https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/1j7dr52/what_drives_you_to_stay_teaching/
created by Fit_Storm_7 on 09/03/2025 at 18:15 UTC
118 upvotes, 166 top-level comments (showing 25)
I just started teaching like 2-3 months ago. And it has honestly been really exhausting and hard. During the work day, there isn't much time for me to do admin work because I teach a lot of classes and extra classes and have extramural activities and there's meetings, there's dealing with parents and also disciplining the kids, cause my school has a really rigorous procedure that takes a lot of time to do, so I constantly need to take home work and even work on the weekends. I am constantly working. I hardly spend time with family and I feel like teaching has become my entire life, which is something I do not want. I want to be a good teacher but I don't want it to consume my life. And I know that people say that your first year is your most difficult and that you just need keep pushing cause it gets better. But also, even the senior staff at my school are always taking home work and working through weekends and holidays. And after reading some of the posts here, I was wondering, what makes you want to stay teaching if it's consistently demanding? What makes you want to teach for the next 5 or 10 years or more?
Comment by old_Spivey at 09/03/2025 at 18:31 UTC
345 upvotes, 4 direct replies
I have a weird condition where I am required to eat occasionally and an overwhelming need to have a roof over my head. I also like to see a doctor when I am sick.
Comment by CraftyGalMunson at 09/03/2025 at 18:35 UTC
139 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Money, benefits, pension, it’s not boring.
Comment by Superb_Brilliant3093 at 09/03/2025 at 18:20 UTC
155 upvotes, 4 direct replies
The schedule. I left teaching, and one of the big reasons I came back for was the schedule. The breaks, no nights and weekends, and can go home at four. I love having a “start” and “end” point to my work year. Very good for my mental health, it makes me feel like I’m not working my life away.
Comment by PhasmaUrbomach at 09/03/2025 at 18:30 UTC
90 upvotes, 3 direct replies
Summer. 185 day work year. Pension. More time with my family. I love 99% of my students. I love my subject material. My team is a work family and that helps so much.
Comment by MonkeyTraumaCenter at 09/03/2025 at 18:18 UTC
57 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Just under 10 years to retirement and have decent health insurance.
Comment by JustTheBeerLight at 09/03/2025 at 18:37 UTC
19 upvotes, 0 direct replies
1. sunk cost fallacy 🤷🏻
2. most days are not too terrible
3. summers off + breaks
Comment by RuinComprehensive239 at 09/03/2025 at 18:40 UTC
20 upvotes, 1 direct replies
It definitely sounds cheesy but I stay because I know I’m making a difference in my students lives. I’m on year 7 and finally feeling like I’m finding my groove. It didn’t help that we basically completely redesigned/rearranged our curriculum the first three years in a row I was at my current school. The first few years are the hardest and it sounds like you have a much more demanding day than I do, most places recommend new teachers do not take on extra classes, clubs, sports etc. for that exact reason. All you can do is try to find a grove and procedures that work for you to make things easier. Find ways to streamline the process, whether it’s an email template for initial contact with parents, Google forms for yourself to help track behaviors or parent contact, ways to have everything in one place, procedures for meetings, grading, planning. You may have to try a few out different styles of grading/planning/organization before you find what works best for you and/or what works best together.
Comment by NajeebHamid at 09/03/2025 at 18:43 UTC
22 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Not wanting to start a new career and the time off tbh
Comment by Specialist_Mango_269 at 09/03/2025 at 18:40 UTC
18 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Ending at 3, fall, winter, spring and summer breaks. Also, dealing with kids is easier than adults
Comment by herculeslouise at 09/03/2025 at 18:33 UTC*
14 upvotes, 2 direct replies
$60500 193 contact days. WFH every other Friday. I have very hands off administration. It is one hundred percent muslim school. And i've been the victim of really vicious gossip for two and a half years. In the muslim faithIt is taught that gossiping is like eating the flesh off your enemy After they're dead, so i'm good with this school. And they feed me breakfast and lunch, and it's very good. And everybody gets a guaranteed three percent raise the next year. I'm going to ask for 5% and probably I'll get it. No lesson plans!!! And I won't be observed until March 2027. I am over these social workers getting administration licenses and then coming in and observing me when they've never been a teacher. And then the feedback's really negative.And this has happened to me more than once. My hours are 7-330. The only downside is I have to deal with 94.
