Teaching, Traveling, and Talking

Eating Abroad, Eating in New Countries, Eating in New Country, Eating New Cuisines, Food, International Cuisines, International Foods, Love of Teaching, Teaching, Teaching and Traveling, Travel, Travel Europe, Travel NYC, Travel on a Budget, Travel the U.S., Traveling

Eating Abroad

January 30, 2018January 30, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

Eating abroad sounds fun and exotic…except when you have the palate of a 5 year old. I live off of coffee, donuts, and Mac & Cheese. My tastes have not changed much since childhood. Vegetables? Bleck. Fruit? Eh. Candy? Now you’re talking.

Sure, I’ve had great food. Other times I questioned why the “pea soup” was red instead of green. I asked my traveling partners what meat we were consuming and they simply shrugged because they couldn’t identify it either. On the other hand, I’ve had fresh fruit off the trees that made my mouth water and crepes on the streets of Paris that made me promise to return one day.

However, as a traveler, it’s very difficult to not offend the culture but also eat something you’re not familiar with or even like. So what should I do?

Know what You’re Ordering. Ah, the days of Google Translate are here folks and with a touch of a button. Although Google has been ridiculed at times for it’s accuracy, it is now better and smarter at converting what is needed. Luckily, there is even an app for that. Download the Google Translate app. Word of advice: Once you pick the language you will need on your journey, download it so you can use it offline as well. When I was in Mexico with my husband, we were lucky enough for most menus to be translated into English as well. Not the case when I was in Europe. Although we used a translation tool, it wasn’t much help. With the Google translate app not only can you type in your phrases or words, but you can also take a picture as well! If you’re unsure or have dietary restrictions, use a tool to help you figure out what you may need or want. If you’re feeling adventurous, go for it. Yet for my Vegan, Kosher, Gluten Free, etc. amigos, look up what you’re ordering first to make sure it’s what you need and avoid the added stress.
Grow a Pair and Try New Foods. “Just try it!” my mother used to say to me over and over again. Although I hate to admit it, some of my favorite foods are due to simply tasting the food. Pesto sauce–it’s green why would I like it? Tried it. Loved it. Calamari–that sounds weird no thank you. Tried it. Delicious. There are so many foods that I fell in love with because I simply tried the food. In new countries, it’s always a bit nerve wracking when trying and tasting new foods. However, I gave myself a strict rule–eat what the locals eat. If that means eating tacos that may in fact have burned my mouth and I began sweating in my seat and drinking a pitcher of water…hey, I tried it. Eating locally can also mean getting to know the locals. Through food I was able to learn more about English customs and what they ate on a daily basis. So what were some things I tried? France–Escargot. Germany–Wienerschnitzel and mashed potatoes (oh Mylanta, yum). England–Chicken Tikka Masala. Dominican Republic–Goat meat. I found that items I hated at home were scrumptious abroad. Sure, I found things I disliked, but I found I had a culturally sound experience through the food.
Learn about the Eating Customs. Sure, we like to think that our proper ways of eating are applicable to all countries. Nope. Sure, slurping your food here is not acceptable, but in Japan it is encouraged! Find what your country customs include so you don’t stick out like a sore thumb. As I was researching for my own trip to Rome, I found that drinking cappuccino (or any form of milky coffee) after 10 AM was pretty much a big no-no. Good to know since I’m in a constant state of drinking coffee! However, the more you stick out, the more people will know you’re a tourist. Learning about the eating customs may help save you some embarrassment. Burping in China? Shows your appreciation of the food. Thailand–don’t even think about putting your fork in your mouth. Don’t pass food between chopsticks in Japan. South Korea only wants you to eat when the oldest member has begun. This list continues for various countries. Even if you were in French club in high school…learn the customs.
Research Beforehand. If you are traveling to a country and unsure of the foods do some research ahead of time. For instance, my husband and I are going to Italy in the summer. Although I am an avid fan of Italian dishes, I began looking up what items I may like or things that will be new to my palate. With the ease of modern technology, we can easily find simple food items that we like, want to try, or meet our dietary needs/restrictions. Not sure about a restaurant? TripAdvisor will give you tons of information about what is available, pricing, and reviews. Sure, we like to think that we can find something the same, but in reality, we are out of our comfort zone. Do a little research before your trip to find what you want, restaurants to try, and cuisines to blend in with the locals.
Bakery in London
K.I.S.S. When in doubt, keep your ordering to something simple. Do not be “that person” who orders tons on the menu to only find you hate it and waste platefuls of food. You like chicken–look for a plate that offers chicken. You like sweets, check out a local bakery. Tea time in London? Try a cup–trust me, it’s way better in England. No wonder they have a specific time of the day designated for it. Try new things, but keep it simple and your expectations realistic. If you have a sensitive palate (or an immature one like me), keep your eating simple and you can gradually work your way up.

