One of my biggest aggravations when it comes to teaching is the teacher guilt that comes along with it. We’ve all heard of mom guilt which we can all agree exists but teacher guilt is also the real deal.. Teachers are made to feel like they need to have to do lists complete, grade every assignment and put their students’ needs before their own because it’s what they signed up for as a teacher. This is not the impression we should be giving teachers and now I’m going to say it a little louder for those in the back.. THIS IS NOT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE!
I recently saw this meme on Facebook:
And it immediately stopped my scroll and instantly made me angry. A fellow teacher had posted it and it had a TON of comments about other teachers feeling the same way. Teaching is stressful, as is any job.. But society has conditioned teachers to think that they are slaves to the job during the 180 days of their contract. In reality, their contract usually states that they are only required to do work between the hours of 8-4 or something similar.
Teacher burnout statistics are continuing to rise…
Anything outside those hours, teachers are doing out of the goodness of their hearts because they love what they do and they love their students. Teaching isn’t just a job for most teachers, it’s a passion.
We need to come together as a society and start supporting teachers and the hard work they are doing in order to provide the best experience for our nation’s youth. If we don't, we will continue to see a rise in the number of teachers who suffer from teacher burnout.
If you’re a teacher and you’re reading this, here are 5 myths about teacher guilt:
Teacher guilt is contributing to high teacher burnout rates.
- You’re not doing enough for your students if you leave on time at night.
I recently took a poll on instagram and 83% of the teachers who responded said that they feel obligated to work outside their contracted hours.. I’m going to tell you that you should never feel obligated to work after hours. If you’re choosing to, that’s one thing but don’t do it just because you think you have to. Some of the best teachers I know have sound systems in place that allow them to leave shortly after their contract says they can most days. They still choose to come in on some weekends or take a couple things home here and there but they are doing it out of choice and not obligation.
- You’re not as good as other teachers if your room isn’t Pinterest worthy.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pinterest worthy classroom. They are absolutely beautiful but does it really make you less of a teacher if you don’t have one? NOPE! I think there is something to be said for a well organized space that lends itself to allowing students to do their best learning but it by no means has to be completely decked out.. Sometimes the rooms who have a lot going on in them are actually worse for student learning. You can find my blog post about creating a space conducive to learning here.
- You need to spend your nights and weekends grading papers.
First off, ask yourself, why am I grading these? Is it because I feel like I have to or because I’m actually giving my students productive feedback that will benefit them? I’m definitely team grade less but provide more specific feedback when I do give a grade. As long as you can see their progress or are tracking their lack of progress, there is no need to grade EVERY assignment. This might be an unpopular opinion but it all comes back to why am I doing this? Is putting a sticker this paper really benefiting the student? Or would more specific feedback once a week be better for them?
- Teaching should come before everything in life– even your spouse.
Read that again.. I kid you not that there are teachers out there who truly believe this!! I had a first year teacher tell me that this was advice a coworker gave them.. HUH?? I don’t know about you but my family and my husband are my support system.. They are the reason I can give so much of myself to others. Teaching is a job.. Yes it’s a passion for many of us but it is still your JOB.. It’s not your life, it doesn’t define you as a person and if you are not actually living a happy and productive life outside of school, then is it worth it? Do not sacrifice your relationships for school. It’s not healthy.
- You shouldn’t look forward to the weekend, holidays or summer vacation.
In what job is it unacceptable to look forward to a day off? Oh that’s right.. It’s just the teaching profession. For some reason, society has given us the impression that we are not allowed to love the weekend and still love our students. It’s okay to look forward to your days off and you shouldn’t have to hide your excitement! You are going to be an even more amazing teacher if you take those times to rejuvenate and take time for yourself.
Happy Teachers Change the World
I won’t lie to you, there were times that I took time for school on weekends or holidays but it was because I wanted to, not because I felt like I had to. I encourage you to work on your mindset. Shift it to get away from feeling guilty for living a full life that doesn’t include teacher guilt. If you are ready to make that change now, I would love to work with you on it. You can find out more information right here on how I can help!