Hey!:)

As a teacher myself (biology and geology high school french teacher), I feel as if most of my fellow teachers have lost faith in everything over the years or don't really like their job.

I'll explain myself:

Some of them say the kids are fully lost and it's only worsening with the years passing by (which I PARTLY agree on), some say they feel as if whatever they do feels pointless since no kid actually wants to be taught or helped at all, and most of them, no matter their age, are actualy awaiting the day they can finally quit, and I don't understand that.

I am new to being a teacher (hell, I'm only 26 and had a looooong time at the university because I went through many different courses including med school for 2 years, informatics, astrophysics and THEN biology), but I feel as if they are just not fully aware they actualy aren't made for the job.

Of course, there will always be aspects of your job, no matter how much you enjoy doing it, that you will like less, or even despise, but in teaching... I believe I only met one colleague that is in this case while the others sound as if they are just delulu from the fact they are just not meant to be teachers.

From my little experience, I obviously have felt that half the kids don't care about what you teach, but I still don't feel bad because of it. I love teaching in itself, yes, but I also love to prepare my lessons, to grade papers (I enjoy very repetitive tasks so, no, I won't grow out of it). I usually let the kids manage themselves (My classes are all over 14 so they are old enough for me to do that). If they want to listen, perfect. If they don't? Well they can sit at the back, as long as they don't disturb those who are actively listening, I won't get a bad grade myself. I did that with all my classes up until now, and each time, after the first bad grade, they all started to listen except for a verry few of them that kept on doing something else (Those are the kids that are not meant for school and that are there more for behavioral learning than learning specific knowledge (sadly, these are often the kids with bad family issues, mental health problems, etc...)).

By doing that, it allows me to have a classroom that's calm, disciplined and the kids actualy learn to manage themselves pretty naturaly (of course I beliveve the success of my method would vary given the type of school, but for now, after doing this in 3 different senior high schools and 2 different junior high schools, with all ages, I never had an issue), and I don't feel like "my efforts don't matter" or that "I am loosing time teaching". To me, if you like the job, you also like the preparation, the grading, going to parent-teachers reunions, the fact of explaining... It shouldn't be a BOTHER to do. or at least, not EVERYTHING should bother you. Some yes, but... Why keeping at it with a job that gives no satisfaction? Anyways, I've been told I thought that way because I was new to the job and would grow out of it, but by teachers who never even thought that way ONCE in their lives so... meh.

I am still far from retirement, but I already dread the day I'll stop teaching. I'm convinced I'll just die. That's how devoted I am. Which brings me to this idea that:

TEACHING HAS TO BE A PASSION/A CALLING

And I was wondering... Am I the only one to think that way?

Because boy, most of my colleagues seem to be completely out of it and only willing to put in the smallest amount of efforts, while we, as teachers, are basically what could shape someone's future (as a team of course, not like... on my own.)

I really do hope there are other teachers who think this, or a similar way, because that's terrific to think that disillusionned teachers are so numerous, and basically what will disgust kids from school further... We are educators, we should be helping them, not making them feel worse because yes, kids can tell when a teacher is passionate or not.

Small disclaimer:

I know I sound like it but no, I am not the "nice teacher" you can do everything to as a kid. I am the teacher that gives you a 0 if you deserve it and that will give you essays to handwrite and get marked about ruminants if you dare to enter my classroom with a piece of gum in mouth, but will be there if you have any kind of issue, never letting you down. Kids cry every time I'm sent somewhere else, no matter how severe I was.

Thanks for reading my rambling, I am genuinely interested into knowing what other teachers think, even from across the world (USA, Asia... wherever).