I am going to say that I think teachers are not supported in what they do (by lots of people). I’m not going to be specific, but I will say that it only took 9 short years for me to become burned out. In a job that I originally thought I would never tire of. I loved my kids. I loved them so much that I called them MY kids. Years after they graduate, I still have many contact me around the holidays, when they are home from the military or just texting me to say hi (When you’re an FFA sponsor-all the kids have your phone number in case of emergencies with their livestock projects). I’ve cried over sadness my kids have suffered, prayed for them, been happy with their successes, and some of them have impacted my life in ways that I can’t begin to describe. I think there truly is no other profession where you become so invested in the lives of other people’s children that you are emotionally torn to shreds over decisions to move, accept another job, or leave the classroom entirely. (With FFA, you keep the same kids all 4 years of high school.)
That being said, I also think there are few careers where a person (in this pay grade) is criticized so much. And called/texted at all hours of the day, night, and in between. The expectation is that you are 100% devoted to that job 100% of the time. Or that’s how I felt, at least.
I made the decision to leave teaching (for now, at least) because I was truly unhappy. I stuck it out for roughly 2.5 years of being unhappy. I know that being happy isn’t everything, but I think your job shouldn’t make a miserable, bitter person out of you. The only times I felt happy was when I was with family or when I was sewing. I’m not going to talk about the MANY factors of what made me unhappy, but there was a limitless supply. I did still love the kids, and that was one of the few reasons I stayed. This post was originally going to be about what I do now-the custom sewing for others, longarm quilting, creating, making, etc. but I feel like that almost cheapens the decision I made to leave the classroom. When I’m alone in my sewing room with the machines humming around me, or the music turned up as loud as it will go, my mind will frequently travel to the kids I spent so much time with. I wonder about the choices they are making on a daily basis, if I even made any difference being with them in the classroom, and I hope for them and their futures. I think about all the hardships those kids endured through high school, losing loved ones, being mistreated by parents, and all the other hard things kids go through.
I don’t really know where I was going with this, just felt the need to get this off my chest. And most days when I’m walking the short 20 yard walk to my sewing room to go to work, I have a smile on my face. I’m not a miserable person to come home to anymore. I’m able to spend quality time with my family. I know that for now, I’ve made the right decision. Just my two cents.