Jobs For Teachers – Why It’s Such A Hot Keyword Search

Posted on March 8, 2017 by

Wonder what teachers are really searching for online?

I can tell you – it’s not just lesson plans or decoration ideas. It’s not just how to deal with the unruly child, or how to motivate a reluctant reader.

Those searches would be understandable.

What teachers are really searching for online is this:

jobs for retired teachers jobs for ex-teachers jobs for teachers leaving teaching jobs for teachers jobs for former teachers jobs for teachers leaving the profession careers teachers

good jobs for retired teachers new careers for teachers jobs for teachers other than teaching jobs after teaching leaving teaching for a new career careers after teaching

careers for teachers careers for ex teachers careers for retired teachers non teaching jobs for teachers jobs for teachers who leave the profession careers for former teachers

And the search keyword list goes on and on. Sad, isn’t it? Scary, for sure.

What is happening to our teachers? And is anyone noticing?

jobs for teachers

As a 25-year teaching veteran, I can completely understand. In the 1990s, when I entered teaching, we were in a whole language curve. Middle school ELA teachers like myself were trusted to create curriculum and address the needs of the whole child. I was part of a five-person interdisciplinary teaching team that was responsible for teaching only reading – my partner took care of the writing instruction, and we carefully aligned with each other to ensure  cohesive instruction for each of our 100 students. As a beginning teacher, I was making a decent salary, had 100% of my health benefits paid for, and was offered compensation for professional development.

Forward to 2016: I’m still teaching ELA in middle school, but have navigated through NCLB and am now entering the uncharted territory of CCSS. I’ve been given the standards, but little training, and no materials whatsoever that match what my students are being tested on. I’ve spent money out of my own pocket to purchase lesson ideas from teachers in other states who are one step ahead. I’ve pursued grants, my own training, and read everything I can get my hands on. I’m teaching classes of 36, responsible for all ELA standards. I’m making a higher salary, but pay nearly 27% out of pocket for my share of my health benefits. I make less money this year than I did last year, and am looking at 12 more years of teaching before I can take full retirement. And I’m trying to pay for my own child’s college tuition, all the while I’m educating other people’s kids so they can enroll in college, too.

So I get it.

Jobs for teachers

Teachers today are under more scrutiny than ever before. Their jobs are becoming more and more aligned with test scores and performance tasks. We are expected to do more with less, seek our own education, and somehow grade those papers AFTER our paid work day is done.

Teachers are tired. Veteran teachers are wondering how they can maintain. New teachers are quitting after a year or two.

I believe in public education, and I believe that I am impacting the lives of the students I see every day. I believe all children have the right to education, and I believe there are thousands of teachers who, like me, don’t want to leave their job. But I also believe that teachers ARE searching for something else – something where they can find the balance between doing what the love, and having a life outside the classroom.

And please don’t say we knew it wasn’t about the money.

And please don’t tell me we get summers off.

And please don’t tell me we’re making a difference, we have the hardest job in the world, and that you appreciate us.

We hear that. We hear you. And look what’s happening – we’re leaving.

Something has to change before it’s too late. Aren’t our children worth it?

I originally wrote this post for The Educator’s Room.
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Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Comments: 15

  • Radomir Quis

    April 21, 2017

    Certainly depends on a state and location, but in general compensation, particularly in public schools is in my opinion decent. Why I am considering leaving the profession is the impossible situation we put our teachers in when it comes to classroom management and disciplining unruly students. My problem is not students bringing weapons or being violent (although I do understand that in some places these are real issues) 90% of problems I encounter are one two or (worst case scenario) several unruly and disrespectful students. Teaching becomes difficult as these students will continuously talk, disrupt, draw attention to themselves from their classmates in any way possible etc. Most administrators don’t want to deal with this issue as they do not consider it serious enough. Yet to me the fact that we have almost no tools left to effectively discipline students and have to deal daily, hourly and minute by minute with the consequences is by far the biggest problem. Yes, I have studied all the classroom management techniques and used them when they appear effective, however, there are always a few students with whom nothing works. At times counselors, psychologists etc. get involved often with no success. The problem is that even one single extremely disruptive and/or disrespectful can ‘ruin your day’. We hear of so many teachers leaving the profession despite the average 185 days’ work year, sometimes 6 hours long work day. I have worked through the years in several very different jobs as well as 22 years as an educator. Teaching is in my view BY FAR the hardest profession. The quitting phenomenon is caused primarily by mental exhaustion. Whether it is an inexperience, wrong personality for teaching or poor management quitting teachers will I believe agree that the primary reason is just daily stress of the job. Teachers are ‘supervised’ 100% of the time – by their students. Every minute of their work time is a performance under the watchful eyes of their pupils. Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching and transferring knowledge and/or new skills to students. WHEN! they are respectful, interested and engaged in learning, it IS the most rewarding, wonderful profession imaginable. There are those times when I think and feel, ‘my god I am having so much fun doing my job AND I am getting paid to do it. But there are others when one or two kids can change the job into a nightmare. In public schools it is next to impossible to expel a child no matter how disruptive they are. Detections generally don’t work unless the parents get very seriously involved. Of course teachers know that most unruly students come from an environment which causes this behavior in the first place. Therefore appealing to parents in those cases is useless. Then the schools are left with no good options but to continue schooling such a child. Then of course, come those people who do office work suggesting that we need to work 40 hours weeks (which most schools already adopted). These people never taught a day and have no idea how mentally taxing 40 hours a week in front of a class is. Even if it is well behaved one! Teachers perform many duties after their regular hours. 45 min prep period is most often completely inadequate to do all that needs to be done. Pushing for longer school year and particularly longer school days is completely counterproductive. We are expecting 5 year old students to spend an adult like day paying attention, concentrating and learning. That is absolutely insane. We are pushing to reduce or eliminate ‘recess’ time, play time etc. No they will NOT be more productive and learn better. Increasing quantity of time is directly counterproductive to the increase in quality of learning. Particularly in primary and even middle school grades. Private schools have a bit more leeway in expelling extremely disruptive students, however they are extremely reluctant to do it for financial reasons unless they are very well established and funded – which is usually an exception. Many private schools have even higher demands on their faculty for, in most cases, less pay often 10-20% lower compared to public schools as well as significantly smaller benefits package. If private school has somewhat better student management and population, many teachers will accept the lower pay and benefits. I think, this is called venting…. I needed it.
    Btw I presently teach 670 students Pk-5, music in 4 days! Plus one repeated group of 170 on Friday. No, it is not easy, but I still enjoy it most of the time most days. However, the few classes with nearly unmanageable problems make me want to apply for disability (I am 56) and retire early to Puerto Vallarta… 🙂 Unfortunately pile of debt and no apparent disability makes this just a dream….