You may not like the food. You may love it. You won’t know until you try.

“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” ~Clifton Fadiman

Talk soon folks!

xoxo

Your Wanderer

Career, Day in New York City, Love of Teaching, New York City, NYC in 24 hours, Teach, Teaching, Teaching and Traveling, Travel, Travel NYC, Travel on a Budget, Travel the U.S., Traveling

NYC in 24 hours

January 28, 2018January 28, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

Have a day in NYC but not sure how to spend your time wisely? It’s true that the city that never sleeps is full of activity, people, and places to see. It’s hard to visit every aspect of NYC, especially in an area full of traffic and humans.

So what should I cover in a 24 hour time frame?

Here are 5 tips to make sure you get the most out of your NYC experience.

Invest in Big Bus Tours (https://www.bigbustours.com). Get to your main destinations by hopping on and off at their designated bus stops. Yes, you’ll look like a tourist, but you need to get to your destinations easily and quickly. I’ll be completely honest–this was a fabulous investment. One I will use in future cities as well (the company extends to Europe, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific). Although when I used this pass it was a snow storm and freezing, I loved that the company offered a map of the city and free headphones to listen to a guide explain each landmark and famous area. Big Bus Tours gets you all over the city at a fraction of the cost of a taxi cab. Tickets also offer options to Liberty Island and/or Empire State Building.
See a Show. If time permits, see a show on Broadway. There is nothing like it in the rest of the world. I have seen multiple shows on Broadway over various visits to the town. Picking a matinee show allows you time to see a play and then follow it up with dinner and more sightseeing. However, a later show allows you to do all of your sightseeing first and gives you some rest off your feet. Tickets may be costly depending on your Broadway taste, but it is worth every penny.
China Town and Little Italy. If you have never experienced this world in NYC, it is an absolute must. You can find purses, clothing, and knick knacks for a small price, and bartering with the locals is always a fun experience. If you are offered a price always offer something lower. If an individual refuses, simply walk away. 99% of the time, the person will follow you out the store (and sometimes down the street) to make the sale with you. Additionally, Little Italy has some fun restaurants with tasty food to give you some energy during your time. In fact, it has the BEST cappuccino I have ever tasted in the Western Hemisphere.
Times Square. Talk about the hustle and bustle. This is the area with the brightly lit signs. You see individuals from all over the world trying to get a sneak peak of something new or a celebrity spotting. In this area, you can visit M&M’s World, a giant Toys R Us, a two story Disney Store, and every other shopping place imaginable. Yes, it’s crowded. For some, overwhelming. Yet, this is a well worth area to visit, find a place to eat, and get some great people watching time.
Pick One Must See Destination. Is it the statue of Liberty? Central Park? 911 Memorial Museum? Empire State Building? Pick the one thing you absolutely want to see. Those other areas are fun to see and easy to get to using Big Bus Tours. Even with hopping on and off a bus, I walked close to 10 miles in my 24 hour period (Hint: use a good pair of walking shoes). However, my must see recommendation is the 911 Memorial Museum. I would absolutely suggest this for anyone who remembers the event and holds that time close to their hearts. This museum is not particularly geared for kids, and the museum is generally somber and filled with silent sobs in specific areas. It allows you to listen to telephone calls from those on the airplanes, see remnants from the crash and buildings, and view the history of the 911 plan. If visiting, go straight in the morning when the memorial opens. This avoids long lines and crowds of people. Whatever you pick, make sure you set time to see your destination. Traffic is terrible and takes time to get anywhere. With the right amount of planning and using specific routes, one can see multiple things in a short period of time!

