippriest I want to say about school shootings, that I'm also concerned going to here at school. But I hope you don't think that guns should be banned, because I have some, and I like to take my friends to trips as well as go competition from time to time. Peace :)
Yes! I can't stand it when your colleagues are like, "Your kiddos, your babies, your kids." I be like, "They are not my children, I have children of my own. Do you mean my students? There's a big difference."
It's time for today's parents to grow up and parent their kids. Remove the phones from the classrooms PERIOD!!!! Give the teachers back their authority!!
They need phones in case of emergency for instance if they're standing at the bus stop 🚏 ✋ or 🚶♂️ home from school 🏫 or if anything drastic goes on at school they can text there parents THE WORLD 🌎 IS NOT LIKE IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO.
Good idea, but it's not going to happen. Have you noticed that we now live in a semi-lawless society? Have you not noticed that, from top to bottom, all of society is breaking down? This is just the beginning. Brace yourself.
There is zero accountability and consequences for students these days!! Where is after-school detention, weekend detention, expulsions, alternative learning centers, etc? Kids just get these weak sit downs with assistant principals and have these verbal agreements that the student will do better next time. And this is for small to big behavioral issues. It's frustrating for everyone having to deal with these disruptive students. There's just no accountability anymore! It starts with administration to bring back actual consequences into these schools.
@@greenstar2108stupid USA system cares to much about one idiot parents yelling. In private makes sense but in a public school do this 🤦 it's crazy. The principal or administration they are more afraid of parents than everything else, principal don't stay in a school so they are as afraid as the teachers to "loose" they jobs, plus they are lazy , and is not part of the culture to tell the parent why don't you get lost ? ... it's insane.
she’s my old teacher i’m now going to 9th and she’s such an amazing teacher, i feel like people abused that because of how nice she is and that’s crazy!
If you hold students accountable and are strict, you are seen as mean and "uncaring." Easy teachers don't necessarily care about their students, but they know they won't get complaints from students or parents.@@Spiritual.Soul_99
I taught Grade 4 (9 yr olds) for two years. When I commuted home, I used to collapse on a fully extended lazy-boy and lie there in total silence for an hour. Teaching immigrant and refugee adults later was very different, and enjoyable. They wanted to learn.
I recently retired after 33 years of teaching high school English. I enjoyed the career, had a great rapport with the kids, but I attribute that fact with having a skillfully tight classroom management style. On day one of every year, I kept eyes and ears open. By day two, the big mouths and discipline problems were separated. I certainly enjoyed the career year after year, but by 2021, an extremely weak administration and ridiculous policies had me thinking it was time to leave the Clown Show. As I approached the driver’s side door of my car on the last day of my career, I dropped to my knees and THANKED GOD that I survived. I would never set foot in a classroom again. No Way! Done! Trust me, you made the right decision also.
I retired in June this year after 25 years. I too was so grateful that I survived. I would say my classroom management skills were pretty good, and I always kept order, but I still think that it was a lot of energy spent on things that could’ve been spent on disseminating knowledge to the students. I am now working for a graphic design house after swearing to never work with children again. I love it. I deal with rational human beings all day. Some people have an identity crisis after retiring, but not me. I never thought I could be so relaxed and so happy. Glad to see that you made it through. My last moments in the school parking lot were moments of thanksgiving too, but instead of getting down on my knees, I rolled down my windows, turned on a hard rock station and turned up the first song as I rolled out of there, which was Rock and Roll All Nite (sic) by Kiss.
HA! OMG, Gerald! THAT’S the way to leave the parking lot! Soundtrack supplied by KISS!!! My identity now is not in the work force, but enjoying my passion for screenwriting. I’ve written 8 feature scripts (4 dramas, 3 thrillers, and 1 comedy) and many have found national recognition in competitions. Currently working on my first horror script. : )
Ugh teaching English along with teaching middle school, even more 😩. So true about the cell phones and the bathroom. Most kids use the bathroom to get faded at the high school level. Wish I bought Tesla stock when it was an IPO or bitcoin in 2010. Next up, Pre K kids with cell phones.
@@geraldobrien7323Thanks, Gerald. The next goal is to have one of my scripts landing into the lap of the right producer in order to have it produced. Keep Moving Forward. : )
I'm a teacher of English in Russia (yeah) and what surprised me is that it turns out the problems we face in Russian schools are generally the same. Total disrespect from the students and their parents who protect their kids in front of the teachers even if they screw up really bad. The society who thinks the teacher is always the one to blame for any kind of kids' misbehaviour as if they don't have parents at home. I've been teaching for 8 years by now and I don't know where it is going. One day the students in the classroom made me feel so powerless and upset that I just went out and burst in tears. It's that feeling of complete helplessness. Like you are given the whole responsibility and zero control at the same time.