Comment by olingael at 09/03/2025 at 18:55 UTC
12 upvotes, 2 direct replies
the secret is to stop doing extra things. trim away until you are not taking any work home. learn to say NO to admin/ out class room requests.
Comment by SeaweedAlive1548 at 09/03/2025 at 18:46 UTC
10 upvotes, 0 direct replies
After almost 20 years, most days, I still love teaching. I love my team. I am proud of the progress that my students are making. I like the daily challenge.
Comment by soleiles1 at 09/03/2025 at 18:52 UTC*
9 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Money (CA). The schedule. Great team. Finally, good admin. Top pension in 9 years.
Too far in- over 20 years.
Introverted personality that wouldn't mesh well in the private sector. Kids don't judge like adults and aren't petty.
Relationships with kids- middle school. Know I've made a difference in some of their lives.
Comment by lorettocolby at 09/03/2025 at 18:43 UTC
8 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Vacation and pension. 10 min commute nice too
Comment by mni1996 at 09/03/2025 at 18:45 UTC
7 upvotes, 0 direct replies
What most others are saying: summers off, pension, and it’s not boring
Comment by pirateapproved at 09/03/2025 at 19:13 UTC
8 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I’ve worked all the jobs before becoming a teacher. Work sucks. No matter what you do. But with teaching, I’m never bored, I have fun, I get to use my brain, and the work I do has value. Summers off are pretty great, too.
Comment by Rare_Hovercraft_6673 at 09/03/2025 at 19:54 UTC
9 upvotes, 0 direct replies
It's better than many other jobs I have done before.
It's not a hamster wheel like customer care or factory work. There's nothing wrong with those jobs, they just bore me to tears.
There is a small degree of freedom and creativity.
I talk about things I like.
Kids may be a tough audience, but they're really interesting and keep me on my toes.
Every day is different. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes...well. No job is perfect.
It's a practical job with practical results, and that's important for me. Tangible results keep me motivated.
Anyway, I still have 20 years to go...I hope I will have the energy to keep going 'til retirement.
Comment by GallopingFree at 09/03/2025 at 18:25 UTC
7 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Money and benefits. Having time off when my kid does.
Comment by Edisonbutnotthomas at 09/03/2025 at 18:41 UTC
6 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Health insurance
Comment by Regular_old-plumbus at 09/03/2025 at 22:37 UTC
6 upvotes, 1 direct replies
What drives me is my hope to help develop critical thinkers who aren’t assholes or morons.
Comment by Vincent7777 at 09/03/2025 at 18:52 UTC
11 upvotes, 0 direct replies
If you really like traveling, this job is where it’s at. Anyone who has been in the normal workforce or corporate world will tell you, you will be lucky to use all your vacation time, especially consecutively. The entire summers off are truly a beautiful thing. The wife and I have spent entire summers abroad and it’s really helped us regain a feeling of, we are actually enjoying/living our lives and not some work machine.
We just had our first kid and I can’t wait for all the summers off together to explore and see the world. Just hope it’s in tact by then
Comment by nerdmoot at 09/03/2025 at 18:50 UTC
5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Glutton for punishment
Comment by teachingscience425 at 09/03/2025 at 18:50 UTC
6 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Pension in 3 years.
Comment by cayce_leighann at 09/03/2025 at 18:56 UTC
5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
The joy I feel when I a kid understands a concept, getting to work in STEM and it allows me to coach soccer
Comment by Steeltown842022 at 09/03/2025 at 18:20 UTC
5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
time off and 23 months until pslf