By Andrew Kruszka, Staff Writer
I probably sent some people into a panic when they read the title because as a future educator, when people say, “those who can’t do, teach,” I get worked up as well.
What does this saying even mean? You’re saying that an entire profession that educates the youth of America every single year couldn’t do any other profession?
Let me stop your ignorant thoughts there if that’s how you feel about teachers/educators.
First, being an educator is not just teaching in a normal classroom setting. One can be a chef educating, coach, driving instructor, daycare worker, parent, etc. The list goes on and on. Every day in our lives, we see teachers even if they’re not dressed up nice at the front of the class.
Again, I’ll ask the question if you feel this way to make that ignorant statement, why?
As someone who is now in my third year in college that will hopefully become a future educator in the classroom, I can say from first-hand experience that the job is not very easy.
There are multiple different aspects and sections to the job that people just don’t see. We learned this as a society this past year when COVID-19 hit. Over a weekend, yes Friday to Monday, teachers and professors had to change their styles to be online. Not many job professions would ask you to change your whole way of doing things and it to be done in a solid 72 hours. Let’s be honest, it was probably less than that.
Besides taking the classes to become a teacher, doing the ed TPA, taking the certification tests, getting through field block and student teaching successfully, you now have to find a job. Sometimes this is easy but with any profession, other times it’s not.
Once you land that first job, you hit the restart button. For one, first-year teachers do not make much of anything usually and they are asked to do the most because their job security is practically nothing. A first-year teacher cannot say no to really anything.
This leads to them being put at team lead for a grade that they just took over for. How is that fair? While dealing with all of the outside factors, you still have a job to do and we as a society hope you do well because as stated earlier, you’re educating the future of our country.
There are PowerPoints, different assessments, projects, tests, grading and the list goes on and on. The first-year teacher has to make up a 40-50 minute presentation depending on where you are in the subject every single day. Then you add on the other planning, grading, meetings and trying to become a coach/advisor for a club; the stress levels are high.
That’s why I hear every day in my profession that the number one burnout job in America is teaching. People work so hard and spend so many hours trying to become a teacher just to leave after a few years in the business. That shows the mental toughness you need for this job.
I don’t think that will be me because of how much I’ve loved it so far, but only time will tell.
So next time, leave the “those who can’t do, teach” comment to yourself. Unless you’ve experienced it, don’t bash it.
kruszka18@bonaventure.edu