I feel at this point, both for U.S. schools and it looks like in Russia too, it's time for a more militaristic school theme. Not that the students would have to wear a uniform, but that the moment they start school (as perhaps a 6 year old) to when they graduate from elementary school, it is always with them that behaving dishonorable and disrespecting anyone in authority means tha they are not going to make it in the adult world and only idiots disrespect teachers and persons in authority.
I started teaching in 1990 and it has changed so much. The demands they put on teachers in present day is unsustainable for so many people. Back in the old days it was fun planning and doing lessons and the kids would engage. Technology is a good tool but there's something to be said about human interaction and connection and not being mostly about data and scores. It's like kids have become data and graphs and charts not people. .And YES kids are obsessed with the damn phones and the disrespect and fighting nowadays with staff is unreal.
I graduated HS a year before you started teaching. Had a number of my teachers ask what I planned to major in in college. And all of them were relieved when I didn't reply with education.
No disrespect because I believe everything you say, however jobs in general have gotten much worse over the years. I worked in an office and I used to enjoy work. Now, I think it is toxic.
I started teaching elementary school full time in August of 1990 for Los Angeles Unified. I retired in June 2022. I loved it when I started and as the years went by, society changes, over demanding expectations from administrators who were out of touch with reality, and an array of other obstacles gave me a reality check if I wanted to continue. At the end of June of 2022, I knew I had to move forward. I enjoyed it overall, but once my health started taking a toll, it was time to go.
This is one reason of why I have been homeschooling my children for the last 11 years. I can't believe the disrespect students have for teachers and other students.
Lack of systems and willingness to stand up to parents is a big problem in education. hope remote teaching is a good fit for you and your family. No guilt! Your family is your priority!
But this isn't what women are told anymore, so they leave their families in front of the TV every night because we're too DRAINED from our full-days work load!
@@lioraoppenheimer8965feminism and feminist have ruined families and schools. And the crazy part is they’re now fighting for biological men (in dresses) to take over all women’s spaces. It truly is clown world.
A teacher should not have to stand up to a parent but the real problem is they can’t. I work in a school cafeteria and the kids are coddled and that is a problem that we can’t fix. Parents coddle them and principals & asst. Principals give a talking to, or not. When there are no consequences the kids rule. A child can yell at you but if you correct them in a loud voice you get reprimanded. Nothing for the child
As a retired teacher in Australia your words absolutely resonated with me.I tutor online,make more money,feel relaxed and happy.Good luck with your choice and congratulations on making such a hard decision.Most of us find it hard to change our lives but you have done it.
Active shooter drills every week, dumpster diving and/or personal money for classroom materials, disrespect (sometimes aggression) from parents, lack of administrator support (they are over paid, underworked, ineffective, blame shifting), endless meetings full of buck-passing hot air, disdainful attitudes towards classroom teachers, and loads of unmotivated snark from students. Am I right?
Just know you are NOT alone! The struggle is real. The teachers and bus drivers here in my district are on your side. Quite a few of our teachers have moved on to private schools. Public schools are a nightmare.
Teachers sometimes work 70 hours a week prepping and grading, etc. But the most exhausting thing about the job is having to be the babysitter-in-chief. That is much of what you are describing. This will only stop once students are held to the same standards as teachers and are punished when they do not abide by them. Schools are hell right now, and only accountability will get us out of there.
PS 2: The whole “active shooter” training is more an issue of morale than of fear. Despite what the news media tells you, those shootings are rare and we have gone overboard with the training and fear-mongering, etc.
PS 3: I disagree with this idea that “virtual learning” is the future. I know the people who hope to make big money designing the curriculum are saying that it is “the future,” but the pandemic showed us that it doesn’t work.
@@WriterProfessor The risk of school shootings could be mitigated simply by securing schools the same way any other place that needs protection is secured. You don't hear about mass shootings at courthouses, airports, private schools or other such places. And it isn't like we don't pay an arm and a leg in taxes already that we don't have the money to pay for it either.
25 years as well. Late 90’s was enjoyable…then came common core and extreme testing in the lower grades. Now the micromanaging from district and state…overwhelming.
My mom had a similar experience in the schools and she left a couple years ago for the same reasons - it was destroying her physical and mental health. The way these schools weaponize the "if you truly cared about these kids you'd do whatever we say" is disgusting. Best of luck in your next endeavors!
My wife and I made the decision to homeschool our daughter. In our personal belief kids aren’t given time to just be a kid. Instead, they are put in a room for 6-8 hours a day to sit in one spot and forced to learn one way while being around other kids that don’t care to be there and are down right cruel for absolutely no reason.
The kids are in a classroom for about 4 hours per day. 9am to 3pm, but 1 hour for lunch with lunch recess, 0.5 hours for additional recess, and 0.5 hours for P.E. Not to mention 3 months off during summer break and another few weeks off for various other breaks. It's a wonder the kids learn at all with that little time in class. I would understand homeschooling as a supplement to the bit of traditional school kids get. When I was in school, once I left each day at 3pm, I still went to several hours of gymnastics practice or piano or track or cheerleading. Then did homework.