“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.”
― Tom Wolfe

Follow on Instagram @TeachingTraveling

xoxo

Your Wanderer

Career, Love of Teaching, Teach, Teaching, Teaching and Traveling, Travel, Travel Europe, Travel on a Budget, Travel the U.S., Traveling

Travel on a Teacher’s Salary

January 27, 2018January 28, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

I have traveled since I was young. Traveling is in my blood. Loving it is an understatement.

Do I love airplanes? Not particularly. How about long road trips? Eh, not really.

Yet once I’m there, I am in love. I have been to every state on the east coast, covered most of the midwest, and multiple states on the west coast. I was lucky enough to have a parent that encouraged traveling, immersing in culture, and trying new foods, places, and customs. I have had the travel bug for as long as I can remember.

Yet, here I am. Teaching. Adulting. How can I afford to visit different places around the world on my little teacher salary? Sure, when I was living with my folks I had the chance to go to Germany, France, Canada, England, and over half of the U.S. But now? How can I do it now?

It’s not easy. Plain and simple.

It takes planning, budgeting, and LOTS of research. So where have I been since I left the nest and entered the working world? Over the past few years I have visited:

New York City, NY
North Carolina (multiple times and locations)
San Francisco, CA
Ocean City, NJ
Mexico
Pittsburgh, PA
Las Vegas, NV (almost every year at this rate)

What’s next you may ask? Italy. Booked and Paid.

So, let’s get a few things straight–I am not making millions at teaching. Sure, I sell things on Teachers Pay Teachers, but I’m not making a salary off of it. During my first year of teaching, I made a whopping $23K. Yup. After moving districts I was able to increase that salary, but it’s not raining money in my household.

So how do I do it?

Set a certain amount/percentage to be taken out of your paycheck per pay to put towards travel. This may be $20; it may be $100, but it’s training your mind and willpower to save the money. For me, I had to transfer this money to an entirely separate bank account that I could not easily access. Over the course of a year, you will have enough money saved to take you somewhere awesome.
Look at companies like Groupon, Funjet, Kayak, and even Orbitz. These places allow for vacation packages–flight and hotel. Conveniently, these places also give you the option to look at reviews, proximity to local food joints, and even distance to the nearest airport/train station. Websites like Groupon allow you to get great deals on awesome vacation packages; just make sure you read the fine print. If you’re not around a major city, you can have your flight altered for a fee. Talk to a representative for more information.
Research. Research. Research. When my husband and I planned our Italian Getaway, we were immediately taken aback by the outrageous prices per person. I put my head in my hands and wondered if I was ever going to return to Europe. We spent days researching, browsing websites, and looking at prices. My husband soon realized that a very expensive week was followed by an insanely cheap week through Orbitz. After searching week by week from May to August, we found the perfect week that allowed us 5 days and nights in Italy in a 4.2 star hotel with flight for $700 per person. Woah! It was insane. We booked it immediately. Look for trends in prices, seasons, and even flash deals on the websites listed above.
Sign up for offers through hotels. Sounds crazy and will fill your email box with junk mail? I’ll be honest–yes. Yet there always seems to be a gold nugget hiding in the list of unopened emails. During my first visit to Las Vegas, I went through an offer to stay at the Wynn Hotel for free! Once I went to Vegas and signed up at multiple hotels, those rewards and offers continued. Through this, I was able to see Fabulous Las Vegas multiple times in the course of a few short years, because I only had to pay for airfare and food.
Network. Staying in contact with friends and traveling with a buddy has allowed me to visit new places for a fraction of the cost. I visited NJ, NC, CA, NYC, and PA because of friends chipping in together. We slept in the same small bed, but we didn’t care. We were able to see a new city for $50-$100. On the other hand, having friends and family in different parts of the country also allowed for new traveling experiences.
Air BnB. When I was in San Francisco, I had my first experience with Air BnB. Although it was different from staying in a nice hotel, it was well worth the money for a few nights of sleep. The host was kind and provided a clean place to sleep with a private bathroom. Quite honestly, my husband and I never saw our host, and we were in and out so often that the room was a quick place for us to catch up on sleep and off we went again. It was half the price of a hotel in the city, and we were able to walk to various restaurants and shopping. To get into the city, we needed an Uber but it was close enough that it didn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Exercise and Plan to Walk! As a traveler, I have found that taxis and transportation are easily where the money goes down the tubes. Vegas–walked everywhere. I was averaging 15 miles of walking per day and only took a cab at the very end of the night when my feet could no longer handle it. London–walked. Paris–oh good lord, I walked everywhere. If you’re in a city that you can easily walk around and get to point B from point A, get on a good pair of shoes and walk. Burn off those wine and chocolate calories through the city if you can.
Transportation Options. So what if I can’t physically walk for huge amounts of time or my hotel/room is too far away? How do I find a cheap flight? Here are some options:
- Bus--How did I get to NYC? Bus. I took a bus overnight there and back. Sure I didn’t get the most restful sleep of my life, but it was hundreds of dollars cheaper than a hotel. Just invest in some coffee when you arrive in your desired city. Bus transportation also is a great option in bigger cities to avoid outrageous cab costs.
- Train–Although trains are available in the U.S., it is generally as long as driving and not always as cheap as one dreams. However, in Europe, not only was this an affordable option, but it allowed me time to relax and take in the scenery that I otherwise would have never seen.
- Airline Promos--Look at flights on Wow Air or Skiplagged. These places offer affordable flights in specific time windows or find loopholes in the airfare pricing to give you the best deals.
- Flight and Hotel Packages–Want to have your flight paired with your housing for the week? Check out vacation packages on a multitude of websites. Personally, I have found amazing packages through Groupon, Funjet, and Orbitz. Not only does it help eliminate costs, but it also helps eliminate the headache of planning every detail.
- Uber/Lyft–In a big city and the distance is too far to walk? I have been in this situation before. Uber and Lyft offer options much cheaper than a taxi or renting a car and generally give you the cost up front. The drivers are usually friendly, and when splitting the cost with friends, it is the way to go with transportation. **Train station from France to Germany**
Make side Money. As teachers specifically, we have options to do tutoring on the side, sell items on Teachers Pay Teachers, or even begin tutoring kids from other countries via Skype. I do not make tons of money off of Teachers Pay Teachers, but a few bucks here and there do add up. Additionally, I tutor two nights a week which equals roughly $60/week. Even a small amount like that can easily be added to your travel fund over the course of 9 months. Lastly, I have seen many positive reviews about VPKID–flexible tutoring schedule all from the comfort of your home. We don’t see the $20 here or the $40 here as a big deal, but when we don’t touch that money and save it, we end up with a vacation during the summer.
Little bit of Luck. It’s true. Part of traveling is luck. You find a great deal on a hotel or flight. You find a friend that lives in the area and crash with them for a few days. You travel with friends who also have that travel bug to split the costs and see the same attractions for a fraction of the cost. Part of traveling is planning and budgeting, but another part will always be luck.