    Reply
    • Jennifer Wolfe

      April 23, 2017

      Thanks for sharing your perspective. I so wish we could find a better balance where teachers, parents and students were working together as a team. Teaching IS an extremely hard profession, and only when the joys outweigh the stressors will we be able to have happy teachers who love going to work every day. Take care.

      Reply
  • Mark E

    March 15, 2017

    It’s certainly not easy but there are some things teachers can do immediately to get some relief that are timeless and always work.

    Stressed? Get some sunlight, fresh air, and exercise TODAY! Give a positive and specific compliment to a kid TODAY!

    Want to earn more? Do some internal subbing, drive for Uber or Lyft. It is tough but teachers are TOUGHER. Did we think this would be easy when we signed up? But trust me, I get it why teachers are leaving.

    Reply
    • Jennifer Wolfe

      March 29, 2017

      Yes-finding balance is so important to relieve the stress. I agree about sunlight and fresh air, and I walk every day. And YES to kid compliments! Thanks so much for commenting. ~je

      Reply
  • Jen Monks

    March 12, 2017

    My mother-in-law and her sister are teachers. They are seeing the same trend. It’s unbearably sad and unnecessary.

    Reply
    • Jennifer Wolfe

      March 12, 2017

      I agree completely, Jen. I love teaching but find when I’m mentoring new teachers it’s hard to assure them their job will be ‘do-able’ for an entire career. Sadly, several of my new mentee teachers have already left. Thanks so much for your support.

      Reply
  • Rena

    March 11, 2017

    I agree 100%. If we don’t start treating our teachers like the national treasures that they are we’re going to be left without. Teachers don’t get the respect that they used to get. Not by the students, not by the parents, not even by the administration. They are forced to find alternative ways just to cover the basics. I think it’s also strange that one teacher can make one salary in one district and half of that in another. It just doesn’t seem fair. I’m not a teacher, by the way, just a mom to two grown kids, and two grandkids who will be starting this coming year. I’m worried for them.

    Reply
    • Jennifer Wolfe

      March 12, 2017

      It is a scary situation, Rena – and my worries are compounded by a new administration which seems to completely devalue public education. I love my job, but our profession has so many obstacles. The last thing we need is a non-educator trying to figure out how to fix education. Thanks very much for your support.

      Reply
    • Jennifer Wolfe

      March 29, 2017

      Rena, you comment means a lot to me. It does seem like a relatively easy fix to honor the work and commitment teachers do – I sure hope it happens soon enough to retain and attract the quality our kids deserve. ~jw

      Reply
  • Pat

    March 11, 2017

    Great post Jennifer. Spot on. Everyone in my family is/was teachers including my siblings, parents and grandparents. We are great believers in education. That said, those family members still in the profession are more and more disillusioned with the field and filled with dismay over the situation which is only getting worse under the present administration. Sadly, after 3 years in the field my son has decided to retain for a different career.

    Reply
    • Jennifer Wolfe

      March 11, 2017

      Hi Pat,
      I wish your comment surprised me – so sad that your son has decided to retrain and leave education. I’m seeing this more and more, and I’m worried. Thanks so much for your support.
      ~Jennifer

      Reply
  • Mary Lovstad

    March 11, 2017

    It is the hardest job in the world — As faculty in a local college, I did some Tech Prep classes at a local high school — You guys are saints!

    Google — Corporate Training and Remote Teaching Opportunities

    Reply
    • Jennifer Wolfe

      March 11, 2017

      Mary, I do love my job but it certainly is frustrating at times. I’m worried not only about the way education seems to be undervalued in our country, but also how we will continue to train and retain quality educators. Thanks so much for the comment today!

      Reply
  • Anya

    March 8, 2017

    Yes, so sad but true. We need to pay teachers MORE, value them MORE and then we can expect MORE for our children. We also need to reduce classroom size. That combination will show huge improvement in our education system. Thanks to all those teachers out there shaping our future!

    Reply
    • Jennifer Wolfe

      March 11, 2017

      Anya, I completely agree. Children see what their families say/do, and not only should we value teachers more, but all service workers. Education in all areas is so important for our children and our country. Thanks for the comment – I appreciate it.

      Reply
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