I taught 34 years HS ELA and took an early retirement. I got tired of the phones and plagiarism. Thank you for doing this video because I thought I was alone.
This is my 4th year teaching, arts teacher, and I felt it in my soul when you said 'mentally exhausted.' I don't think I've ever been so tired coming home. Some days I just wanted to ball up and cry in my bed realizing the amount of workload I was just too tired to do. Like it's so hard to get anything personally done and I don't even have kids I can't imagine that stress. I was thinking about doing potentially college or uni level. I really hope your new endeavour remote teaching is a dream job. Definitely let us know what it's like 🎉
After over 20 years of teaching, I left about 2 years ago and haven’t looked back since. My health has gotten better, I found the love of my life, we are traveling and building a business together! My days are much calmer and not stressful ❤
My husband’s last employer was like that! It was heavy with young singles which is great, but if you had a family you either give that up or aren’t a part of the “ culture.” Which was primarily outside of office hours.
I’m on year 14 and it gets harder and harder. So much disrespect in the classroom and there’s nothing to be done with students who disrupt my classroom. Edit to add: I brought about 12 hours worth of work home with me this weekend because we are not given enough time during the work day to grade and prepare lessons on top of all the paperwork and meetings or communications required.
I hear you. 25 year veteran (now retired) from So. Cal. Through the final five years I learned how to "quietly quit" the job. I just simply started "faking it" finding a routine that allowed me to fly under the radar of admin and parents. Sad thing is that there was no perceptible change in grades, student output, or (the big one), test scores. I found out that working harder meant nothing and had no greater output. It was time to leave.
Everything you said is exactly how I felt during my teaching career. I just retired in June. I agree 100% about the cellphones. It’s out of control. I taught third grade and they all had phones and were on Tik Tok. It’s just crazy! Teachers don’t receive the respect like many years ago. It’s sad. I wish you all the best.
@crabfishlion a portion of kids from split homes are well behaved. On average, they're much less behaved than their peers. But it's more correlation vs. causation. The types of homes that are broken usually have other problems like drugs, abuse, or serial cheating.
It depends on how one defines “broken homes.” I grew up in a single parent household and never behaved the way many children do today. Conversely, my daughter has attended private and parochial schools most of her life … the entitlement, bullying, lack of self awareness or self discipline, and the disrespect towards classmates and teachers is off the charts… and most of these kids are coming from middle class and upper middle class 2 parent households.
As a male, high school teacher of twenty-years now, I can personally relate to most of what was shared on this video. The constantly guilt trip and "customer service" feel to the American school is frankly a bunch of crap. I take off days when I want to and don't give a rip about the data and politics of the profession. No one is truly there to support teachers anymore other than a few colleagues you know and trust.
Hello, I taught High School Spanish the past 3 years and I felt EVERYTHING you said and explained in this video. This year I'm Teaching at a "smaller" middle school and I can only pray it is better than the school I was at originally. Teachers are judged for everything under the sun by students to administrators. I hope I can get out soon . Well wishes for you! 🎉😊
I left the private sector in the early 90s because I wanted a life outside of work, and teaching was the perfect route for me to take to achieve that goal. Back then, things weren’t perfect, but schools were such nice places to work in. We were expected to do what needed to be done to educate the kids, and we had the freedom to be creative with our instruction. And I did have plenty of energy and time to enjoy life and pursue other interests outside of work. Starting in the late 2,000s, though, things took a turn for the worse. Because of the false crisis that politicians promoted, more and more mandates were thrown on us, and more and more micromanaging took away our freedom to be creative and our autonomy. I only stayed in it because I didn’t know what else I would do, but as soon as I was eligible for retirement I took it. And now I am back in the private sector. The irony is that I first left the private sector so I could have more time and energy to enjoy life outside of work. The tables have turned, and now I had to leave the public sector to achieve that goal. If you’re young enough, and you are really stressed out from your teaching job, leave. Don’t feel guilty. Don’t feel that you are obligated to do it. I understand people have a need to help others, but your first priority is you and your health.
I agree with you 100% and I totally understand what you are saying. The non compliance on the part of students to obey the teacher. The utter misbehavior in classrooms and the students ignoring rules that are in place for classroom management are my issues. Plus the pay. Also being expected to do other jobs for FREE such as working the concession stand at a game and many many other “assignments” that take hours of personal time with NO PAY!
I have to say, I did not find this to be a rant at all. I think you explained very well and in a very measured tone what it is like to be a teacher in the 2020s. I am also very glad for you that you have made your bid for freedom. I hope you happen to see this.
As a former student 35 years ago I was constantly bullied. The teachers or administrators wouldn’t do a thing about it. The bullies parents were wealthy! I was not the only one bullied. So I left school in grade 11. My parents should have transferred me to another school district but didn’t. Long and short finished college, along with a few years of nursing education being a nurse a business owner writing contracts. To this day I still feel cheated of not having class reunions, or going to a prom. I was deprived a learning environment! Losing a year of English prep and math made attending college difficult but I passed.