Traveling is one of the best adventures and memories one can make. There is a wide world out there. Get out there and see it.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
― Augustine of Hippo

Make sure to also visit me on Instagram @TeachingTraveling.

Talk Soon Folks!

xoxo

Your Wanderer

Career, Job, Kids, Love of Teaching, Students, Teach, Teaching

Why Teaching?

January 20, 2018January 21, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

Why did I choose the teaching profession?

Was it because I loved having parents degrade my career? How about people referring to me as a glorified babysitter? Maybe I love politicians pulling funding from my career every year, leaving me with very little and paying for much of my classroom out of my pocket? Summers off? Wait…maybe it’s because I loved being demeaned in college and that my work was simply coloring and using glue sticks. I can give you a for certain head nod that those were not the amazing reasons I joined the teacher work force.

So why did I begin teaching?

“I am a teacher. It’s how I define myself. A good teacher isn’t someone who gives the answers out to their kids but is understanding of needs and challenges and gives tools to help other people succeed. That’s the way I see myself, so whatever it is that I will do eventually after politics, it’ll have to do a lot with teaching.” ~Justin Trudeau

A little bit about your author:

I said I would NEVER become a teacher. I had no intention of stepping foot back into a classroom. When I threw my cap in the air at graduation, I had every hope of entering the medical field and trying to erase my memories of my own schooling.
I could not enjoy my current career path. I loved interacting with people in the doctor’s office. I loved learning new theories and information in the scientific department. Yet, I didn’t love medicine. Was I doing well in my studies? Yup. Did I have friends? Yup. Did I love it? No.
I made a conscious decision that I wanted to love my future career. Even if that meant making a financial sacrifice. The words “teaching” kept running through my head. I decided to take one education class to get my feet wet and see if I even enjoyed it. I was immediately hooked.

