I am not sharing this to dissuade people from entering the teaching profession but I am sharing this because I wish someone would have shared this with me. Right off the bat I don't feel that the teaching credential program adequately prepares teachers to begin their careers. The program is filled with standardized tests and theories on teaching, but not one class I took focused on classroom management. I find that fact absolutely revolting because if a teacher does not have control of the class they certainly can not teach. I was lucky enough during my student teaching experience that in my first placement I was placed with a teacher who had great classroom management skills, so I did learn methods. It should not be completely left up to the master teacher, because in my second placement I was left with a woman who just screamed at and punished her children all day, it was horrible to witness.

Here is why the desire to teach is completely drained from my being. I wish that it was only the occurrences of misbehaving children, but it is much more than that. I am actually very patient and I can tolerate a great deal. It starts with the almost necessary step that one has to take to become a teacher and that is to go through the rite-of-passage known as subbing. I never got used to never knowing where I was going or what kind of group I would have. I also hated arriving at a school and then being told, "Oh, sorry we forgot to cancel the sub." Then being sent home or arriving to find out they totally changed your day. Oh you thought you were teaching 3rd grade, but actually we are going to have you teach 8th grade severely handicap. You are really at their mercy because if you don't do it you may not get any more calls.

There was no support what so ever. I had figured out a pretty good system to manage classroom behavior by balancing rewards and consequences, but calling the administration for back up proved to be pointless because most of them don't want to be bothered. There were a few times I needed to send an unruly child to the office and most of the time they would not take them or I would be treated extremely rudely or as if I was incompetent for bothering them. Keep in mind I wasn't the kind of teacher who sent kids to the office, it was very rare for me to send them. I also encountered many teachers who treated subs badly. A sub I knew wanted to sit with a group of teachers in the lounge and they asked her to leave because it was for real employees and not her. This same friend of mine was also got a full time job in this district and her classroom was excluded from the activities that the other 3rd grade teachers had planned because she was the new girl. I thought teachers were supposed to be a good example for their children.
It was also difficult to witness the hateful speech I witnessed other teachers spew about their fellow colleagues. They would criticize other teachers in the most vicious ways hiding behind the vail of "it's not fair to the children." If you really want to help the children then offer that teacher your help or some ideas. Constructive criticism is a great thing, but this was just an excuse to verbally slaughter their colleagues. It was truly disturbing to see, and this behavior was rampant.
Again, I thought teachers were supposed to be the example.
To make a long story short I was finally offered a class of my own and it nearly caused me to go broke. I was offered very, very little appropriate materials. So as a good teacher I spent a fortune to try and provide a quality education and spent every waking moment I had trying to design activities. Here is the kicker, you can spend all of that money, invest all of that time to organize activities and at any time your school can make you change grade levels and force you to toss all of that investment down the toilet. I knew a teacher who taught kindergarten for 18 years. Her principal did not like her and told her that the next year she would be teaching 7th grade. That teacher decided to resign because of it.

The final thing many new teachers may not realize is that your first credential in California will expire in 5 years. If you land a full time job then you will participate in a program that will allow you to renew your credential. I don't know what happens if you don't secure a position in that time.

So with that being said, I commend all of the teachers out there who are working so hard, and have in many ways a thankless job. Some people do have a true calling for that profession and I greatly respect and honor those who are doing a fantastic job, and doing it with joy. I just know it's not for me and I'm so glad I found out now!

Hi, I really liked your take on things. Just out of interest, which field are you working in now? Thanks