Stop telling me to “get a new career if you can’t handle the pay and stress.”

I did not want to be a teacher. I wanted to be a flight attendant. But I went to a magnet school where I had to choose a career pathway and I choose teaching because I wanted out of there by the time I was 17. <br><br>Teaching wasn’t my passion, it was just a way out. I was made to do a career project and I found out I could have a teaching certificate at 17. I took the certification test and boom, I’m a certified teacher at 17. <br><br>I start teaching at 21. I was young and stupid and had no idea that my school district was in horrible shape, or at least the school I was at was. I was also naive and not ready for the real world. But I worked my ass off. It didn’t matter that I didn’t make a lot of money because I had a good time. I loved getting to meet new kids and watching them learn. <br><br>But the last few years…. Ugh. Parent teacher conferences used to be a breeze. Now it’s parents coming at me telling me I’m and idiot that I don’t care about their child or I’m not a good teacher. It’s constant emails about stuff I was very clear about. I have a powerpoint in canvas, a syllabus, and assign less than 30 minutes of homework a night but I’m constantly being asked when assignments are due, how many points they’re worth, how to do the assignment. <br><br>I’m so tired now. Last year I was so exhausted that I would cry when I got home from work because I didn’t feel like I could do it anymore. But I pushed through. This year so far has been okay. I mean, I’m still stressed but not about the kids. Mostly my admin doesn’t like me and has made it very clear that they will make it impossible for me to get tenure. <br><br>But I don’t want to change careers. I love being in the classroom. I love watching kids learn. I’m tired of being treated like I’m greedy for wanting to make more money without having to work more than 12 hours a day. I’m tired of being treated poorly by parents who don’t think I care about their child when in reality, I love their child like they were my own. I’m tired of being treated like shit by other teachers because I’m a “millennial” and don’t belong in teaching. I’m tired. But I’m not going to change careers.