Comments on They Call Me Teacher: When You Hit Bottom...

I guess HS teachers have it a easier: when these ...

2009-04-04T09:33:00.000-04:00

I guess HS teachers have it a easier: when these same 10-yr-olds you're having trouble with get to HS, they just wander the halls all period. Just about everyone's given up on them -- not as individual kids, but when there's too many of them at one time, we can't be asked to do the impossible.

Seriously, though, I'm glad it got better for you after March 12th.

So far you've got some encouraging words from the ...

2009-03-21T20:58:00.000-04:00

So far you've got some encouraging words from the previous comments, and what seems to be a common thread is "we all go through this at times."

I would absolutely agree with that. And we say that not to diminish all you're feeling now, but just to let you know that we feel for you.

One thing you've figured out: avoid people that bring you down. When you're strong, absolutely interact with those people, and try to let your positive outlook rub off on them. But when you're feeling low, AVOID THEM! You're not strong enough to resist them at that point, and you are then in danger of becoming one of them.

Kind of like vampires, but not in the nice Twilight-I'm-in-love-with-a-vampire-way.

Hang in there.

Keith
at http://teachingthatsticks.blogspot.com

When you hit the bottom... you bounce. mrs. e

2009-03-19T14:26:00.000-04:00

When you hit the bottom... you bounce. mrs. e

Glad to hear your day was a bit better. Hope it's ...

2009-03-19T04:14:00.000-04:00

Glad to hear your day was a bit better. Hope it's starting to improve. Teaching can be tough. I always find it rougher when things are thrown at me that I wasn't expecting. While I don't like to think of myself as a control freak, it's nice to have things running smoothly. When things shake you, it feels as though everything is going downhill. When things are particularly crappy, take a walk or run in central park (even when it's cold - I recommend a walk around the reservoir) or grab yourself a bubble tea in Chinatown, or any number of other delights the city offers. At least you have that. :)

My heart breaks for you in your misery, only becau...

2009-03-18T20:48:00.000-04:00

My heart breaks for you in your misery, only because I am there with you! I hate the feeling of helplessness, but I hate the disrespect from adults more. It makes you wonder when we changed from professionals and became the stomping ground of rudeness! I hope for you things get better...for me I would say they will ask for resignation :(

I really appreciated your last post because someti...

2009-03-14T14:32:00.000-04:00

I really appreciated your last post because sometimes it is easy to tricking yourself into believing that you are just being over dramatic about difficult days when, in reality, sometimes it really IS THAT BAD. Thank you for sharing the ups as well as the downs and I'm really glad you had a better day. You deserve it!

You needed that kind of day before the weekend hit...

2009-03-14T12:42:00.000-04:00

You needed that kind of day before the weekend hit. A good Friday can make it seem possible to return on Monday. Mrs. E

I love reading your posts and your last one actual...

2009-03-14T12:09:00.000-04:00

I love reading your posts and your last one actually inspired me because sometimes I wonder if I am just over dramatic when I get to my breaking point, but it's there and sometimes this job really is THAT hard. I'm so glad you had a better day though. You deserve it!

I stumbled across your blog a few weeks ago. It's ...

2009-03-13T23:59:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across your blog a few weeks ago. It's my 3rd year teaching in a NYC school that sounds a lot like yours. I know you have probably heard this before but it will get better. Just think, it's almost Easter vacation.

I've been there. It's difficult to keep going whe...

2009-03-13T20:04:00.000-04:00

I've been there. It's difficult to keep going when faced with these kind of challenges, but the truth is if you care this much, it's nearly impossible that you're not making a difference to somebody in your classes. It's not just a cliche: if you make a difference in one students' life, you have made a real difference.

I've been looking back at a lot of notes I kept during the most tumultuous years of my teaching career, and it's eerie how similar what you're posting is to what I've been through.

There are a lot of things I could tell you to try and make you feel better, but perhaps the most important thing is this: teaching is a thankless profession. You will do amazing things and no one will notice. The fact that you've lasted this long is already a testament to your dedication.

The bottom line: unless you can give yourself some credit, it's time to consider another career. If you're waiting for someone besides me to tell you to keep going, you're going to be waiting quite a few years. The resilience, the relentless attitude must come from within.

I wish you luck!