Teachers Respond: Veteran Teachers Cry In Their Cars Too
One in 10 teachers will quit by the end of their first year — getting through October and November: especially tough. Having someone to support you along the way can help.
Turns out there's a toolkit to help — as we wrote about this week. Thousands chimed in on Facebook, Twitter and in the comments section. Here are some takeaways from the discussion.
The "disillusionment phase" goes by another name:
"They may call it the "Disillusionment Phase" in this article ... it's actually DEVOLSON (dark evil vortex of late September, October, and November). It doesn't only hit first year teachers." - Jill Gorman Turner, on Facebook
Struggling as a new teacher is common:
"I can remember wishing several times that first year, 'maybe no one will show up today!' " - Kodyo, on npr.org
"I am a first year teacher and I have been struggling. This article really resonated with me and reading these comments makes me feel like I'm not totally alone. I feel like I am drowning most days and I often cry in my car ... I just feel so overwhelmed sometimes. It will get better, It will get better, It will get better." - Melissa Ivins, on npr.org
And experienced teachers can be right there with them:
"Hey, veteran teachers, it's still okay to cry in your car. Hopefully it happens less often, but if you're still crying it means you're still caring and that's a good thing." - Hilary Schardein, on Facebook
"Sometimes veteran teachers cry in their cars too. After 31 years of kids, parents and meetings a good cry (and a glass of wine) can help you gain perspective and try again the next day." - Lauren Schwab, on Facebook
But many veterans did say it gets better:
"There is such a huge learning curve your first 3 yrs. You are not going to be awesome until you are at least 3-5 years in. Hang in there. You'll get better." - Jackie Doerner, on Facebook
Some readers chimed in with solutions, ranging from systemic:
"I love working in education but - we need a national movement to improve pay, class sizes , performance assessment , and professional development." - Jeff Bockert, on Teachers Respond: Veteran Teachers Cry In Their Cars Too : NPR Ed : NPR: