Dr Tan T.W. mentioned that school work and (sometimes even school culture) often take away the zest, passion and energy of new teachers. It's quite true, speaking from my experience in primary school teaching.
It's my third year in NIE (I'm a Dip Ed crossover) and I'm quite fortunate to be able to experience teaching in 3 different primary schools: Hougang Pri (1 term for contract teaching), St. Gabriel's Pri (5 + 10 weeks of practicum) and Rivervale Pri (6 weeks after graduation from Dip Ed). Workload in schools are very heavy. Besides preparing lesson plans, there are other duties such as marking, dept committee duties, level committee duties, school initiative/projects etc. It can be a nightmare if you do not know how to manage your priorities and time well!
It certainly wasn't what i expected teaching to be! Nevertheless I told myself that I have to survive, partially because I am bonded (>$60,000 by the end of NIE year 2 and >$100,000 by year 4!) and also because it has always been my first ambition to be a teacher. How then to survive? Let me share my views.
The key thing is to stay motivated always. Of course, motivation can make or break your career in school. I feel that teachers have to be motivated by the right things (not money!) or life becomes more difficult. Sometimes the going can get tough, which brings me to the next point.
It is very important to have good relationships with the senior teachers in school. I recall when I was feeling very stressed out during my practicum and didnt feel like going to school at all. My Cooperating Teacher (CT) sensed that something was bothering me and we did some talking. After that I felt a lot better as I know it's a problem which I can overcome and someone is there to help me. In school, it is definitely impossible to survive on your own! Always be sure to be around people who are highly motivated so that you can use each other's energy to stay positive, optimistic and motivated.
Thirdly, when you feel that your passion is dying out, think of the students who need you. A teacher once told me when I almost gave up on a student, that those students who often upset you, are always the ones who need your help most. I could not agree more. I feel that being a teacher, the most fulfilling part is when you see how your actions actually help your students in various aspects of their lives. And when you do see results, the satisfaction is immense! I feel all teachers should work towards this satisfaction; for this satisfaction is the most powerful fuel for sustaining the passion to teach.
(I've added a newspaper article for your reading as well)
1 comment:
The above post is a good wake up call for those who are in the teaching force for the wrong reasons.
I had the experience of relief teaching in a primary school 2 years ago (I know its not much compared to a contract teacher). You would not believe what the advice of the existing teachers were. "Why would you want to join teaching?? It's not easy. If I knew it was going to be this tough, I would not have joined." Hmm.. Interesting, huh?
That made me ponder. Do I really want this? Like what Felix mentioned, teaching is not only about imparting skills to the students. You need to guide them and as they spend most of their time in school, we are like their "parents" in school.
With everything in life, there is the bad and the good. In my opinion, the good of teaching is being able to make a mark in each and every one of the students'lives in our class. They will always remember you as your teacher. So, why not make it a good memory?
Well, this is just my opinion.. :)
-Rasyidah..
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