I left teaching and went into corrections. I feel safer in corrections and I've never had my life threatened in corrections, where I did as a teacher. The bumbling AP did nothing. I couldn't compete with cell phones and I got tired of parents thinking that I was a Macy's customer service desk where they come in, drop demands, and I bow my head and comply (regardless of how ridiculous their desire was).
At least in Corrections, the population you work with is disciplined and must follow rules.. the agency you work for has your back and will protect its staff unless they have blatantly violated policy or procedure in a grievous way. Even then, there is a system of escalating discipline from your agency (obviously proportional to the violation) where they don’t go for the teeth and take away your job on the first instance and explain what repeat offenses will mean in the future.
I just found your channel. My uncle was a public school teacher for 40 years in NJ. Public education has changed so much since then. My uncle stated many times that if he had known how crazy things would be these days . He never would have chosen to be a teacher. I had to take my children out of public school and homeschool them due to the bad curriculum and a lot of what you mentioned in your video. My youngest son has very bad ADHD and did online learning. The teachers were fantastic.
Our society has gotten rid of accountability in many areas including school and discipline. We've gotten rid of it because it doesn't feel nice to do it but it's necessary.
I graduated high school in 2012. There was a couple of staff with handheld metal detectors and kids would be “random searched” by the principal. They were looking for weed and I guess guns. Cell phones weren’t a big thing in those days. Most students had respect for the teachers. I think the underlying problem is that parents are so overworked that they don’t have the time or energy to deal with their kid’s problem at school. It’s easier to just let them fail. American society as a whole is reaping what it sowed by putting the dollar ahead of everything. In 15 years America will either be on its way to getting better, or a wasteland. It sucks. I hope you have a better time teaching remotely. I will subscribe
Great video! As a former teacher myself, I can totally relate to these mistakes. It's so important for educators transitioning into new careers to be aware of these pitfalls. Thanks for sharing!
As a sped teacher, I have no idea why I decided to go into this profession. Well I do know. When I first started out, things were going good and I was really enjoying helping students achieve their goals, and many of them had never been told they could achieve anything in their life. It was rewarding....at first. The last couple of years have completely changed my perspective on the education system and how things are handled now. There is hardly any support for teachers now, even from administration. Something is always the teachers fault and never the students. Parents blame the teacher's for stuff and admin bows down to the parent because they are afraid to get sued. It doesn't matter how hard you try or what you do as a teacher anymore. You're going to be blamed for everything and deal with things you shouldn't have to deal with on a daily basis. All while getting paid just above the poverty level of income in most areas. Students have become the ones in charge ultimately. They know if they don't get their way, mommy or daddy will call the school and threaten them if need be in order for their precious little angel to be treated fairly at school. It's sickening to be quite honest. With all of that being said, I plan on this being my last year teaching. I can't handle being so stressed out all the time. It's literally making my health decline. There are so many other jobs I can think of that I would enjoy much more at this point, and get paid more as well. This is why we have a teacher shortage. Nobody wants to put up with all the bs for that kind of money. It won't get any better either until things start to change. Sorry for the rant but I just thought I would share my understanding and thoughts on why teacher's are leaving the profession.
I worked as a special education teacher assistant and quit after 2 days. I started having panic attacks. It was a zoo. No way. I'm back working with the elderly.
I was in special education and eternally grateful I had wonderful teachers. I never forgot their names after three decades. They believed in me and got me in the gifted program. They took care of my bullies. Thank you for what have you done. I am so sorry things have gotten so bad. I would have been shocked as a kid if I experienced what you have.
All I can say is, I'm tired of BOTH the teachers AND students being demonized and vilified. You know, I also heard about lazy teachers who just want to sit on their fat asses while giving out paperwork, instead of actually teaching and engaging students.
@@willsrlutz6842 They are not lazy and do not sit on their 'fat arses'. If they are sat down at their desk it's because they've been given a million admin tasks with ridiculous deadlines to complete on top of trying to teach.
It never fails. You're right in the middle of what seems to be a great lesson. You're calling on kids and getting some degree of engagement. Then a hand goes up! A question about what we're discussing? A chance to elaborate and shed some light on something I could explain better? No. With dead, zombie face: "Can I go to the bathroom?" So deflating.
I can’t see how cellphones are a problem.. In my class students aren’t allowed to use them.. if they do it, I take it away.. if they complain it’s unfair, I take it from all students at the beginning of every class from that point on.. end of story.. For however long my class lasts I am 100% entitled to each kid’s attention and I refuse to have to compete for it with a pocket TV .. I will die on this hill against any student, parent or administrator
It's a shame that parents don't make their kids follow rules, tell them no and set clear boundaries. Bigger shame. Weak kneed administration, that doesn't back teachers and caters to parents. There are bad apples everywhere, not everyone is correct nor wrong. What really sucks is great teachers are leaving and the children who really love school and want to learn, lose out.
