I’m so tired of being told that I have caused the teacher shortage.

I have been teaching for 12 years. I am only 32! I make 50,000 a year, not minimum wage. I have a Masters degree that was paid for by my school system. I work in a high school. I have administered several AP tests a year, proctored the ACT, and proctored SOL tests. I teach 4 classes a day and have a planning period. This planning period is not used to plan, but to have parent teacher conferences, watch other teachers classes that I have to cover for because we have no subs, complete progress reports, meet with departments, and meet with my administrator for various non-class things. <br><br>I love my job. I love the contact with kids. I love watching them grow. I love going to football games and understanding the social dynamics when they interact. <br><br>But I am tired. I have no idea how people with kids do this job. I have no idea how single parents do it. I can not believe that the solution to teacher shortages in to lower standards. <br><br>My school is desperate for teachers. We have English classes that are taught by History teachers, math being taught by Science teachers, etc. We have classes with 40 kids in them. Teachers are being begged not to quit by administrators. <br><br>I have students that just sit and look at walls all day. They have no teacher. Our school has hired several teachers this year, but the teachers quit after a month or 2. I have had several teachers lined up to teach and not show up the first day. <br><br>I am tired of being accused of only teaching for the summers off. I am tired of being accused of being lazy. <br><br>I am tired of being told that I am the reason for the teacher shortage because I am mean. That I am too hard on my students. That I don’t let my students have a voice. <br><br>I am tired of the lack of value that my profession holds. <br><br>I am tired of being accused of having a job that is easy and not having huge responsibilities. <br><br>I am tired of being told that I am only in it for the money. <br><br>I am tired of people who have never taught not having any sympathy for the profession. <br><br>My job is not easy. I am not lazy. And I am not in it for the money. <br><br>As a society we need to come to terms with how we have devalued education. We need to come to terms with how we have demonized teachers. We need to come to terms on how we have created this problem. <br><br>I can not blame young college students for not wanting to join this profession. I can’t even blame parents for not wanting to fix the situation. <br><br>But we need to. <br><br>Edit: I should say that I do not have children. I also have had the luxury of being where I am my entire life. I grew up in the town I teach and teach at the school I went to. I know a lot of the people in the town, and many of my former teachers are my colleagues. I have been given many gifts, and have been very fortunate.