Please Become a Teacher

To That College Student Thinking About Becoming a Teacher: I hit a point a month ago when I considered leaving this profession altogether. I suppose, on some level, that's how most people feel on mile seventeen of a marathon. Part of it is my own brokenness. I've yelled at my class a few times this year. I've had moments where relationships became difficult. And, honestly, I wanted to run away. However, this year it felt different. This year, it was the system. My students test six weeks a year. On top of that, they take common assessments (that are slowly shifting toward multiple choice) once a week. The notion that half my evaluation is based upon these scores (despite all the flaws in the metrics) makes me sick to my stomach. The thought that great administrators might leave in the face of low scores bothered me. So, the system is a mess. I get it. So, my favorite band lately has been Of Monsters and Men. I can honestly claim to have discovered them (okay, Jabiz the Teacher Troubadour discovered them first) before they made it big. I hear their music everywhere. Same goes with Mumford and Sons and the Avett Brothers. In the midst of an auto-tune culture with flimsy pop songs, I find depth and authenticity in bands that would have once remained indie. I want to be like my favorite bands. I want to bring depth and authenticity into a culture of auto-tune. I want to be different in a system of standardization. I want to push learning ahead of achievement. I want to prove that relationships and humility work better than behaviorist systems. I want to be different in the midst of the mainstream. If you feel the same way, I would recommend teaching as a profession. You will have a low salary. You will work crazy hours. You will have days when the system wars against your soul. And you will be forced to reckon with your own broken humanity. But . . . You will have impact in the lives of students. You will get a shot at being a relevant, authentic, profound voice. You will get to be the indie artist in the midst of mainstream pop. If you're up for that kind of gig, I say go for it. Even in broken systems, kids need good teachers. Sincerely, John Spencer a teacher who still loves teaching