I’d Rather Just Shoot Myself In The Head, Thanks
Michelle on Jul 09 2007 at 11:30 pm | Filed under: The Teaching
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Every summer for the past four years, my entire being goes into a state of resistance toward returning to the school system the next year. Last year, I actually went to therapy to deal with it. The year didn’t turn out bad, but there are so many things that bother me. I know that there is probably no “perfect job” out there, but it is difficult to teach when I basically believe the entire system should be torn down, as opposed to reformed. Anyway….
As you know, I set up a website to showcase my writing. I am annoyed by the whole serious blogger scene, such as it is. I’ve been wracking my brain to come up with another way to freelance, and I came up with something that just might work. I got the idea when I was looking at my site www.cheaplittlehouses.com and realized that I have been interested in real estate, alternative building, etc. for a long time. No, I am not going to become a realtor. I do want to get licensed as an appraiser, though. It provides a decent income, and most of them work for themselves. So working on that license is what I’ll be doing for the remainder of the summer. It will be a good part of my exit plan.
The event that inspired the title was a conversation that I had with a local appraiser. I have been researching the market before throwing money at this, and I ended up cold-calling one of our local guys. It turns out that he hates his job. Part of the reason seems to be because he is not computer savvy, which is a must in that profession these days. He gave me a long list of complaints, which I took seriously. Then he advised me to stay in teaching for the next 20 years because I’d have guaranteed health insurance and retirement.
Well, nothing is guaranteed in 20 years. Especially retirement, with the way our economy is going. Health care is important, but this summer, not teaching, I have all but gotten off of the benzos. I’d rather be underinsured and healthy. The man told me with a sigh that he was just putting in his last six years before he could retire. I felt just awful for him. He reminds me of so many of the older teachers whom I work with. They are miserable, and I know I’m heading in that direction if I don’t figure something out. And no, it is not just my attitude. Having a positive attitude is not going to change the school’s curriculum and philosophy.
Anyway, I just don’t get the whole thing of putting in time at a job like it is a prison sentence. Surely there is another way?
Oh, and after I spoke to an appraiser in Galveston, I got an entirely different picture. His sons are following him into the business. Can’t be that bad…what do you know about this profession?
My new friend keenEddie has a great post about why you should reconsider the job thing, by the way. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.
ITK code for Singing The Sky:
It gets worse every year–all the tests, the rules, the kids. It would be lovely to retire and have benefits too. I am trying to figure that out in the next 5 years or so.
I left a comment on here but it isn’t showing up. I would like to retire in the next 5-7 years AND have insurance. That may be too much to ask. Hopefully, our kids will be relatively independent by then. Also, I tried to respond to your e-mail but it bounced back to me as undeliverable. I am batting 0/2 so far.
A lot of my friends have burned out from teaching over the years. I’m crazy enough to enjoy parts of it, but I may get out for good in 2 years at year 30. Our illustrious school just got it’s first “B” on the Florida FCAT test so we are going to be under tremendous pressure next year. Teaching will suddenly become a lot less fun around here. The funny thing about it was that the state education department revised the scoring this year to make it more difficult for schools to achieve an “A” on the test. I guess they didn’t want to pay out that bonus money to “A” schools. Yep, that’s the kind of garbage you are dealing with everywhere, even Texas, now in education. If I were 20 years younger I would be looking elsewhere for a job.
I’m not in education, but I’m still in a high-stressed job in a field I’ve been in for 27 years, and I realized the other day in the midst of yet another wave of corporate propaganda sent via email to all 500+ employees that I JUST DON’T CARE. Or even the fact that the recent project I slaved and stressed over to “win” for the company actually was awarded….and I really didn’t care about that either. (Especially since after the fact I wasn’t included in the high-five good-ol’-boys-celebration, even though they wouldn’t have “won” it without me). But this is all I know. And so…I pretend to care. For the paycheck. Sad. (It really does feel like prison).
“I’d rather be underinsured and healthy.”
Doesn’t that qualify as wishful thinking rather than an actual plan for the future?
Sounds like you already know what you need to do… You shouldn’t teach if you don’t love it. But I think the same goes for any job.
Oy. The system would be losing out on a great teacher if you left. I totally know how you feel, though. I’ve been thinking about all the time I’ll need to take off this fall, with weekly dr’s appts, possible bedrest, and the eventual delivery. My boss is awesome so I hope everything will work out, especially since at a certain point I’ll start to care less. Unfortunately, it is still just a “job.”
R and I have discussed moving to Canada, England, or Cuba if either of us ever get really ill. Insurance isn’t a guarantee anymore; isn’t that a paradox?
Wish that the Dems would step up to Michael Moore’s cry for Universal Healthcare & then you (and me and everyone) would be freed up to pursue WHATEVER (wouldn’t *that* better our economy???????? …I like to think so).
Anyway, off my soapbox long enough to say, go for whatever you want .. you have the brains & ambition to succeed. xx, JP
I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t last five minutes in the school system, which I guess is why I teach EFL. I have to keep reminding myself how lucky I am to actually have a job I love to do, cause there’s plenty to stress me out about the way things are run and the way a lot of the other teachers are. But, for now anyway, I’m having a blast with my students.
But yeah, I totally agree that there HAS to be a better way than just staying in a job just cause that’s what people do.