This will be my 26th year of teaching special education, right now at the Jr. High level. I teach some of the most severe kids in our district. I love being with the kids. When they finally understand a concept or develop a new skill, the joy is indescribable. Over the years though, the job itself has gotten more and more difficult, what with parents looking for a lawsuit, the mountains of redundant paperwork and administrations that hate you because your kids bring down the whole school’s test scores for NCLB. I’m about 5 years away from retirement and seriously thinking about taking early retirement and starting a second career. I LOVE teaching, but the rest is wearing me out.

Teaching is like a sink or swim job. You have to love it and learn how to do most of it all on your own with minimal help. If you are lucky, you will work at a school where the teachers are willing to share their resources, but many schools are not like this. You have to catch on fast.

You have to quickly get over humility; you will teach something wrong and you have to be able to admit when you are wrong. This makes you human to the students. You also have to relate to the students; discuss the recent game, or school event, etc.

You also have to be able to teach subject matter to their level. This is many teachers’ downfall, especially those entering the field through alternative methods such as career switchers.

Make things easy to understand, link lessons as much as possible to something they know such as movies, news, etc. Make things relevant.

It is the hardest job you will ever have with most likely very little pay. You have to be passionate about what you teach. If you’re not, this is not the job for you. There are too many dried up teachers out there that need to leave the profession.

I teach Earth and Environmental Sciences, High School, in VA and I am a career switcher. This will be my 5th year teaching, however my last school district, an inner city district, exhausted me and I have transferred to a smaller, more country-like district which I live much better. Its hard to believe how different schools can be when you switch districts.

Corrine Y has a great answer.

My 16th year teaching middle school math and science.

It is very difficult for new teachers to start. You have all these ideas of what it will be like and often teachers start with… “here’s your key – good luck” The notion that you are on your own is overwhelming for many newer teachers. This is one of the reasons so many leave the profession within 5 years.

I would do no other job.

I love teacher. Before I got married I got my BS in Art Education … then got a MS in Guidance and Counseling. Had my kids after teaching 5 years. After 18 years at home I went back and got another MS in Special Education and have been teacher K-1 students for 5 years. I love the little ones and look forward to going to school almost everyday.

I love teaching. Prior to becoming an assistive technology specialist, I taught severe handicapped for 8 years.

In my current position, I work with children 3-21. Part of my job is doing professional development and adjunct at a college.

im not a teacher (yet) cos im still in school, but whenever i get the chance to teach anyone i love it- we had a spanish day last year, where 9 of us y10s were teaching a group of 30 y7s spanish for the first time and it was amazing- i want to teach either french or maths at secondary school when im older btw

I always wanted to be with kids. So I started working with kids from 16 yrs almost for 15 yrs i have been working.I like their innocence and their eager to learn things.above all its interesting as all works always rotate around sharing and learning.