What We Got Wrong About the Death of Teaching
With all of the recent teacher shortages, are we sure that any new teachers are coming in? Or is teaching as a profession dying out?
Teaching seems to be “going out of style.” News of teacher shortages nationwide has been spreading rapidly. In Minnesota alone, 9 out of 10 districts are experiencing the impact of a teacher shortage. Although many people aren’t teaching, there are 30 students in the Educators Rising club at Buffalo High School who are learning the ins and outs of becoming a teacher.
Many people seem to be hesitant to enter the teaching profession because of all the negatives they hear in the media. Some of those negatives are long hours without worthwhile pay, students becoming increasingly disrespectful, excessive student phone use while trying to teach, and working on getting students back on track after Covid.
“The negatives that I am hearing on Social Media do scare me,” says Ashley Wesolowski ‘23. ”I’m nervous about having so much anxiety and being burnt out, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives and I can learn strategies to help myself.”
Educators Rising acknowledges the struggles of current teachers and takes into consideration what it could be like for teachers in the future. When the club meets they discuss ways to help interested students prepare for how to handle the challenges that come with being a teacher.
“It’s all about balance and how you can find time for yourself so you don’t get burnt out like a lot of teachers do,” says Tia Thomspon ‘24. “Which I think leads to the fact that teachers don’t want to be teachers if they can’t find that equal balance of workload and being able to be with their family and have time to themselves.”
The media may stress the negatives about teaching, but there are also positives that Educators Rising seeks. The club’s advisor, Tara Rosh, finds fun opportunities for the students to serve the community. Serving the community helps the students to learn about working with different ages of people that aren’t just students ages. This leaves the opportunities open for working with all ages if they do decide to become a teacher. For example, the group made tie blankets for an animal shelter and is doing Project Prom for senior citizens.
These students are proof that teaching isn’t a dying profession. These people are excited to work with kids and help them reach their full potential.
“There are so many things I love about the idea of teaching. Like how you can have a part in shaping a child’s life and getting to watch them grow. I really like the perspective Educators Rising gives and the activities we do to understand children and people better,” said Wesolowski.
