Why Being a Teacher Feels Like a Job for Two or More People
Teachers are often exhausted - and for good reason! The responsibilities on the shoulders of a teacher have only grown year after year. Here are some reasons why the current expectations are too high for just one human:
Too many roles in one
What are the teachers doing besides teaching? So. Many. Things!
Planning instruction
Writing lesson plans
Correcting work
Yard duty
IEP meetings
Report cards & communicating with parents
Staff meetings & communicating with administration and other teachers
Preparing for school events: back to school nights, open houses, conferences, etc.
Classroom organization, decoration, clean up
And this is all with no students in the room! When students are in class, teachers are teaching, assessing, monitoring behavior, differentiating instruction, and handling tons of little things per day. Oh! And facilitating safety drills, practicing lockdowns, handling student conflicts, and attending to medical incidents.
Time commitments
Although the school day may be done at 3pm, the teacher’s job rarely is. Many teachers stay late, arrive early, or bring work home. They often facilitate activities and sports that are on top of their teaching responsibilities.
Collaboration expectations
Teachers meet with:
Students
Parents
Grade level groups
Other teachers
Specialists (speech therapists, ELL advisors, etc.)
Administration
Curricula and EdTech companies
And sometimes: community members, the school board, union meetings, student teachers, and more
Need for lifetime learning
Teachers are constantly learning new teaching methods, new curricula, and more about student needs.
Energy demands
Finally, it is important to point out that teaching takes so much energy! Teachers are always on. They must be aware of what all of the students are doing at all times. They are constantly making decisions - deciding what to address and how to address it. There is very little (to no) downtime during the school day.
Conclusion
In conclusion, being a teacher is a labor of love that often feels like it should be a job for at least two people. The multifaceted role, time-consuming nature of the job, and the need for support and collaboration all contribute to this sentiment. I’d love to see a movement towards having two teachers per classroom. This would distribute the workload and make teaching more sustainable. (Bonus: Teachers could actually go to the bathroom when they need to! Or help an individual student through a crisis while the rest of the class is being cared for as well). I think if we gave teachers the option to work in pairs, there would be a lot less turnover and burnout in the profession.
In the meantime, teachers continue to give their all because they are passionate about nurturing the next generation and helping students succeed. Many dedicated teachers are putting in the work each day to help their students, but could use all the support they can get.