I was an educational technician III (Maine's equivalent for paraprofessionals) for 9.5 years in a special education resource room for grades K-5. I taught ALL the math and supported writing and grammar for 20-30 students. Although my lead teacher is expected to do the lesson planning for each child, and send the ed tech in the appropriate direction for materials, it didn't work this way in reality. She was too busy with her end of the teaching load, paperwork, meetings, etc.; we, her techs, were pretty much on our own. I loved the kids, loved my job, but the pay was the killer and after 9.5 years (having worked my way up to $15.50 an hour), I left for a better-paying position managing the organic chemistry laboratories at our state's University. Although I will miss the vacations that come with public school teaching (my university appointment is year round, 40 hours a week... no academic schedule for me!), I am so relieved to be out from under the expectations of the state and governmental over-reaching that comes with teaching in the public schools. I miss my kids SO MUCH... but... the stress level that comes with education these days is incredible, and much is due to the demands, regulations, and rigidity. The lack of stress was obvious just last week, when I realized that this week is February vacation for my former school. Usually at this point, I'm counting down the days, cognizant of "just 6 more, just 5 more" every morning when I woke up. This year, I just don't feel like I am going to explode from the stress of my job!
I've seen many terrific, veteran teachers take retirement the second they are eligible, because they are just done, fried, by the demands. Some of them have come back as substitutes and they LOVE THIS. They get to teach, get to work with the kids, but don't have to meet all the demands of local, state, and federal agencies. They get to set their own schedules, work when they want, do what they love, but not be beholden to a system that demands they bend their ways.
I swear... In what other profession are you required to earn a 4 year degree, do an internship (student teaching), take additional classes to remain certified, take regular professional development, have a mentor for your first few years as a teacher... and then the government tells you what to teach, how to teach it, when to teach it, how much time to spend teaching it, how to assess it, how to report/track it, and THEN changes their regulations every 3-5 years so you can start over again? No wonder teachers burn out so quickly! (and this doesn't take into account the 100s of other things- behaviors, home issues, poverty, etc- that teachers deal with on a daily basis!)
