As teachers, you spend a countless number of hours marking, preparing lessons and making sure your pupils fully understand the syllabus. You also act as a role model and you also encourage future generations to lead successful lives.
It feels amazing when you see one of your students who struggled in Maths get a good grade in that subject. You know you played a huge role. And it feels even better when they say thank you and you get all emotional inside.
But sometimes, you might feel a bit underappreciated. There have been many reports in the media on increasing pressures teachers face. But despite these negative reports, you chose to become a teacher because you love to teach.
Humour, as we know, is the best medicine when it comes to facing challenges. So we scoured the web to find 10 highly relatable memes that only you, the teacher, will fully appreciate.
1. No Temper Tantrums, or Unwanted Mess
As a teacher, you are not just responsible for your students' education and making sure that they fully grasp the syllabus, but you're also responsible for their well being too. But the thought of seeing one of your pupils throw up or cry can bring a shiver down anyone's spine.
2. Behaviour Management
Being a teacher, you need to ensure your pupils are on their best behaviour. This can be extremely challenging. If you spot a student who is talking to their classmate and you single them out in front of the class, chances are they will retaliate. That pupil you singled out will always bring his fellow classmate into the picture.
3. Being Quiet, So The Class Can Be Quiet
Perhaps your biggest nightmare is having a class that is totally out of your control. What's even worse is if you have the headmaster entering your class and witnessing your incapabilities of managing a noisy class.
We can imagine how difficult it is for you to constantly tell your class to keep quiet. So as a last resort, you will use the "silent treatment".
The “silent treatment” may seem counterintuitive but it is effective. But when it isn't, then the above meme shows what might happen.
4. Undervalued and Underpaid
A recent report in The Guardian states that a
teacher's salary in England has dropped by 12%. Considering how much work you put in to help your pupils succeed, this is not great news.
In the hit TV show, Breaking Bad, we see the main protagonist Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher, descend to become the most wanted criminal drug lord. And for what reason? He felt undervalued and had more to offer.
5. When Non-Teachers Don't Appreciate What You Do
If you go to a social event, like a wedding or a birthday party, you will mingle with people who are in a profession that pays more. It can be disheartening when these non-teachers don't really appreciate what you do on a day-to-day basis. These highly paid professionals became who they are thanks to your contributions.
6. When Kids Don't Listen
You know if a student is on their smartphone, they are not listening to what you are trying to teach. Numerous studies have shown how smartphones can affect academic performance.
In
one study conducted by London School of Economics that involved 130,000 students from 91 schools in England, prohibiting the use of smartphone actually improved academic performance. Perhaps, you may want to lobby a ban on smartphones in your school.
7. Not Just a 9 to 5 Job
People tend to underestimate how much work you actually have to do. You have lesson preparation, class timetabling, providing extra support to students who are not academically performing well and, let's not forget, marking.
It comes as no surprise that many teachers, like yourself, are having to
work 60 hours-a-week. And since you can only do so much in one day, you're left with no choice but to work on the weekends.
8. A Teacher's Work is Never Done
Even though you do have the summer off, you do spend some of that time preparing a lesson plan for the entire academic year. The moment you do complete all your tasks over the break, getting that work email can feel like the biggest pain.
9. Encourage Teamwork But At Your Own Risk
As teachers, you want to encourage your pupils to become independent. When it comes to group work, you want to empower your students to take responsibility and let them choose their own group members. But sometimes, this backfires. Students will inevitably have arguments with their fellow group members and will come to you to resolve their matter. You may ask yourself why you should take responsibility for something your students chose to do themselves.
10. There's a Reason Why You Became a Teacher
You didn't become a teacher for the sake of it. You chose the profession because you love to teach. A 2016 study has shown that
83% of teachers in the UK love their job. And despite the grumbles about pay and long working hours, you get to play a crucial role in your pupils' personal and professional development.