“Teachers go into education for the outcome, not the income.” 

“You only work nine months out of the year, how bad can it be?” 

“You knew what you signed up for, so why not just quit?” 

“Teachers need to stop whining.” 

These statements are a convenient and manipulative way to shame educators into working for free and putting up with abuses no one else would tolerate in any other profession. But why do we fall for it? Well, according to Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston and best-selling author, nothing silences people more effectively than shame does. It is a “social tool to keep people quiet.” 

Inadequate salaries aside, one of the top reasons teachers leave the profession is student behavior, but many educators feel ashamed to admit that because we are accused of having bad “classroom management” or told we haven’t done enough to build relationships. But the reality is we are seeing many more children coming to us with a great deal of emotional baggage that causes them to act out in ways that interrupt learning for everyone else. Even the most seasoned educators are having a difficult time.

In order to juggle large class sizes while simultaneously teaching curriculum and addressing the social-emotional needs of students, teachers need to be “on” all day every day to keep children engaged. Putting on a performance of that caliber for hours at a time is draining, even in the best of circumstances and with the most well-behaved classes.

But doing that on top of having students lash out is taking a toll on our mental health. No human being with feelings can honestly say that they are unaffected by someone arguing with you, calling you names, talking back, rolling their eyes, interrupting you whenever you speak, making fun of you, posting cruel things about you on social media, or even becoming physically aggressive. It is never easy to be on the receiving end of someone else’s trauma, but doing it every day, and sometimes multiple times per day, affects one’s psyche. We are people, not machines.

The layperson might suggest we “send the offender to the principal’s office,” but those days are over. Because of restorative justice practices and positive behavior plans, the burden of parenting and counseling is on the shoulders of educators. And while most people agree that your “right to swing your arm ends just where the other person’s nose begins,” the rules don’t apply in public schools.

Instead of providing a student in crisis with the help they need, they are given a proverbial slap on the wrist, sent back to class and teachers are instructed to do more to “build a relationship with that child.” Establishing trust and a rapport with all students is what we strive for, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, especially with those whose disruptive behavior is the result of a lifetime of abuse, neglect and/or trauma.

Trying to rehabilitate a child with that sort of history in one period a day while delivering instruction and catering to the needs of the other 25-plus students in a typical secondary classroom — class sizes vary by subject, grade and school districts, with electives such as music ensembles and physical education often seeing 40-plus students — is not equitable for anyone, including the child who desperately requires one-on-one intervention.

With the Nevada Legislature’s passing of AB285 and AB330, however, I am hopeful some of the issues will be resolved. According to the Clark County Education Association, these bills “will ensure that every bus, every classroom, and every campus is safe for our students and staff by mandating districts to implement a progressive discipline plan that holds students accountable.” They go on to add that these bills “empower educators to remove violent or disruptive students from their classrooms.” Time will tell.

Another reason teachers quit is that we are treated like pawns in a cruel political game that legislators use to gain votes. Our curriculum is micromanaged and censored in the name of “transparency” and is downright oppressive to students and teachers unless you are white, cisgender, heterosexual and Christian.

We are accused of “hating America” when we fill in the missing pieces of history that were left out of textbooks for decades or are called pedophiles when we acknowledge a student’s gender identity. Some would rather our children endure active shooter drills than read a book that doesn’t align with their religious views. We are walking on perpetual eggshells and it is stifling our ability to teach.

And finally, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to entice people into this profession when there is an ignorant assumption that “those who can’t, teach.” Well, nothing can be further from the truth. I have seen quite a few instructors who held doctorates in their field of study but were ineffective educators.

According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, “Accomplished teachers have a rich understanding of the subjects they teach” and “command specialized knowledge of how to convey and reveal subject matter to students.” Teaching truly is an art, and not everyone has that gift.

Until America recognizes teachers as professionals, not self-sacrificing martyrs, and prioritizes education over politics by funding it appropriately, public education in the United States will continue to be in crisis, educators will continue to be driven away, and the only ones who will suffer are America’s children.

Kelly Edgar has taught in the fifth largest school district in the United States since 1997, holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music education, is a National Board Certified vocal music teacher and is the task force chairperson over middle school choral music for her school district of over 300,000 students.