This site is a place for teachers to talk about our everyday realities at work. We love our work, and we love our kids. We also face challenges which may not be apparent to the general public. The better people understand our jobs, the better placed we are to advocate for what’s best for our students.
Are you a teacher with a story (or ten)? Send it to teachersofnovascotia@gmail.com. Do not include anything that could identify you or your students. Talk about the positives, but also the challenges, of being a teacher. Include a title and, if possible, an image. Feel free to get creative: write your story on a whiteboard and take a picture, include an image that tells a story in itself, or just type it out and send.
This site is a project of Educators for Social Justice – Nova Scotia.
Teachers of Nova Scotia 
It finally came to a halting stop for me last year. I ended up hospitalized, sick and exhausted trying to do an impossible job. My family were very worried, my doctor told me I was a very ill and my children cried about me being in the hospital. And when I say impossible, I truly mean that. Each year I take it out on myself and tell myself, ‘I am not working hard enough or smart enough.’ Then, I found this amazing site and I hear all your heartbreaking stories that are my story as well. I feel afraid to speak out of the problems in our schools today. We are told our board is watching what we post of Facebook and disciplinary action is taken if we say something, suggest something out of sorts. People are actually PAID to do this job! which completely frustrates me that in a broken system there is money for this nonsense. Our admin always tries to put a positive spin on assessments or new initiatives coming from the board and province and don’t support teachers. They say we ‘just have to do it, it’s our job’ and off they go to their office and close the door. Admin is so disconnected with what is happening in the classroom they aren’t there to back up teachers when there are problems. Our voices are constantly silenced but we are the ones on the front lines seeing initiatives in action which never work, are a huge waist of money and a massive waist of valuable time. Maybe 25% of my day is spent teaching, another 25% ensuring I am tracking students in my data binder to prove ‘I am accountable’ and 50% attending meetings, duties, emails, formal assessments which do not directly correlate to classroom teaching or learning. It is all just a paper trail to show that I am doing my job to prove to the ones who make the decisions, so they can make themselves look better. The physical pace and mental pace of the job has me utterly exhausted at the end of each day and sometimes it is the first time since breakfast I have eaten. Then I have further meetings, emails to attend to and I haven’t even begun to consider planning for the next day. My physical, mental and now emotional health can no longer take the abuse. After long thought, I have decided to leave the profession of teaching even though I was dreamed of bing a teacher and achieved my life time goal, the expenses on my family and health is just too much. I need balance in my life and there is no balance or respect in this profession.
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Thank you for your comment Debbie, and it’s so sad to hear you are leaving the profession. If it’s all right with you I’ll post this comment as a post of its own.
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I was sorry to read about your experience with admin. As a vice principal of a school my number one priority is to support students and staff in whatever way is needed. I hope I never make one of my colleagues feel the way you feel but I will tell you being an administrator can be a lonely position especially when your the one always delivering bad news and trying to maintain a positive climate for learning and making the best of situations we don’t necessarily agree with but need to do anyways. Take care.
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Debbie, my heart goes out to you.
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I love the idea of this blog and reading these stories is heartbreaking. But teachers need public support right now and unfortunately, not enough people have heard these stories. Just an idea, but what about turning this into a video blog? Have someone film teachers who want to volunteer to tell their stories and everyday submit a new one and share it on fb, twitter, etc. so people can start hearing about and connecting with our struggles and experiences. I think it could be really effective.
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I think that’s a great idea, however a) it would require a great deal more time and work and some video expertise, and b) part of the idea of this blog is that it’s anonymous – there are reasons why teachers don’t want to identify themselves with these stories (fear of identifying our students, fear of being disciplined by our employer).
The best we can do for now is ask people like you to like and share 🙂
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I support teachers 100% and as a Social Worker, completely understand the burnout many of you are facing.
I am also a parent of 3 children, 2 which have ADHD and 1 with a pronounced learning disability.
The administrative tasks, emails and paperwork teachers are asked to do completely swamp the percentage of teaching done and this is just not fair! Give me a hand written report card anyday with actual letters or marks over this crazy WD/D stuff!
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I really have many many experiences that I have never shared regarding Principals and Vice Principals treat subordinates in a bullying like manner. Unfortunately these few bad apples are able to use both their privileges with management as well the complacency and culpability of our own Union to placate and protect them at the expense of the victimized teacher. Perhaps someday I may need to say more. Until that time I will try to get well as I climb out of depression and fight the symptoms of PTSD.
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