Positively moving forward

[awest1217]

Seriously thinking about quitting my job, or at least looking at finding a new job. I love my school and I love teaching, but I am tired of the poop and the hoops I have to jump through. I am a science teacher, but I am expecting to teach the students reading, writing, math, and morals. Where does it stop? What else am I going to have to teach my "kids"? I went to school to be highly qualified to teach chemistry...not all these other subjects. If I wanted to teach those I would have gone into that subject or taught elementary school like I was going to do until I realized that age annoys me. I want to teach and I love to teach, but it isn't fun anymore. It is proven that the best learning happens when students are "playing". I can't even do experiments half the time because I am expected to teach these extra ideas that take away from giving the students hands-on opportunities.

I really can't handle it anymore and people wonder why the turn over rate for teachers has increased so dramatically. It is because young teachers are trying to have a family and life outside of the classroom, but that is not possible if you want to keep your job.

I am expected to stay and give all this extra help to kids who would rather sleep during my class and not get their work done. They want to do that. They ask to stay after to get their work done so with the 20 minutes I give them to work in class, they can talk to their friends. I am perfectly ok helping students who really need the help, but many of the students failing could pass if they would just turn in a little work and try a little because they are extremely intelligent. Where are the parents? When will students be held accountable for what they are not doing? I agree there are things I need to change and I have explained how this year I am changing how I teach story problems after knowing the math doesn't teach them, but why am I supposed to give up parenting my kid to help a kid who wastes time during class.

Those of you who say, but you get summers off. I am spending my summer in class to renew my liscense that I have to pay to do on top of get new items ready for the next year so I work all year round. Last summer was the first summer I did get a break, but I am seeing that will be a very rare occasion.

Career change may be in my immediate future.