There is no denying that the past two years have brought more stress than ever imagined when we looked forward to high school as young kids.
As students, we have had to deal with dances, football games, concerts and so much more being canceled, postponed or rescheduled.
There’s no doubt that we have been dealt a rough hand of cards.
However, as we grieve experiences we’ve lost, or the weight of isolation that has been put on us, there has been one constant: the teachers there to get us through the school day.
Teachers in Souderton, Pennsylvania and around the country have all had to adjust their plans or give up their time to give students the few extra pushes they need.
They’ve been pushing back deadlines, throwing out extra credit assignments and hosting hours upon hours of team meetings to help show empathy to students in a time of very little motivation.
However, what have we given to them these past three school years?
Complaining behind their backs because they “aren’t teaching the content.”
Whining about how they haven’t put grades in for an assignment that we turned in last week.
Whatever they’re doing, isn’t good enough for students. But how is that fair?
Throughout the year, students have talked about “Pandemic Fatigue”- making it clear just how exhausted they are from the dejected state we’ve all been living in for the past two years.
But teachers are burned out too.
Among other fields, we’re seeing “the great resignation” in education too.
Across the country, teachers are resigning mid-school year.
In fact, The National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers union, recently conducted a survey that shows 55% of its members are thinking about leaving the profession earlier than they had originally planned.
However, these teachers don’t make these decisions lightly or on a whim.
Many teachers go into teaching as a dream profession because of the deep-rooted, genuine love they have for educating and helping kids flourish.
The decision to make a career change comes after such a heavy mental toll and lack of love and support they feel in their classroom.
We as students need to remember that this is not what teachers signed up for.
When they were younger and would imagine teaching, this is not what they pictured or ever hoped for.