“There’s no point in aiming for the career you actually want…you probably won’t get it anyway. Do you think I really wanted to be a teacher??”
That’s the throwaway, unsolicited career advice my daughter’s teacher dished out to her whole class yesterday. Even if I give the teacher the benefit of doubt that his comment may have got slightly lost in translation, there’s no getting away from the fact that that was my daughter’s take away.
Makes me sad. Sad that he’s planting such a defeatist thought in young, impressionable minds, and sad that he’s so unhappy in his job.
He's not the only one who's disillusioned with his chosen profession. I have too many conversations with teachers who want to get out of teaching, mainly because of the long hours, mountains of admin, relatively poor pay and "disrespectful kids". Obviously I'm a big believer that you should make a career change if you have good reason to, but when it comes to the teaching professional I feel a reluctance to play a part in what at times feels like a mass exodus.
So much focus post-Covid has been on the children's welfare, ensuring they catch up academically and socially. Have we neglected the teachers who are carrying this additional burden?
We can blame the system, the government, other parents, the headteacher, the kids....but blaming and whinging won't change anything.
If we were to make the naive assumption that we can all play a part in teachers enjoying their work more, what can we do as parents, partners, friends etc?
Show teachers heartfelt appreciation through more than a crappy mug at the end of term?
Demonstrate real respect?
What else?
I don't know about you, but I want my kids to be taught by upbeat, inspired, inspiring, thoughtful and encouraging adults, who know that we, as a society, appreciate and respect them 😀
Listen to my chat with Azul Terronez who went from school principle to bestselling author, TedX speaker and book coach. He's super inspiring!
If you're ready to make a career change start by asking yourself these 10 super powerful questions to help you discover your next career.
Or read my book 'Ready to quit your job?' - 📚 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CZJ857LW
Comments