A few years later I found myself in my own classroom. Shaking. Feeling like I had to puke. Nervous about making an impact, maintaining classroom behavior in an inner city school, and wondering if I could do it. From that first day to now, I have been loving every moment of it.

It’s true–I don’t get paid very much for my qualifications. I not only have a bachelor of science, but I also have minors in English, Science, and Religion. I then received my Masters degree and continued my education after that as well. I soaked in learning about research based methods, utilizing data, curriculum mapping and planning, child psychology, and becoming a better teacher.

I love learning. That’s why I also love teaching.

Teaching kids the love of learning is one of my favorite parts of my job. I love having those “light bulb” moments where they finally understand and connect the dots.

Why else do I love teaching?

I love watching kids grow academically, emotionally, mentally, and as a person. I get to have an impact on that child (that may be remembered for the rest of their life). Woah. It’s a blessing and a curse. More than anything, it makes the weight of my responsibility even heavier and sacred.
I chose teaching, because I can be silly and crazy. I get students excited to learn and explore the world around them.
Personal Growth–I’ve seen all backgrounds of students, which helps me get insight into different perspectives. I’ve worked with farm kids, rich kids, inner city kids, and many more. I’ve seen students excelling in school. I’ve seen kids who need love, because they don’t get it at home. I’ve seen kids with strong wills and those who are still learning to stand up for themselves. I’ve seen kids who go to bed hungry, listening to gun shots in the street, and wake up not knowing where or when their parent will return. It’s an emotional job. I get attached to my kids. I care and their problems become my own. I stay up at night wondering and praying for their safety. Since I’ve become a teacher, I learn more and more that my life is about others. I’ve become more patient. I’ve become diplomatic when conversing with parents and colleagues. I know when to speak and when to hold my tongue. Most importantly, I have learned from my students what it is like to come from a plethora of backgrounds and how to meet them with their needs.
I enjoy working with kids. I’ll never forget as my husband was around a group of children that were not his own at a party with friends. His patience was wearing thin and he eventually had to go into a different room. I quietly went up to him and whispered “I do this every day.” As we came home from that party and talked about our time, he simply stated, “I couldn’t do that every day. Even with a summer off…” He understood. I love working with kids, your kids. I get excited the first day of school and can hardly sleep. I love coming in on Monday mornings to little chatters and kids racing to tell me about their weekend. My job is a joy.
I can be a voice for those who are too afraid to speak out. You teachers know exactly what I’m thinking about. We have all had to report a situation to social services. We gain the trust of the child. We may be the only one’s that child feels like he/she can talk to or express their concerns. We listen. We love. We speak up for them and we do everything in our power to give them the best life.
I inspire change. It’s hard to not let politics get in the classroom, and I do keep the classroom neutral. However, we discuss justice, injustice, history, peace, and becoming a better person for society. We teachers want your child to inspire change for the future and promote goodness. In the words of Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”
I have a purpose. My purpose is to teach, train, and mold our future.

Teachers choose teaching, because of those seven points (there are more too). Some want summers off, but I can assure you they hate their profession (and usually don’t last long). I knew my profession would be difficult. I knew I would never become a millionaire. I knew I would have to grow and learn constantly. I have to beat my personal best every day. I engage, love, care, and teach kiddos daily. I LOVE it, and I have never looked back since I chose my calling.

“Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of an individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me.”~ A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Teaching, Time Management

Time Management in Teaching

January 16, 2018January 16, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

We work on weekends. We stay hours after school to finish grading. The work never seems to end. For those of you non teachers, that work also includes state mandated paper work, information for special education, tracking progress monitoring, and any other paper that is not just grading.

So why do we spend so much time doing work and staying after school or on weekends when we are not even getting paid?

In my first year of teaching, I felt like I was barely keeping afloat. Think of a person drowning and only their lips are above water to keep them alive. That was me. I came home every night with textbooks and grading. HOURS were spent trying to keep up with my work. The stress of my job was real and staring at me straight in the face. After an entire semester of this, I realized something had to change. Quickly.

As I moved to new positions and even grade levels I still stuck to these steps for time management. It has led me leave school on time, spend more time with my family, and reduce job related stress.

