Why My Current Teaching Role Feels Different Than Past (and What I’d Pay Attention To Going Forward)

I kept on getting the same question over and over again at our holiday events this past year. 

“How is teaching?” Usually made with a slight crinkling of the face and timid nature to their tone. 

Thankfully, I am able to say “Things are going great. I know this was the right decision for me.”

And after all of these conversations, I wanted to figure out what the underlying reason is. What is the “thing” that is making teaching feel awesome when less than 4 years ago I thought I was leaving it behind forever? 

And to be honest, it isn’t just one thing. 

It is a combination of a variety of things that deeply matter to me. And yes that includes my compensation. It made me think that I wish I had a road map of how to make a decision about accepting a teaching position so I could have avoided some bad moves in the past. 

So here you have it.

Why My Current Teaching Role Feels Different Than Past (and What I’d Pay Attention To Going Forward) 

The Commute

If you have ever driven a commute more than 30 minutes you know. You know that taking an hour plus in the car is absolutely no fun. Now, don’t get me wrong I LOVE a decompressing moment. Those sacred moments when it is quick after a long day hearing your name a minimum of 187 times, where you get to choose if you want complete silence, an audiobook, a podcast or your favorite music. That time is awesome. But the car time gets excessive after 30 minutes. 

The Pay

(Caveat: I understand that some of you live in rural areas with limited education opportunities. Skip the first part of this and think about the second!)

Part 1: School Districts Pay Differently

As I was in the process of deciding if I wanted to go back to teaching I immediately pulled out the teaching salary schedules. I was really thinking about going back to my old district until I looked at that salary schedule. I would be taking a pay cut. Not worth it. My whole goal of changing my job was to find a better suited role and that ABSOLUTELY includes pay.

Now, I totally understand there isn’t much we can do with set salary schedules. But you CAN shop around if there are districts closer to you. I am in a more urban area and have 5 county/city districts within a decent commuting distance. 

So, I pulled them all up based on my experience and education and there was a CLEAR winner. I was able to get an immediate 17k pay raise just by taking a job at a district with higher pay.  

Now, pay is JUST PART OF THE PUZZLE! If you are commuting 2 hrs both ways to a higher paying district you might lose all the increase in pay with car depreciation, gas and maybe tolls (not mentioning your mental health from being in the car that much). 

Part 2: Other Paid Positions

If you don’t have the luxury to shop around districts (believe me I know it is a luxury), there are other ways to increase your pay. 

The obvious ones are getting a higher degree, taking a leadership position in your school, or even moving to an administration job. 

There are other ways to also increase your pay by coaching a team or advising a club (based on your system’s rules). I think it is important to know that you can increase your pay if you are willing (and able) to think outside the box. 

Content

If you have ever been out of your depth teaching a subject you better believe that content matters when choosing a teaching job. 

If you are applying for a horticulture heavy teaching position and you hate plants, that might not be the job for you. If you have to manage a show team and you have no livestock experience, that might not be the job for you. If you love middle school and you apply for a high school job, that might not be the job for you. 

Now, I get it that going out of your comfort zone is important for personal growth. But I also know that there is a sweet spot when learning something new. It’s called the Zone of Proximal Development. Where the learning isn’t too easy it is boring, and not too hard it is out of reach. 

As a teacher entering a new school/district you are ALREADY on a learning curve. You have to learn about the LMS, the student management system, grading policy, discipline policy, and not to mention the intricacies of the staff and admin relationships. 

Throwing yourself in the deep end with that heavy load on top of learning a new content (or multiple) might just be the perfect combination for burnout. 

Try to make sure you are applying for positions that align with your strengths and passions when it comes to content. Experienced teachers all know that it is much easier to teach the classes that you know and like. And anything to make the job a little easier is a win. 

The Duty Times

At the last school I taught at, I had to leave my house before 6 a.m. to arrive almost on two wheels before my duty time started. No buffer for picking up coffee or extra planning before 1st period busted through my classroom door. 

It was ROUGH. I didn’t get to see my children or husband before school as they were peacefully sleeping as I tip-toed out the door. And that took a HUGE mental health hit for me. I felt like I was always rushing. And when you start your day before 6am feeling behind, it is really hard to turn that negative feeling around. 

Knowing those expected duty times for teachers is essential before signing your contract. In conjunction with your commute and your family/personal responsibilities that could really make or break your relationship with your job. 

Maybe you gotta get your kids to before care.

Maybe you have to walk your dog who is going to be alone all day.

Maybe you have to get to the gym for a workout in the a.m. 

Whatever it is, that needs to be part of your decision. 

When I took my current position, I knew I couldn’t get my son to his bus on time. So my husband had to take on that role. Thankfully we are still able to all enjoy the morning together, we just go separate ways as we walk out the door. And we will reevaluate every year as things change. 

The Staff/Admin

The people you work with matter. I have been at four different schools and two different companies outside of school. And let me tell you, when you have toxic people around you it makes the job more difficult. When you have great people working with you, it makes the job more fun. 

If you get a weird vibe from the admin in the interview, it might be a sign. If you realize 6 months in that the staff is caddy and drama filled, it might be time to brush up your resume. 

You are spending 8 hours a day with these people. It is an awesome feeling that I know when I walk into 1st period I will have a great interaction with my fellow teachers/paras. I know that 3rd period will include a fun discussion with the teacher down the hall. It makes the days more enjoyable. 

We know that humans are wired for community. Your work community matters. Now, some people live their lives as robots and could care less about the people they work with. I am not that person. The people matter and twice in my working career I KNEW I had to get out and I did. Even if I wasn’t sure what was next I took myself out of the situation. 

Protect your peace, your mental health, your sanity. 

Feeling Accomplished

When trying to grapple with my feelings about teaching now, I realized that accomplishment is part of my puzzle for feeling content in my job. 

I was talking to an old friend who was also a teacher and spent many years in education adjacent careers and she asked me how that classroom was. And it finally clicked. 

I told her that in other jobs outside of the classroom when I finished the work day I felt relieved. That was my dominant emotion. These days when I leave my school I feel accomplished. 

Every. Single. Day. 

And it isn’t from winning awards like Teacher of the Month or having my students all pass a quiz. It is from the little things. Having my class laugh with me as we do interpretive dance to model a complex concept. It is when students talk to me in Spanish so I can improve. It is when I have kids asking to have lunch with me. It is when I get a kid to laugh. It is when I get to be the person who makes that kid feel valued. 

Every day I get to feel accomplished. Regardless of how the day actually went. And that means something to me. Personally, I need to feel that. Maybe it’s the way I am wired. 

All of this to say, everyone's situation is different. I know that some of you reading this won’t connect with some of the points, and that is OK. 

The overarching point I want to make is that the decision you make when you sign your teaching contract isn’t one to be taken lightly. It is more than just picking the school with the best FFA chapter, best pay, closest to your home. It is finding the best combination that works for you in your current situation. 

That might change. I left a job I absolutely loved because my family situation changed and we needed to move. I wish I had a blog post like this to have helped me avoid a bad job situation when I moved. I am hopeful this is that thing for someone else.