“Why quit teaching?” That’s a question you might be asking right about now. Your students are out of control, your admin is driving you crazy, you’re doing 1000 other things that aren’t really teaching and you’re exhausted. You were so excited when you first got started, but now you’re feeling the burnout and it’s hard. 

Here’s the thing though, you’re probably made of tougher stuff than you realize and you just need some support to get you through a tough time. If you already know this is you, we’re here for you!

CLICK HERE to join our Literacy That Clicks and Sticks FB group.

If you’re still wondering, I’ve put together some guaranteed ways to find out if you really should be teaching or if you want to look at another career path. 

Teaching is for you if…

1. You believe learning is fun.

This is a biggie! Because for students to really invest in learning what you have to teach, they have to believe learning is fun. Now of course you can’t talk about Pokemon all the time because you have curriculum to teach, but you can find ways to make it relevant and interesting to them. The only effective way to do that is when you love learning yourself. After all, your students pick up EVERYTHING that you put down and if you’re miserable, they will be too. So if you love learning and you want your kids to love it too, you will often find the answer to “why quit teaching?” is you shouldn’t!

2. Your goals in the classroom include student feedback.

If one of your goals in the classroom is to see the value your students bring to the learning environment, you’re moving in the right direction. Kids are smart and motivated. They already love learning and there are many students who do a lot of learning on their own. According to Dr. Catlin Tucker, “A class designed to engage learners must place the students at the center of the learning happening.” So one of your greatest tools as a teacher is to know the value your students sharing and to equip them to do just that. We do a lot of sharing during morning meeting. 

3. Engaging with students is your #1 priority.

We have heard from some teachers over the years, that they just have a hard time engaging with students in the grade they teach. If you have a hard time understanding, empathizing with, and building connections with the age of students you teach, it might be time for a change.

Before your students can absorb any information, much less turn that information into knowledge, they have to experience 5 main things: to have their physical needs met, to feel safe, to belong, to have self-esteem, to be intrinsically motivated. This is a huge part of our jobs because we are sometimes the only way these needs can be met for our students. If you’re nodding your head yes, then you’re on the right track!

4. Behavior of students in the classroom is a shared responsibility.

Yes, behavior of students in the classroom is partially their responsibility, but as you know, it’s partially ours too. I know this was tough for me. After all, I’m the teacher and my students need to respect me. They need to listen to what I have to say. Yes students do need to respect not just their teacher, but all people in the classroom. That being said, taking into account student feedback and engaging with students, you may have already noticed that some of the direct instruction methods we so diligently learned in school don’t actually work. In fact, according to a study on college students, breaks in attention occurred more frequently during lecture periods than active discussions. 

This was for college students. Now imagine how much more important these findings are for little kiddos with little attention spans. How can we expect them to “behave” if they are forced to sit in silence, listening to information that is brand new to them, with zero personal connection whatsoever? But when we recognize that many behaviors are forms of communication not reflections on our students, we start to reflect on how we can fulfill our role in behavior.

5.  Teacher classroom goals are a team effort.

Whoa dang, I cannot tell you how many times I have met very well-meaning, hardworking, compassionate teachers who think they have to do all the things all by themselves. Teachers who keep living this lie are slowly consumed by their jobs. There are so many responsibilities, both in and out of the classroom, that you cannot possibly do on your own. You need people to get you through. People who:

• Encourage you to grow
• Support you when you’re overwhelmed
• Provide new ideas
• Hold you accountable

These people are going to be the way that you go the distance in the teaching profession, because when you feel like you can’t do it anymore, they are there to cheer you on. And let’s face it, they’ve likely been exactly where you are and can help you through. CLICK HERE to read about teaming up with other teachers and more ways to break through a stale routine.

Why quit teaching? I can’t think of a reason.

If you’re saying yes to some or all of these, you have the qualities you need to be a great teacher! Notice that none of these were about your ability to teach or the program you use. I didn’t even talk about your methodology or instructional approach. You know why? Because when you have these 5 things, you will find all the rest of that stuff. 

Think about all the teachers you look up to. Do they use the same books, programs, even learning approaches? Doubtful. You will see what they do have in common is who they are and how they approach learning. Teaching is a calling not a job, and if you’re passionate about what you do (even in theory) then you are likely right where you need to be. If you’re open to these ideas and you want to reignite your joy for teaching, join us in the Literacy That Clicks and Sticks FB community.

CLICK HERE to join our Literacy That Clicks and Sticks FB group.

If you’re looking to chat one-on-one, simply send us an email at [email protected] 

Have a fabulous break and enjoy doing YOU,

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