re: Teachers of the OT: Dealing with Burnout

Teaching is a difficult job, no matter what people say about "get a real job" or other stuff.

You haven't given enough information for proper advice. Years in / other options / family situation / future goals and many other variables would change solid advice / wisdom.

The education system in many ways functions exactly opposite as it should, but that said, even with all of its terribleness, there are many teachers who really do make a tremendous difference and learn to more or less get along in the system.

The job can potentially be managed so you'd have essentially European hours and job security, which could be fantastic if you can get along well enough with all of the negatives.

I know several teachers and have spoken about this type stuff with them many times.

It's a good career (or good enough) if you can deal with it, but it can certainly be soul crushing if you can't.

I'd guess the stipend is a way to frick you so it doesn't count towards retirement. No raises in 5 years with the inflation is ridiculous.

Oh it certainly is, it's a way to make teachers feel they are getting something without actionally getting something. A raise helps in retirement, a stipend doesn't help but for the now. The fact that my 2k stipend ended up losing 800 in taxes/retirement is another issue.

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How are you not recovering over the summer?

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I would love to see the people that say this to go and teach in a public school.

No, I'm not a teacher. My mom has been a teacher for over 30 years and idiots like you repeat this bullshite.

Start selling steel beams in a lay down yard for a living, and get back to me

I'd kill to talk history for 9 months out the year, and relax for the other 3

But thankfully I make plenty more money than you jokers, and I love what I do

So we ain't NEVER GONNA STOP

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Start selling steel beams in a lay down yard for a living, and get back to me

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This seems like an impossible job. I won’t be able to get back to you on this.

I’m in year 15 of teaching. I do the extracurriculars, have done coaching, etc. I experienced major burnout last year when I was at a middle school, and some years prior. This year has been cake so far. My issue now is, I want more money because child support will kick my arse.

I’m content where I am now. My next move will probably be a career change, but that is daunting. It’s out of my comfort zone, and many jobs will pay me even less. In that regard, I feel trapped.

Luckily my degree is outside of education so it provides me more opportunities, however both of my master's degree's are in education and now provide little for potential upward mobility unless I stay in education.

I have no desire for administration, if I move up it's to the state level

Get out of core classes. Not because they are easier, but because you have so much more control over what you make your class about and how you teach it. You can focus on real life skills and teach things that actually help the students prepare for the world rather than just chase stupid worthless data and test scores that don't matter for any reason other than for the bloated educational beauracracy to pretend like it's accomplishing something.