Teaching is demanding work: long hours, low pay, and a profession increasingly shaped by the politicization of public education. Teachers also have to contend with worsening student behavior, the pressure to achieve better student outcomes, and limited autonomy in how they teach.
While teachers want smaller class sizes, funding for teacher training, hiring more paraprofessionals or counselors, and support for students with disabilities and different learning needs are under pressure. The list of stressors pushing teachers out of the profession is long.
But what makes them stay? In responses to a Education Week posed on social media last month about what makes teachers stay in their jobs, teachers stated that their main reason for staying was their students and their love for teaching. Many described a sense of efficacy鈥攆eeling their work leads to better student outcomes鈥攁s central to their decision.
鈥淚鈥檝e worked in low-income, Title I schools my entire career, and I wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way,鈥� said Joshua P., one respondent to the query. 鈥淚 absolutely love making a positive impact on my kids鈥� lives. I don鈥檛 only teach my content, but I teach hard work, dedication, perseverance, success, etc. I love hearing success stories when they contact me years later. It鈥檚 the best feeling knowing I鈥檓 making a difference in our society.鈥�
Educators also pointed to supportive school environments鈥攊ncluding their relationships with colleagues and respect from administrators鈥攁s key reasons. Other teachers have more practical reasons for staying鈥攕ome are too close to retirement to leave now, some stay for the pension, and some teachers simply don鈥檛 have the energy or time to start a new career.
Here are some responses that capture some of the reasons why teachers choose to stay in their jobs.
Teachers enjoy their working environment
Every time I have quit I have found my way back to the classroom, it鈥檚 my life calling apparently.
I have supportive admin who I philosophically agree with, amazing coworkers who are helpful, kind, and love kids, and I feel effective (thanks to quality math, science, and reading curricula). The system is working in our little microcosm. If any of those three variables change, I'm out.
I finally found a school where teachers are valued and respected.
I get to tell history stories all day. I am in a rural school that has behavior under control. They also leave me alone to teach.
I like my job鈥擨 enjoy working with kids. Beats the hell out of working with adults.
It鈥檚 actually still fun for me, I have almost three months off each year, and I鈥檒l enjoy a decent retirement before age 60. Even crumbling professions have an upside!
It鈥檚 about purpose and students
Loans are forgiven, I love teaching every day and have 5 years left until retirement and I鈥檓 already sad that I only have 5 more classes to meet. My greatest gift presently is teaching reading. I love when my students realize 鈥業 can read!鈥�
Teenagers are interesting and funny, and I鈥檝e enjoyed working with them. I鈥檓 also pleased to be contributing to my community through my career field. I often wish I earned a better salary鈥攆inancially, life can be tough鈥攂ut as I near retirement, I look back knowing it鈥檚 been the right choice for me.
It鈥檚 a vocation. And good colleagues make it work. It fills my cup long term even if it drains my cup daily.
I wanted a meaningful life. I wanted an outlet for my creativity. I wanted to even the playing field for students of color. And I like working with teenagers.
Retirement and pension have a strong pull, but some lack options
I need my retirement!
No backup plan.
Pension. That is it. If it weren鈥檛 for the pensions, there wouldn鈥檛 be nearly enough teachers.
No alternative options. I need fulfillment and love the subject I teach, but there isn鈥檛 much efficacy on the part of students these days. And the level of coddling of students by the system and their parents is unbearable. I hate perpetuating such levels of dysfunction! I am authentically worried for the future.
I鈥檓 essentially trapped. I can鈥檛 go off and get another degree, and I don鈥檛 live in an area where I can market any of my other skills.
I am only staying to get my health care at 25 years and it is only 2 years away for me, then I am out!
Some teachers didn鈥檛 stick with it
I stayed in the profession for 27 years. Mainly for the joy the kids brought me by their smiles and being kids! The joy left when the district decided to tell me 鈥淲hat to teach, when and how to teach鈥� the curriculum all for test scores. And district politics and bureaucracy drove me away, and covid influenced my decision too.
I left after 20 years. My only regret was not leaving earlier. It鈥檚 taken almost 3 years to recover mentally.