There are good administrators like any other profession, but a lot of them got into administration to make more money while getting out of the classroom. I can recall more than once, the weakest teacher on the staff tellling me how they were working on becoming a principal. They avoid responsibiliy and hope everyone enjoys the ride, so they don't ever have to relive the shame of driving a Toyota to work.
I have so much respect for teachers. I was a pre school teacher, and it was rough. The hardest job I had. These kids start out being unruly. Its like the parents are not doing anything with them. Kids were so bad at my sons school the teachers was thanking me for him being so respectful..😄. Teachers are extremely underpaid and undervalued and its a shame. Thank you for your service..😉
I totally get you! Given all that teachers have to do these days, there are at most 3, maybe 3.5 hours per school day that a teacher should be working with students teaching. The other 4+ hours is taken up with meetings, planning, grading and merely decompressing. I had a similar experience at the middle school level, and the mental exhaustion was so much, that I rarely slept more than 4 or 5 hours per school night. Some nights I did not even sleep. Needless to say, I was thrilled when the pandemic hit. I'm not sure I would have made it to the end of the year.
The use of cellphones is admin responsibility. It interferes with school but also violates the privacy rights of teachers and other students. School can implement a policy of collecting all cellphones at the start of school and lock them up in a classroom vault. By the end of school it is returned.
After my 27 year Law Practice, as a Criminal Defense Attorney, I truly wanted to go back to my HS, teach & share my wisdom with the students & prepare them all for their future. My "qualifications" were indeed questioned by school Admin. Get this: B4 Law School, my BS was in Genetic Engineering from Stanford U, & my JD was from UArizona, so go figure. After I was "verified" they knew I could teach ANY subject @ the HS level. My heart was in the right place. After Taxes, a Substitute Teacher's pay is only $79.00! These modern students, OMG! People, America is a lot of trouble! These little monsters are beyond control, & yes their damn Goddamn Phones! There was a case in that school where a teacher tried to take a student's Cell Phone, & she accidently dropped the student's phone & was told by the student that she had to pay over a thousand dollars for that goddamn phone. I felt so sorry for her, where I gave her $600.00, & I always donated my check to the school for supplies & such. NEVER again. Now, I only teach my 3 grandkids, 8,6, & 5.
@@Pearl879 The very first time my heart skipped a beat over a woman was my 5th grade Teacher, Mrs. Reed. She looked like Halley Berry @age 24 or so. She was a Grad student @UArizona studying for her master's in education. Next thing I know, we're having lunch, or rather during our lunch break, while I tutored her in Finite Mathematics. B4 our Christmas Break which lasted a lil over a month, she gifted me my 1st Microscope & Telescope. Fast FWD to 2023, & to this day, I still visit her Grave Sight to clean it & put fresh Flowers on what my Culture refers to as "Dia de los Muertos. My 2 adult kids have gone with me on a couple of occasions, & in story time to my 3 Grandchildren, 7,5, 5, they too know about Mrs. Reed. She became the part of the nucleus to all of my success, alongside my beloved Mom who died in my Arms in '09. Plz do Google me: Santiago Murillo-Tucson. I've now set foot on all 7 Continents, & every time I step off that C-130, I always say within myself: "Look Mom how far we've come. Thank you Mrs. Reed, you're here with me too."
I really enjoyed your post , Santiago TM. Your experience with Mrs. Reed clearly informed so much of your life. I will indeed look you up. I certainly see why you wanted to pay it forward in education because of Mrs. Reed. Peace, joy, and happiness to you and yours.😊
As a 2nd career MS CTAE teacher, I concur that everything you say is 100% true. Between constant restroom and cellphone abuse, the inconsistent policies, the entitled children arguing about anything to avoid doing their school work that inevitably creates a classroom disruption along with their enabling parents that unconditionally defend them, and the lack of administrative consequences for poor behavior has led to my decision to retire. Every day I come home completely exhausted and my health is now compromised since I don't even have the energy to cook dinner anymore. Public education has failed society, where social promotion is the norm and as a result we are graduating functional illiterates without a work ethic and the ability to think critically. Truly sad.
You are a great teacher. I wish the system would change and it sucks for students too. I needed to go to the restroom once but I couldn’t go because my 5 semesterly yes semesterly passes were gone so I had to get punished for having a bad bladder. I hate the school system but I’m glad to see that you worked you’re way around it to still do what you loved!
