Why I teach

I did not always want to be a teacher. At one point, I even actively told myself I’d never be a teacher. Maybe I was being rebellious because both of my parents were educators. For some reason I changed my mind one day in high school while eating lunch. I’m not sure what my exact thought process was, but something clicked in my head that day. I think I just got fed up with being overwhelmed by so many different career options.

I’m now in my 11th year of teaching and I’d be lying if I said I never considered changing careers. I’ve even strongly considered it, thinking I didn’t yet know what I want to be when I grow up. There are some other careers I’d enjoy doing the work of, but there are no better jobs out there for me. With teaching, I enjoy both the work and the job.

I am never bored. I have fun every single day and that’s because of the students. They are full of entertaining surprises, and I enjoy building a rapport with them that lets them enjoy their time in class. They are the people who make me enjoy the work. I don’t know who said it first, but I heard when I was younger that if you change one life, you change the world. I recognize now that this mindset can be applied to both positive and negative impacts. I feel grateful that this work allows me to make many more positive ripples in the world than negative ones — while having fun.

Teaching definitely comes with some perks. I don’t need to work weekends or holidays, unless I’m catching up on some grading. I’m definitely not rich, but it pays well enough for me to live the way I want to. I will have a pension and I have tenure. I have decent health insurance for me and my wife. All of these things take a lot of stress away, and I am very thankful for them.

Lastly, I appreciate that teaching is a career in which there are avenues for self-reflection and professional growth. At some point in the past, my local union negotiated a stipend into our contract for earning National Board Certification. I did not know that this certification existed until I started reading my contract in detail, but I figured it must be worth doing since the district pays us more for it, so I looked into it. I heard a couple months ago that I finally earned my National Board Certification. I am appreciative of what I learned during the process, and I congratulate the other newly-certified teachers in New York!