Teachers Are Out of Control
I work with many teachers. I really sympathize with the issues they have to face. Many are highly skilled, creative and dedicated professionals who simply have lost control.
I worked in the education field for many years. I get it.
Their frustration with the profession is not WHAT they are doing but rather HOW they are expected to do their job.
Classrooms are overcrowded and often they are trying to teach a range of children with varying cognitive abilities, behavioral issues, and considerably varied environmental circumstances. One teacher I know had 3 children in her class with significant medical issues as well as 1 child who “escaped” from the class and ran into the hall frequently. Several other youngsters were dealing with everything from homelessness to being shuffled around between foster homes.
It certainly wasn’t what teaching used to be like.
Teachers have to juggle issues involving weapons, drugs, and sexual harassment all while being politically correct and nurturing. Whether dodging a bullet or a bully, facing an unrealistic parent or a traumatized student, teachers are expected to do it all with a smile on their face.
Sure, teachers have aides that can help out in some circumstances but being asked to multi-task constantly with eyes and ears behind your head all the while being expected to deliver top-notch teaching to each child at his/her particular level is a bit like asking a cardiovascular surgeon to perform a heart transplant while simultaneously giving a speech to the A.M.A.
Let’s face it multi-tasking at any job can cause people to often feel nothing really gets done, because in reality, sometimes nothing does.
Teachers often feel they are caught in a cycle of constantly being asked to do more with less ( and of course expected to do it with one hand tied behind their back and blindfolded) The enormous requirements put on teachers to have children achieve certain standards while working under these conditions is at best, super challenging.
This certainly isn’t what teaching used to be like.
Those I work with who are employed in an educational setting, often tell me they simply feel “out of control”. Everyone from administrators and parents to society tells them how to do their job. Although that might be the case for other professions as well, I think feeling “out of control” is particularly disheartening for teachers. Teachers hold the future in their hands and when they feel unable to do what they were trained to do, that future looks bleak for the students as well as for the educators.
Certainly burn-out among those in the education field is increasing. Teacher’s salaries are often much lower than the rest of the professionals with college degrees. People often comment teachers don’t work a full year but I can promise you, teaching is much like good parenting. You are always on call, always need to be one step ahead of the game, always need to have a backup plan and always need to put yourself last.
Being a teacher today is a combination of a magician, counselor, strategist, inventor and ninja and that certainly is not what teaching used to be like.
One teacher I work with described her day as ” …juggling so many things, I have lost the joy of why I wanted to do this.”
Losing control is hardly rewarding. In fact, for many teachers, it is the impetus for deciding to do something else.
In June of 2018, Quartz reported the United States was having a hard time keeping teachers at their jobs. About 20% of my clients are teachers or former teachers. They have left a profession they once loved because they could no longer deal with the lack of control they not only had in the classroom but also the lack of respect many teachers are no longer getting in society.
It’s as though, teaching is thought of as a profession of default rather than one of choice and after years or sometimes just months of trying to keep their hands above water, those in the education field often turn to earn their income in another venue.
Often teachers don’t know exactly what else they want to do, but I can assure you they are among the best population to become business owners. They already have experience wearing many hats, most have exceptional planning and organizational skills and many are quite experienced dealing with difficult people.
Teachers have what it takes to get a job done. They just often aren’t allowed to use what they have to the best of their ability.
When a teacher approaches me and says they are ready for something different, I nearly always know they will be successful.
Being your own boss means you do get back control; at least control of some things. You can set your own schedule, decide with who and where you will work and you can control how much or how little you want to work. Whenever I work with a teacher, I know they really value persistence and are not afraid of hard work. I find helping a teacher discover a new love and income stream is one of the most rewarding coaching experiences for me.
So, if you are an educator and feel like you are “out of control” maybe it’s time to look at starting a business from that hobby or idea you have been tinkering with for a while. Or, maybe just looking into other career options which afford you more opportunity to regain some control in your life is all you need.
And, be assured that you aren’t “just a teacher”. There are so many other areas teachers can earn their living. You have worked in one of the most demanding professions. You know how to do more than you think and earning your income as your own boss is something you can easily do.
You already know how to TEACH people with a problem, now you just have to REACH people who have a problem you can solve and you will be well on your way to earning a living with you in control.
Maybe it is time to exchange your chalk for a chance and your lesson plans for lifetime plans to get back the control your profession has robbed.
You can do this and I’m here to help! Schedule a 45-minute Complimentary Consult and learn how!