Schools should implement a cubby system where the kids have to deposit their phones in assigned cubby’s that are locked or monitored where theft wouldn’t be an issue while entering the classroom before instruction, and then get them back before leaving the classroom like 5-10 mins prior to leaving… I know it’s probably a pipe dream, but something’s got to change with the whole phone situation because it will never get any better until the kids learn to live without them for 40 mins at a time. I used to work on an ambulance and when kids would get 5150’d and taken to a ward, everyone gets there belongings taken no matter who goes in and when it was kids who had phones they would literally fight with the staff and our crews to defend their phone because they’ve been enabled to ALWAYS have it on them these days… it was a wild thing to see… congrats on getting some time to recover from the kids and policies, wishing you the best. Teachers are vastly undervalued and underpaid these days. Wishing you the best in the future, you seem like such a compassionate and giving teacher to the kids. Things are crazy these days, I often fear for my children’s future the way things seem to be headed…
It should be illegal for kids and teenagers to have smart phones. I couldn't even handle social media when I was in my 20s. Children and teenagers should not be on social media, I'm not surprised their mental health is crap. These are very powerful tools that can ruin your life if you don't use them correctly.
I retired after 30 years. I can honestly say that the majority of that time was WONDERFUL. The last few years were not and I feel so sad for those who are in the profession that they are facing such difficult times. I wish they had the experiences I had at the beginning of my career. It was fun. It was a joy for more years than it wasn't. But in the last few years, it was not. I found myself leaving at the end of the day. I just didn't want to be with the kids. And I knew that it was not right to feel the way I did and be with kids. They need to have people that want to be there. So I retired. And I can say I am happier than I ever thought. And it shows me that for more years than I realized; I was not happy. and life is too short. ' I understand what you are saying. I taught Elementary. And children today are so different. And the problems you are seeing in Middle/High school, they are seeing that in Elementary. It is like going to WAR every day. And the way they talk to you. It is unreal.
The problem is the lack of meaningful consequences. There are about 5% of students ruining the learning environment for the other 95%. I don't think we need to be super strict, but letting small things slide doesn't help students either. If we take minor misbehavior seriously, then it won't escalate. There have always been kids with tough home lives but they need us to have high standards for them and show them we believe they can succeed. The lack of consequences is damaging for everyone.
If parents want to see what is wrong with their children, If 95% of the time they looked in the mirror they would see the problem staring back at them.
I thought school was bad in the 2000s with all the texting. I can't imagine what it's like today with all of this Tik Tok nonsense. Makes me feel old ahahaha
The phones and bathrooms are a huge problem. Systems are set in place, the kids say no u can’t take my phone, u call admin, admin shoots the breeze with them from just cussing me out and then they leave. They laugh carry on with admin like old friends or somethin. Then the kid takes their phone back out. Not to mention them throwing my supplies every. Single. Day. Art teacher. Year and a half in. Im out.
Agreed about the admins...assistant principals having those "verbal contracts" about doing better next time. These kids have no consequences for bad behaviors, and it just emboldens them.
I just retired as a school custodian, and man, I’ll be the first to say that teachers put their hearts and souls into their job. And they work insane hours too. And on top of that, they have to tolerate constantly changing standards in teaching that are given from the upper echelons. Yeah, I have the highest respect for teachers. 👍💪 You would never believe the number of times I’ve seen teachers crying in their classrooms after school because of the stress.
I agree, I have no energy for anything else but school. If I am not at school, I have to spend time planning or thinking about school while I am at home. It is draining and causes high anxiety. People who are not teachers do not get it or understand this.
I can understand this teachers frustration. I do believe however the whole public education system needs a complete overhaul. I now homeschool my now 14 year old. We started homeschooling in the 7th grade. It was for personal reasons why we left the school system. We love homeschooling as it gives us more freedom on how we schedule our day, weeks, month and year. I can't imagine the exhaustion this teacher went through and I applaud her for leaving.
I left the classroom in 2021 after 15 years of teaching elementary art- I loved my job but I felt the same way - every day … each year more and more responsibilities and obligations were added to my job and there was never a day where I felt accomplished or felt proud of myself- instead I felt stressed and worried that I didn’t do a good job or couldn’t get it all done … also -my state mandated the “jab” for all k-12 teachers and that was the final straw for me - good luck with all you do and thank you for sharing your story.
My English teachers in Jr. High were always the strictest, meanest teachers. I always wondered why it was that way. Now that I'm an adult and can see how kids are from this perspective, I'm sure I would have been known as the meanest teacher on campus.
As a physics professor, who taught aspiring high school science teachers for 25 years - I warned them about the public schools. Still they tried. May their aspirations RIP. American K-12 education is a toilet in need of a flush.
My mom has been a math teacher at her alma matter since 1997 and has taught me a lot. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had most great teachers who have passed on their knowledge to me as well. Thank you for what you do, and I wish you the best of luck in your new position.
Raise the pay only if you’re going to weed out the bad teachers. Do away with state end of course tests and start back giving homework. Start back teaching subjects instead of teaching how to take a test. But truthfully, I feel that homeschooling is the way to go.
Given that school systems are continuing to slip farther and farther into dysfunction, I agree that homeschooling is the way to go. I keep hearing about bad teachers, but that's just a strawman and a shibboleth (It's in the dictionary...) Your statement is the same grievances listed by politicians have no clue about what happens in schools!. I am retiring with 20 years of service. In that time, I have met only ONE teacher who truly did not give a care about students - oddly his students consistently scored in the top quintile on state tests for AP Econ. I have met one or two who were not perfectly fluent in their subject, but they were sufficient.
