Finding Joy as an English Teacher

When I began my teaching career, I was less than thrilled to begin. I was very nervous and filled with trepidation at the thought of teaching middle school students. My first year teaching proved to be quite challenging. I started in the middle of the school year, so that made it a little more awkward. Some students were unhappy that I was replacing their beloved teacher. But, for the most part, the students welcomed me as their teacher. The main challenge was trying to reach a large group of very unmotivated students who could care less if they failed my class or not. I, being the overachiever that I had been at that time, could not fathom a student not caring if they failed a class.

Ah, welcome to the world of teaching. In one interview a principal told me that the students that I would be teaching were very different than what I may remember as a student in middle school. Sure, I had just graduated from college, and wasn't that far removed from their age group, but, she insisted, these students were not like the students that had graduated with me. I listened intently, but couldn't imagine what could be so different about these students.

I soon found out.

The main thing that stood out for me was the disrespect that many students displayed towards adults, even their parents. I could not believe it. I was unprepared for a student challenging my authority or saying curse words aloud in front of me with no sense of shame. Students not caring if they were sent to detention or if I threatened to contact their parents. I was shocked, but had to quickly overcome it and establish respect in my classrooms.

Nevertheless, I continued teaching, but I didn't really have a passion for it. In fact, I thought that I hated it. It wasn't until the end of my third year of teaching that I realized how much I actually enjoyed it. I felt sad when I said good-bye to my students for that year. They had been my favorite bunch, and I really shared a camaraderie with many of them. After the last day of school, I actually cried, because I missed them. I absolutely could not believe it. Me, crying over students. But, I did. I missed them, and was sad that they wouldn't be my students anymore.

That's when I realized that I had developed a passion for teaching. It snuck up on me stealthily. I really enjoyed teaching. I had always loved the subject matter. I've always had a passion for literature and reading, and was excited to share that passion with my students. I gained a sense of accomplishment and purpose from students actually sharing with me how much they enjoyed reading or writing since being in my class. I encourage anyone who wants to make a difference and work with the youth, to try teaching. It can be challenging, but it's a very worthwhile endeavor.