I saw a post today about an old TIME magazine cover from 2018 that is making the rounds again, and one quote hit me straight to the heart:
“Violence in the classrooms. Pressure from admin and district to outperform every year. No work life balance. Constant criticism of trained professionals. This is why education becomes unsustainable for our mental health. We chose this career to help kids, and our compassion is taken advantage of at the cost of our health.”
The fact that a cover from years ago still feels painfully relevant says everything. This is the truth many teachers live every day. I’m not being a drama queen, nor am I exaggerating. This is reality. And yes, even though I’m teaching in Greece, this predicament reflects the status here as well.
Teaching is an act of care, but somewhere along the way, that care started being treated as an endless resource. Teachers are stretched, drained, and judged all at once, while still expected to smile and keep on going.
The emotional load, the pressure to perform, even the lack of support, slowly wears down the people who entered this profession with the purest of intentions. We cannot keep expecting teachers to pour from an empty cup. Healthy classrooms require healthy teachers. Safe students require supported adults.
We chose this profession because we believe in people. It is time for the system to believe in us too.
Credits:
Photo Cover: TIME Magazine
Source: Bored Teachers (Instagram)
Quote: bloombeyondburnout (Instagram)
Blog Post Text: Katherine Reilly
Katherine Reilly 