Every single thing this young lady said is exactly why ive long said TEACHERS ARE TERRIBLY UNDERPAID FOR THE SHIT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO PUT UP WITH!!! Its absolutely ridiculous
Would more money cure exhaustion and anxiety? It doesn't sound like more money would have solved this teachers problem, in fact she never mentioned it once. This will never be solved if all the public hears is, 'Teachers are underpaid...'" ad nauseum. When in fact it doesn't sound like you are underpaid, but are instead overworked. Perhaps teachers should strive for better messaging if they want the general public or parents to care.
I’ve worked as a long term substitute in a few inner city schools for the last 2 years and when you talk I see the faces of so many beautiful and hard working teachers like you. Just so tired and drained. Phones and bathrooms are incredibly over the top, it makes the job more like baby sitting than teaching and it’s incredibly frustrating and sad
I quit teaching, white male here, because my principal didn't seem to enforce discipline. When I asked for help he said to solve my own problems. I did I kicked the worst ones out. I had no authority to do so but they didn't know that. The best way to solve my problems was to make it his. It worked. The second was I was unable to fail the black students. They knew this and did nothing.
It sounds like hell. I don't think I could deal with the middle school students that you are describing. I was a professor in the US and Canada, and then I taught middle school and high school in China. The Chinese students, for the most part, were pretty well behaved.
Omg I started substitute teaching this school year and these students are ZOMBIES on cellphones. Cellphones should be 🚫 banned. I tell them that they're making themselves an easy target because where I come from you'll get robbed asap. If parents are that "scared", they need to homeschool. We didn't have cellphones and would simply use the office phone to call home. My son is grown and I'm glad I sent him to private school and homeschooled. I'm currently pregnant and 100% sure we're homeschooling & my child won't have a cellphone. I won't even allow my child around these kids whose parents allow cellphones. The school system is a total failure and parents are 🗑️🚮. Schools look like prisons. The future is doomed in the USA.
I'm so proud of you for changing your path! Brick and mortar is tough now a days. It feels like an institution for most kids. Things are different now with cellphones and technology. You gotta take care of yourself and I think this change will be a positive one for you. As for the bathroom situation, some kids have small bladders and have to go more. There should be designated times for classrooms to go to the bathroom every couple of hours, that way random kids wouldn't be wanting to go all the time. And the girl who goes 8 times a day, maybe she shouldn't be in brick and mortar. Something doesn't seem right there. Good luck with cyber. I feel it will be so much better!!!
It still depends on the administrator and on the parents whether that policy actually works. Our kid has been in three different schools, all of them had a no phones policy, but it was selectively enforced in each school. If a child's family was well-connected (or even just very loud complainers), teachers would look the other way. Also, private schools are facing the same teacher shortages while offering lower pay. You end up paying for someone to educate your child who may have no classroom experience or expertise, just someone's nephew who needed a job. One year, our private middle school had 3 different teachers in one year for both ELA and math. (I don't blame them for leaving - dealing with entitled parents while getting paid less is stressful). So it really depends on the private school. We stuck with private because the class size is smaller and weapons aren't brought to school. But it's not always better discipline-wise.
I taught k-8 for 36 years. I loved it and glad I stuck it out. I’m 64 now and have been enjoying retirement for 4 years and y decent pension. I saw many teachers leave the profession in their first 5 years. I agree that the mental exhaustion is tremendous and the summer and holidays were so welcome. Regardless, I felt I made a positive impact in my community and am proud of that.
Glad you're enjoying your well deserved retirement. Four years ago, that's prior to COVID, which is when education truly took a turn for the worse. Kids lost so much during those 18 months of virtual learning. For instance, their ELA & math dropped significantly and we just pushed them ahead without mastering those skills. Emotionally, teenage suicide increased during the pandemic and we now see students don't have the coping skills that is evidenced by the increase in student violence. My 6th graders act more like 2nd-3rd graders, where all I do is continually tell them to stop talking and sit down. They've lost their desire to learn about anything and I teach MS Engineering and design. I'm hoping to retire at the end of the 2024-25 school year, but it gets tougher & tougher as the weeks pass by. Each day is just one day closer to never having to deal with entitled students and their enabling parents anymore. I am physically and emotionally exhausted, which I guess could be considered teacher burn out.
6th & 7th graders with phones??? - ah; this isn't the kids fault- it's the schools fault as well as the parents. And no, I do not want to hear- my child 'needs' a phone. NO- your child does NOT need a phone. I brought up 3 kids- no phones. Maybe allow phones at the highschool level being it's the 21st Century provided they are totally OFF and unseen in the classroom. Failure to abide by the 'off and unseen' rule means phone privileges are revoked for that student-- PERIOD. This can be handled. Teachers are suppose to TEACH- not babysit.
