Three years ago, I made one of the hardest decisions of my entire life.
I loved teaching, and I had 20 years of good feedback for my work, but I was tired of being beaten down. I was tired of going into work with pains in my chest, or having students come to tell me that other teachers were making fun of me in front of their students. I was tired of a coach standing in front of my class yelling, “You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re not helping anyone.”
Not one bad evaluation, not one day coming in late.
Every single day, I hear from teachers who cry at the thought of going into work, who are riddled with such anxiety that they can hardly function.
I don’t wish it on anyone.