Teaching Advantages and Disadvantages

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Second Grade Teachers Chatboard

Teaching Advantages and Disadvantages

by Tiffany

Jan 29, 2015

I am currently studying at a community college to receive a degree in childhood education. My instructor has asked us to create a list of the advantages and disadvantages of teaching based on the opinions of current educators. What do you find most challenging and most gratifying about teaching second grade? Why did you choose to become a teacher and how long have you been in the field? Do you have any advice for someone considering a career in teaching? Thank you so much for your help!

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coyoteboy Hi Tiffany,

I don't teach second grade, but here's what I feel about teaching in general:

Advantages: If you love it, there is no more satisfying job in the world. You have the opportunity to continually learn and improve. You get to start fresh every year, but with more experience. Making a positive difference in a kid's life is ...See MoreHi Tiffany,

I don't teach second grade, but here's what I feel about teaching in general:

Advantages: If you love it, there is no more satisfying job in the world. You have the opportunity to continually learn and improve. You get to start fresh every year, but with more experience. Making a positive difference in a kid's life is awesome. It's never boring. Kids are great to be around, except for all the communicable diseases you'll catch your first year teaching.

Disadvantages: It can be very political, and your career sometimes depends more on who likes you than how effective you are. It's easy to feel isolated unless there is a very strong culture of teamwork in your department/grade level/campus. You will make mistakes, and when those mistakes impact a kid, you will lie awake over it. STRESS from state testing (maybe not at your grade level, but intense in mine) Stress from micromanagement and inane policies created by people whose classroom experience is only a foggy memory. PAPERWORK, especially 504/special ed paperwork, and grading. Dealing with crazy helicopter parents. Learning that a kid has gone through abuse or neglect is really,really hard. (See lying awake, above) You have to suck it up and be positive no matter what kind of day you're having. (This might actually belong under advantages.) Teaching will eat your life unless you set boundaries about taking work home.

There's a million ways to be a great teacher, but no way to be a perfect teacher. Advice: Get as much classroom observation time of as many different teachers as you can. Keep a notebook (and take pictures if you can) of all the things you see that you want to use (or avoid doing!). Also in the notebook: reflections on how to do things different/better next time after you teach a lesson. You think you'll remember, but you won't. Get on Pinterest and check out all the awesome things other teachers are doing. Read Harry Wong's book The First Days of School. Stay away from negative colleagues. Pray a lot. Focus on the positives.

Good luck!

Jan 29, 2015

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kare.to.repeat On 1/29/15, coyoteboy wrote: > Hi Tiffany, > > I don't teach second grade, but here's what I feel about > teaching in general: > > Advantages: > If you love it, there is no more satisfying job in the world. > You have the opportunity to continually learn and improve. > You get to start fresh every year, but with more expe...See MoreOn 1/29/15, coyoteboy wrote: > Hi Tiffany, > > I don't teach second grade, but here's what I feel about > teaching in general: > > Advantages: > If you love it, there is no more satisfying job in the world. > You have the opportunity to continually learn and improve. > You get to start fresh every year, but with more experience. > Making a positive difference in a kid's life is awesome. > It's never boring. > Kids are great to be around, except for all the communicable > diseases you'll catch your first year teaching. > > > Disadvantages: > It can be very political, and your career sometimes depends > more on who likes you than how effective you are. > It's easy to feel isolated unless there is a very strong > culture of teamwork in your department/grade level/campus. > You will make mistakes, and when those mistakes impact a kid, > you will lie awake over it. > STRESS from state testing (maybe not at your grade level, but > intense in mine) > Stress from micromanagement and inane policies created by > people whose classroom experience is only a foggy memory. > PAPERWORK, especially 504/special ed paperwork, and grading. > Dealing with crazy helicopter parents. > Learning that a kid has gone through abuse or neglect is > really,really hard. (See lying awake, above) > You have to suck it up and be positive no matter what kind of > day you're having. (This might actually belong under advantages.) > Teaching will eat your life unless you set boundaries about > taking work home. > > There's a million ways to be a great teacher, but no way to be > a perfect teacher. Advice: Get as much classroom observation > time of as many different teachers as you can. Keep a > notebook (and take pictures if you can) of all the things you > see that you want to use (or avoid doing!). Also in the > notebook: reflections on how to do things different/better > next time after you teach a lesson. You think you'll remember, > but you won't. Get on Pinterest and check out all the awesome > things other teachers are doing. Read Harry Wong's book The > First Days of School. Stay away from negative colleagues. Pray > a lot. Focus on the positives. > > Good luck!

Jan 29, 2015

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kare.to.repeat On 1/29/15, kare.to.repeat wrote:

I went into teaching because I believe that I can find the good in every student. While I enjoy that part of the job, it's only one facet of a complex profession. In my twenty-five years as a teacher, I have needed to continuously adapt to new standards, curricula, demographics, strategies, technologies, a...See More

Jan 29, 2015

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Tiffany On 1/29/15, coyoteboy wrote: > Hi Tiffany, > > I don't teach second grade, but here's what I feel about > teaching in general: > > Advantages: > If you love it, there is no more satisfying job in the world. > You have the opportunity to continually learn and improve. > You get to start fresh every year, but with more expe...See MoreOn 1/29/15, coyoteboy wrote: > Hi Tiffany, > > I don't teach second grade, but here's what I feel about > teaching in general: > > Advantages: > If you love it, there is no more satisfying job in the world. > You have the opportunity to continually learn and improve. > You get to start fresh every year, but with more experience. > Making a positive difference in a kid's life is awesome. > It's never boring. > Kids are great to be around, except for all the communicable > diseases you'll catch your first year teaching. > > > Disadvantages: > It can be very political, and your career sometimes depends > more on who likes you than how effective you are. > It's easy to feel isolated unless there is a very strong > culture of teamwork in your department/grade level/campus. > You will make mistakes, and when those mistakes impact a kid, > you will lie awake over it. > STRESS from state testing (maybe not at your grade level, but > intense in mine) > Stress from micromanagement and inane policies created by > people whose classroom experience is only a foggy memory. > PAPERWORK, especially 504/special ed paperwork, and grading. > Dealing with crazy helicopter parents. > Learning that a kid has gone through abuse or neglect is > really,really hard. (See lying awake, above) > You have to suck it up and be positive no matter what kind of > day you're having. (This might actually belong under advantages.) > Teaching will eat your life unless you set boundaries about > taking work home. > > There's a million ways to be a great teacher, but no way to be > a perfect teacher. Advice: Get as much classroom observation > time of as many different teachers as you can. Keep a > notebook (and take pictures if you can) of all the things you > see that you want to use (or avoid doing!). Also in the > notebook: reflections on how to do things different/better > next time after you teach a lesson. You think you'll remember, > but you won't. Get on Pinterest and check out all the awesome > things other teachers are doing. Read Harry Wong's book The > First Days of School. Stay away from negative colleagues. Pray > a lot. Focus on the positives. > > Good luck!

Jan 30, 2015

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Tiffany Thank you both so much for taking time to respond to my question! I appreciate your input very much!

Jan 30, 2015

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