I’ve known several tudors for middle and high school who made equal or more money than teaching in a public school even at the higher steps. There were several expenses they had to support like: self employment tax, making sure they set aside enough money for income tax quarterly, health insurance if their spouse did not have any or make up the difference it caused. My county’s health insurance for teachers is terrible compared to the next county over for teachers. Unfortunately, the gun threat was more of a problem in the the county I work in, not our school or feeder schools but the other areas in our county. However, my work county also is a high target for outside terror attacks. So we had to do a lot of different kind of drills from gun to toxic materials. I was lucky regarding our school cellphone policy and it’s enforcement but as student’s behavior and sense of entitlement has worsen I’m sure it’s harder and harden to enforce. I’m glad I retired just before the C-19 issue and behavior off the cuff. But, we were under a lot of pressure for other reasons that was incredible and only other teachers would understand..
Hi! Good Success with teaching on line. It is a balancing Act. Stress, Family, Friends. Having a job and being a role model, like being a good home provider does not Start or end at the school gates. It's a life-style. All The best of success. Thanks for your Virtual Teaching.
It's all mentally and physically exhausting... and everything said in this video is seeping up into higher levels, including college. A battle with everything is correct, except for the easy, fun teachers who let students get away with anything.
I’ve been running a High School Culinary Arts Program for 17 years. I used to love my job. Once smartphones appeared that all changed. Kids do not care about learning whatsoever. The smarter the phones got the dumber the kids got. I’ve called home to speak to parents and been laughed at, told to f*ck off, and heard things like, “my son says you’re a dick”. Teachers are 100% wrong and students are always right these days. Administration and policies favor this. Pathetic. Teachers hesitate to report bad student behavior for fear of administration focusing on the teacher. Teachers have to explain themselves for confronting students. Unbelievable.
Even as a student going through public schools the bathroom situation was frustrating for me as well! Id generally have to go pee but would be forced to wait on we'll just say the trouble maker (who should have graduated years prior but is still taking sophomore classes for some reason?) To get back with the hall pass and stop skipping class for 20 minutes
It's nearly the same at daycare except the hours are longer and you don't have to teach. Care givers hands are tied with so many rules that they can't take care of the kids. The rigid system us unreasonable...kids need individual care so it just doesn't work, rigidity and children just doesn't mesh. The parents are unreasonable too...one parent asked me if I could keep her kid from going outside because it would mess up her hair... unaware of the about of legal laws that would breake.... "no mam, 1 we have to let them outside, 2 no I can't let the other teachers take care of more than the legal amount of children while I'm inside with just one, 3 we'd have to hire another teacher to come watch your kid inside, 4 no letting her stay inside with no adults is illegal. You know what her solution was? Lol she sent her poor beautiful daughter in a plastic shower cap for a week and told us not to take it off ...untill she got a FUNGIS INFECTION IN HER HAIR...Which we also had to deal with laiter. NO WE CAN NOT ADMINISTER ANY MEDICATION ITS ILLEGAL 🤯...parents like this are the majority...and you know what...they're mostly right for wanting individual care for they're amazing kids, what they're wrong about is hoping to find that in a school/daycare. Sorry our hands are tied. Being a teacher/care giver is dangerous now, not to mention you could end up on TV for doing one little thing rong. Lol I quit a long time ago...I can't emagin how much worse it is now. You know what...if you ALL quit I wonder what would happen 😄
I'm a sub teacher at a high school in Cali. it's impossible! i have a credential and decided i just didn't have the energy. everything you said is absolutely true. the cell phones is impossible! then the kids and lie and say anything and i get in trouble. i didn't let someone use the bathroom on her time. i made her wait her turn due to everyone asking at same time. she went to the office and got ME in trouble. She even came up to me and said "I'm ganna get you in trouble" There is no support for things like.
I can imagine the cell phones would be a huge distraction, and the social environment is so different from even 10 years ago. Add the political opinions and pressures from all sides and it is obviously too much to deal with. It's unfortunate since good teachers like yourselves are being pushed out and in the long run, it's the kids who lose out. Thanks for sharing your experiences and good luck with your future endeavors.
The cell phone and bathroom breaks would make me crazy !!! I don't know how they ever allowed cell phones in middle schools, And how the kids don't think that's unacceptable And rude to be ignoring your teacher.
I graduated from high school in 1998. I can't imagine a battle with cellphones. Even in college, a cellphone was a luxury item. Very few of us had them. Those things have destroyed society. Kudos to you for leaving.
And as a 90s kid I'm pretty positive you were not allowed to bring your Nintendo DS or other handheld device to class and play with it at will. Yet cell phones are fine now according to ... everyone involved . I know when I was doing my student teaching in the 1990s , NONE of this would have been permitted. Parents came to parent teacher conferences with respect for the teacher and the desire to make sure their kid was obeying in class etc. That really was the last generation of decent schools and parent teacher student partnership