Steps to Time Management:

1) Set a Quitting Time and Stick to It!

Set a time you leave the building and work completely, that includes no weekend work. That means turn off the emails. Turn off school notifications (unless it’s for cancelations or delays) and focus on your life outside school. Inevitably you will have to stay late for conferences or a meeting, but otherwise you stick to that schedule. I have too much work to just leave. Alright, then pick one day you stay late at school and work. All 4 days you stick to your quitting time. You have a life outside your job.

Want to reduce your job related stress? Leave your job that is causing you stress at a reasonable time.

2. Work Smarter not Harder

Did a teacher just say that? Yup.

Stop spending hours on your computer after school trying to come up with perfect lessons to create. If that’s not your strong point, then support another teacher by buying lesson plans or materials off of Teachers Pay Teachers. If you are good at that, keep creating those awesome lessons. You want to know why? Because you’re being PAID.
Keep off of social media and focus on your work and students aka put the phone away.
I see this daily, but we don’t realize how much time we waste. I watch teachers spend their planning period every day talking to other teachers and procrastinating. These are the same ones that stay after school and weekends, because they couldn’t finish their work. Sit in your room and work. Use your time wisely, as we would tell our own students.
- You’re giving a test and monitoring? Use a clipboard and grade papers as you walk around the room and answer questions at the same time.
- Kiddos are on computers practicing technology skills? Grade and fill out papers as you monitor.
Find when you are most productive. For example, I am the most productive in the morning. Many studies show that people are more productive in the morning as well. Teachers rarely get into school earlier than absolutely needed. Get to school 30 minutes early–make your copies when there is no line, grade when no one is in the building yet, set up your classroom so you’re not doing it during your lunch period. That thirty minutes early allows me to leave school immediately, no weekends, and generally I only need to do this on Monday mornings to be set for the week.

Make a list of what needs to be accomplished for the week and focus on that, especially those who struggle with time management. Keep your focus on what needs to be done and work smart.

3. Assign Less Homework

Uh oh. Touchy point.

At the elementary level, homework has little to no effect on student achievement. Yup. You read that right. We send kids home with reading logs (FYI most parents don’t do and just sign off), worksheets (mostly busy work), and homework that they can’t do. We spend more time tracking down homework and berating students who did not do it, than using that time for actual teaching. If a child can not understand his or her homework, the frustration carries over to the home and back to school the next day.

But it helps carry over our work at school and helps them practice. Practice makes perfect.

No. Practice makes permanent. If you have a kid who struggles, they’ll just practice it wrong and you spend more time in class fixing their work and thinking process.

What if you have to give homework?

Than make it short and meaningful. Stop sending busy work. It sucks for the kids and you.

Middle school and High school colleagues–studies show that homework is more beneficial by this level (mainly high school). So set up your homework that is meaningful, easy for you to grade, and set aside one day for only homework grading or refer to point 2 above.

A little more on this new teaching phenomenon:

Only you can change your time management. I went from working hours outside of school time unpaid to entering and leaving my classroom on time while being fully prepared for my kiddos. I have a life outside of teaching. Spend time focusing on what ways you waste time and eliminate it from your daily routine. How can you work smarter and not harder?

“Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week.” ~Charles Richards

Burned Out, Teaching

How Does A Teacher Burn Out?

January 15, 2018January 20, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

“You get a 3 month paid vacation. Why are you complaining?”

This phrase. A teacher’s nemesis. The phrase we hear from strangers, politicians, or read online. We hear it from those who have not stepped foot into a classroom since the day they threw their cap in the air proclaiming this phrase, not knowing the frustrations of a teacher.

So how can a teacher get burned out?

They get summers off.

Holiday breaks.

Spring Break.

Every major holiday.

Let’s not forget those snow days!

They only work 180 days out of the year! How can they possibly be burned out?

Let me break this down simply. There are three major reason we get burned out and fast:

1) State mandates changing yearly (sometimes monthly)

2) Parents

3) Colleagues

Put these in a pot and stir it all together, you have hot mess of craziness for one school year. Let me break it down for you non-teachers.

