So I teach Elementary school and it I am really happy that I pursued this career path. I love teaching kids all day and the time I spend in the classroom is usually exciting and fun! Nothing is better than the feeling of making an actual impact on a child's education. When I get a note or a comment from a student or parent telling me that I made a difference for them, it blows my mind and I love that feeling.
The time off obviously can't be beat, and the compensation is actually quite good. A lot of teachers like to complain but we are treated pretty fairly and the time off is amazing. Teachers with 10+ years experience make $101,000 in Calgary, that's obviously a very good living. Government pension after retirement is pretty substantial as well.
All that being said, there are a lot of initiatives from the board and from Alberta Education that I find to be superfluous and silly. We spend so much time doing paperwork or pursuing these initiatives that do not contribute anything to the actual education of students. I can definitely see how some teachers with families and limited personal time can become overwhelmed with some of the paperwork and the actual teaching of kids suffers because of the demands on our time from the system.
I'm lucky right now as I don't have a family to get home and see. I don't have to get my kids ready for school in the morning and get them out the door, or pick them up from daycare in the evening. My evenings and weekends aren't taken up by kids sports and activities. But when they are, honestly, from September to June, it'll be a huge adjustment and I can see my dedication to my job slipping a little bit.
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