If you know someone who is a teacher in their professional life, then you know how much time, money and energy they put into their classrooms. Work doesn’t end when the school bell rings at the end of the day – they bring it home with them, where they get to grade hundreds (if not thousands) of papers and prepare next week’s lesson plans. Luckily, most teachers have great senses of humor – which they need in order to put up with everything they put up with. Only teachers will fully understand the following:
1. Students trying to get your attention before you are ready for them.
2. Hearing about “Exciting new changes” to the curriculum.
3. Kids so horrible they will haunt your dreams for years to come!
4. When someone comments that teaching is an easy job.
5. Parents who know their children can do no wrong!
6. Trying not to laugh when a student says something hilarious, but it’s inappropriate.
7. When you don’t know why all your students are giggling…
8. When non-teachers tell you how you should be running your classroom!
9. When your worlds collide and a student finds you on social media!
10. Saying goodbye to your evenings and weekends!
11. Realizing that there really IS such a thing as a stupid question (and not being able to give a sarcastic answer).
12. Being a front-row witness to the demise of the English language.
13. Receiving odd gifts from students.
14. Having to go back to work after a break.
15. Acting like a teacher when you aren’t at school.
16. When kids ask a question you don’t know the answer to.
17. The complete loss of your privacy, and sometimes your dignity.
18. An internal alarm clock that wakes you up early in the morning even on weekends and holidays!
19. Running into students at the worst possible places!
20. Your ever-growing list of Pet Peeves.
21. Trying not to get sick from your students.
22. Going to work even when you are sick.
23. Wishing for snow days!
24. Students that text in your class.
25. Trying to remember every kid’s deadly food allergies.
26. Grading truly awful work!
27. Mandatory faculty meetings at the end of a long day when you just want to go home!
28. Explaining to your friends why you can’t hang out after work.
That Friday afternoon feeling… not freedom, but pure exhaustion.
30. Wanting to respond to a disrespectful child like a child.
31. But only being able to do this…
32. Meeting people who make more than you to do an easier job than yours.
