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Episode 24: Why do you STAY a teacher?


All of us have been asked the question at one point or another.

What made you decide to become a teacher?

You've been asked it in job interviews, where the right answer seemed critical.

You've been asked it by incredulous family members, where the right answer seemed impossible.

You've been asked it by students, where the right answer seemed loaded.

We've all got our response memorized. Whether that response reflects your deeply felt, inspirational path into the classroom, the safe-for-work, sanitized version of your winding road towards respectability, or is simply a rehearsed tale that carefully avoids saying "I don't know why I do half the things I do."

I don't know about you, but I'm bored by my story. It's not particularly inspirational, and, frankly, it's not particularly interesting.

You want to see into a teacher's soul? Don't ask us why we started.

Ask us why we stay. 

Why do we stay in a career that puts many of us below the federal poverty line?

Why do we stay after school day after day, night after night, sponsoring UIL teams, supervising clubs, buying doughnuts, and falling asleep on the couches in the break rooms?

Why do we stay in a job where politicians legislate seemingly every.single.thing we do, while the entire country comments on it?

Why do we stay after Columbine? After Sandy Hook? After Parkland?

Because we do stay. We stay for years. Many of us in the same classrooms, in the same hallways, in the same schools.

Why do YOU stay?

In today's podcast, we talk about Parkland.

And isolation in a school culture.

And violence.

And inspiration.
Connection.
Community.
Education.

And why we stay.

Click the link here to listen to today's podcast or find us on iTunes or Google Play and subscribe.

And please leave a comment below telling us why YOU stay.


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