Apr 26 2018
Teacher…
I’m going to share something a little off topic of weight loss, CrossFit, and food. This is about my former career. I used to be a teacher. A junior high English teacher, to be exact.
Yes I will judge you on your grammar. Just saying.
With all of the excitement going on in the country about educators wanting a livable wage, I decided to speak up. They deserve it. I left the classroom four years ago after teaching 13 years. During these 13 years, I probably spent more than $20,000 on classroom supplies. Supplies that include things like Kleenex, crayons, and copy paper. I hardly had time to sleep let alone go to the gym, eat right, or even cook. My depression and anxiety were out of control. I hardly saw my husband. It was a tough time.
I left four years ago. Now granted, there are things I do miss about the classroom but many, many, many things I do not. I now work for a large corporation, but one that is privately owned. In this company, I feel respected and appreciated. I never want for supplies! This is an entirely new experience for me! If we run out of Kleenex, there is no drive from the employees to bring in tissues. A supply order is put in and poof! Three days later, it shows up. If I need a pen, I walk over to the supply cabinet and get one. Same with copy paper, Post-it notes, and notepads. I also get paid more working less hours then I did with teaching. I also have better benefits and pay less for them. Moreover, my quality of life is a million times better than when I was teaching. There are no nights and weekends lost to grading papers or school activities. I have time to go to the gym, cook healthy, and actually eat a healthy lunch while sitting down! This is an incredible experience and I am so very grateful that I was able to find this job outside of teaching.
My heart goes out to all of the teachers who are protesting and leaving the job that they are passionate about because they can’t afford it anymore. And to the legislature, beware of those who have nothing to lose. For they are the ones who have the most to gain.