1) State Mandates

They change ALL the time. There’s little we can do. Entering 2018, we live in a world that looks down on teachers. According to most politicians, we are imbeciles that couldn’t make it in college so we chose teaching as our demeaning profession. We are viewed as glorified babysitters, sitting behind our desk while the kids color and eat glue sticks. The state can never make up its mind, and when it does make a mistake, it refuses to accept it. Teachers make phone calls to their state representatives pleading for help and doing what’s best for children. Instead money is stripped away and put toward something else. We do the best we can with the cards we are dealt.

Standards change. State mandates change. It’s part of the teaching life. Is it annoying? Yes. Do other careers deal with the same inconsistency and changing mandates (only related to their field)? Yes.

Some of us are blessed to have curriculum directors or coaches that give us guidance. Some of us have to figure it out on our own time, which is usually after dinner time or when the kids are in bed. It’s part of being an adult in the working world.

2) Parents

Ask any teacher what is the worst part of our job. The reply is generally the same: Parents.

Sure, some parents are wonderful. They send us notes to tell us how their kid is getting home, bring cupcakes to the classroom party, show up at conferences, help with homework, and work with us to make sure their child succeeds. If that’s you–we love you more than you realize.

Then…we have the ones that abuse their children–physically, mentally, or emotionally. We report issues to social services and wait for the system to do their job. If we’re lucky, the kids are taken out of the home, but it’s a long and painful process. I’ve watched a mother throw her ten year old out because the pedophile boyfriend preferred her daughter over her. There’s a family struggling to even eat so the child sneaked food from the cafeteria into his backpack. Parents pinning their child against one another to use in court. Parents have screamed at an educator, because it was somehow the teacher’s fault their daughter forgot her homework on her own bedroom floor. The list continues. Unfortunately, parents can be the ones that make this job 100 times more difficult.

Our job is emotional. We become attached to these kids, because they’re our kids. We are fiercely protective of these children.

3) Colleagues

All teachers care for their children. All teachers want to do what’s best for kids. All teachers collaborate and work together to make a friendly and safe environment.

In the words of Jim Carrey’s The Grinch–“Wrong-O”

It’s not all. Most. But not all.

You will have met, worked with, or will work with a teacher that is lazy and ineffective. He/she will sit at his/her desk, refuse to modify or accommodate assignments for kids with IEPS or struggling learners, and blames all of his/her woes on other colleagues. “It’s never my fault” seems to be their personal slogan. “It’s not my job” is often heard from this teacher’s mouth. Some teachers are bad teachers. Great people but bad teachers. If you don’t know who this teacher may be immediately, it’s most likely you. They show up late, they leave their classroom unattended, use the same worksheets year after year for thirty years, and refuse to collaborate with others. Sound familiar?

I have worked with colleagues from all backgrounds, age, and educational levels. I have seen teachers call other teachers nasty names, make kids pick and choose between them or another teacher, scream at one another in front of students, and the list continues. How is this allowed? It’s not, but it happens.

Do not be fooled. These teachers exist. Most teachers are loving, caring, and hard-working. We stay up late worrying about our students. We sneak food into their backpacks, because we know there is no food when they go home. We buy them small Christmas gifts. We love them as if they were our own. We work until the late hours of the day. We bring our work home. We put our families and children as a second priority, because we know some of our students have greater needs to be met. We cry when a child is mistreated, and we step up to be their voice and helper. MOST teachers work hard and love their job. Yet, we all have or know that one teacher that burns us out.

So how does a teacher become burned out? Some years are faster than others. We love our jobs. We care for your child/children. Just like you, we get tired at work. We become emotionally attached to our job, which makes things even harder. We bump heads with co-workers, adjust our curriculum over and over, and we fight to be the voice for those with none. Summer break is simply our rehab time to shut down and reboot.

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Teaching, Traveling, and Talking

January 14, 2018January 15, 2018 teachingtravelingandtalking

Hello!

Welcome all to a blog about a teacher’s insight on teaching, traveling, and talking with individuals around the world.

A little bit about me: I am an educator who has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school level. I’ve seen it all folks. Additionally, I am a travel and adventure loving individual who has been to over half of the 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, as well as multiple countries in Europe. Since I will be returning to “the old country” again, I wanted to document my travels as well as my time in the classroom.

For those of you who are teachers or travelers–I hope you can relate.

For those of you who want to get some insight and even a few giggles from life in the classroom–I hope you are entertained.

Whatever it may be, please read and enjoy. 🙂