This article is one of the winning submissions from the New York Post Scholars Contest, presented by Command Education.
“No…don’t be a teacher.”
I was taken aback, shocked by the warning. Having reunited with one of my old elementary school teachers for the first time in nearly eight years, we had begun catching up with one another. Questions like “How is school” and “What’s been going on” eventually led to the most pressing one: “What do you want to do after you graduate college?”
I begin by expressing that I’d like to be an English teacher, but one look at her face told me that something was wrong. An uncomfortable silence, one that must have only lasted seconds, hung heavy in the air, before she spoke.
My old teacher, one who taught me with such vigor, was telling me to not be a teacher. It was uncomfortable, but certainly clear—she was tired.
Despite the large number of students in the state, New York has one of the worst teacher shortages in the country. According to USA Today, 86% of schools find it difficult to hire teachers, and over 60% of teachers are dissatisfied with their career, discouraging their children from going down the same career path.
Many older teachers are now urging young people to stay away from teaching, once a rewarding profession with lots of potential. A great number of educators find themselves burnt out and demotivated less than a decade in. But why is that? Why are so many teachers considering leaving the profession, and why are so many young people straying from the path?
Benjamin N. Cardozo High School is home to many teachers, and a lot are familiar with the exhaustion that comes after a long day at school. An English teacher, among many, expressed that education, “is not the same as what it was before.” She explained that teachers don’t get treated like professionals, and that many are actually looked down upon or even outright disrespected.
Despite being in classrooms for years, a vast majority of teachers find themselves underappreciated or disrespected, unlike most jobs where seniority is rewarded. She explained that there was a noticeable difference between how motivated students were in the past and now, and how their attention spans had greatly shifted since before quarantine. Teachers are constantly battling cell phones, and it’s much harder when there’s very little consequences for the students.
A lot of parents feel indifferent, or even offended, when confronted about negative behavior from their children. The lack of proper communication and cooperation in and out the classroom between families can be dehumanizing—and extremely frustrating.
“It’s like…when I first started teaching, students were willing to put in the work, but now they don’t want to. It’s disheartening, especially when we try everything to put in the work for them,” the teacher expresses. Lack of focus is frustrating, and even more so when teachers need to beg students to try and pass their classes.
There’s more to blame the teacher shortage on than unmotivated students and negativity in the classroom. Teachers are notoriously underpaid, and are often unable to have the necessary resources provided for in their classrooms. With the work that goes into teaching even after the school day ends, a lot of educators don’t find the compensation efficient or financially beneficial. Many have to pay for supplies out of their own pocket, cutting into their already inadequate paycheck. Other career paths require less work and are often more financially fulfilling, which may be another reason why teachers are quitting.
While teachers face a lot of challenges, the need for passion and drive is greater than ever. Teachers shape the future, and their work extends far beyond the classroom. Although teaching comes with many challenges, it remains one of the most important careers. With the right support and respect, it can be a fulfilling profession. The world still needs passionate teachers to guide and inspire the next generation, and there will one day be a time where teachers won’t feel the need to fight to survive in the field.
A 12th-grader at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Queens, Liu dreams of being an author one day.