“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a TED Talk that more people need to listen to. Adichie talks about her own experiences growing up in Nigeria, and how her world view was shaped not by her community, but by the material in which she was educated with. This was a speech that I listened to often throughout college. Not only did I feel that this message was important to hear as a consumer of knowledge, but as an advocate for education, too.

Spring of 2022, the world was starting to return to normal, students and teachers were reentering classrooms, and I faced the realization that I was not going to be there. I wanted to be a teacher. After graduating with my Bachelor’s in educational foundations, with goals of becoming a secondary English teacher, one of the hardest decisions I made was deciding that this field was not for me. Sadly, I am not the only educator that feels this way.

Between school shootings, standardized tests, and inexperienced oversight, it makes sense as to why many teachers are leaving.

Of course, there is also the issue of pay. Honestly, this was not the primary reason that I decided that I was not going to teach. Teaching is not known for money. Even as a college student, I considered getting my master’s in administration or instructional design. Something that was still education-related, but would make more money.

It was never the kids. It is never the kids. If it seems like you hear every teacher say that, it is because it is true. We teach because we love our students like they are our own. We want them to be the best versions of themselves that they can be.

As an English teacher, there are so many factors blocking my ability to teach my students. This is not about an “agenda.” There is no agenda in teaching history. There is no agenda in teaching acceptance and tolerance. There is no agenda in teaching other world views as long as we do not hold one above the rest. I wanted to teach my students about the world around them. I wanted them to see how they can become adults that make their communities stronger, not conform to the society that is trying to hold them back.

“Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person.” -Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

It seems like all of the odds are stacked against teachers. There are daily articles covering the exodus of educators and the chasm between teachers and community members is expanding rapidly. What I wanted to know was — Why are new teachers still wanting to teach?

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Caleb Moreland, a third-year high school history teacher, said that he too cherishes the curious nature of his students. When entering the field, COVID shutdowns were in full swing. Not only was he inexperienced, but there was no room for support. Teachers across the country were all trying to adjust to a new normal.

During this adjustment period, Moreland felt that many of the flaws of the American education system were exposed. Education became a process of “educating the mind without educating the heart.” We learned the truly damaging effects of developing machines and not humans, a process that non-educators are trying to return to.

When coming back to the classroom “I had a lot of students that did not know how to read in seventh grade” and these students were expected to walk back into the classroom as if their education had not been interrupted. “I spent thirty minutes every morning looking for a new job. What were my other options with an education degree?”

Now, in his third year of teaching, Moreland has made himself a home within his classroom, but it took some time for him to reevaluate what it means to run a classroom.

Austin Bennett, a second-year high school English teacher, highlights this issue while discussing the disconnect between teacher preparation versus real classrooms. “We are trained to teach in perfect classrooms, where all of the students want to be there and are engaged in the lessons.”

Maybe it is because of the teacher shortage, or maybe it is because many professors are too disconnected from their years away from the classroom, but it is as if professors are afraid of teaching college students the reality of teaching. Instead, teachers create units with no interruptions for state testing, behavioral issues, accommodations, or parental push-back. This leaves many new teachers frustrated and overwhelmed when entering the field.

When it comes to their ideas for a solution, both educators agreed that there are too many parents and educationally inexperienced politicians making decisions that affect all students. Bennet states that the “war against teachers is a large reason that teachers are leaving.”

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It seems that there are news stories covering the teacher shortage, and the crises facing the classroom, are daily occurrences. Many teachers are looking for options to leave.

Why are experienced teachers leaving? Is it the demands of the physical classroom, or is it the challenges of the field entirely?

Christy Miller, a high school science teacher, switched to an online platform of education. While still teaching with the public school system, she removed herself from her classroom after almost two decades of teaching experience.

Once a department chair at a Florida high school, Miller has spent the last four years as a department chair with oversight of other virtual educators.

“Online has let me have more flexibility… I spent too much time micromanaging and I wanted to spend more time with my family.” While in an administrative role, she agrees that a lot of the stress in education comes from the disconnect comes from lack of awareness of what is truly happening in classrooms. “Admin needs to be in the classroom.”

Contrary to expectation, Miller has “received more pushback from parents” in the virtual classroom than the physical classroom. While teaching Biology, evolution and sexual reproduction are topics that are infamous for their controversy in American classrooms. Despite trying to build trust and relationships with the families of her students, there have been times that she had had to give students zeros for these units when parents refuse to allow their child to partake in any of these lessons or assignments.

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While there is an influx of teachers leaving the field, there are many educators that are staying in the field despite the exponential challenges.

Jeff Draves, a high school history teacher of 20 years, is a mentor to many teachers and students alike. He feels that the options for many teachers have changed, especially post-pandemic. There have been more opportunities to work online or in other fields entirely.

“Parents have a much stronger voice.” While Draves notes that it is essential for parents to be involved in education, the dangers occur when “there is a mob mentality.”

“They tried to raise salaries” but it was not enough to keep teachers in the classroom. As one of the few veteran teachers left at the school, Draves tries to be a mentor toward other teachers. “It is important to surround yourself with adults who understand you. Do not isolate yourself in the profession. Have time with other adults.”

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