Where have all the teachers gone?
Teachers respond to the Q&A from the Oct. 31 issue of the ATA News.
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marlst8
Because teaching is exhausting.
renee_juliette
Yep. I decided to leave. There are lots going through the education, but there are a lot leaving the profession at the same time.
runnerjen73
Big class sizes, shrinking budgets, excessive expectations, so much take home work, it’s exhausting. And with this provincial government, there’s not a lot of hope for changes or improvements any time soon.
iamme.ftm
I am a teacher who has chosen not to work due to the fact that the government always wants to turn parents against us instead of parents choosing to stand for us/with us for the kids. It’s a headache.
becomingleanne
I taught for several years then stayed home for almost 10 years after having kids. When I came back to teaching I was, and still am, floored by the amount of added expectations put on teachers. It really is unrealistic. The other major difference is the number of children with complex needs. We are expected to be medical workers. I love teaching the children, but the rest of it, the part that requires us to spend another 20 hrs/week or more at school or on school-related work, is soul sucking.
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Jessica Berry Lavoie
How can you blame them!!?? We keep enabling parents and families so they aren’t accountable for their kids’ needs and behaviours, and then wonder why they get burnt out when kids have behaviour issues, or all of a sudden teachers and schools are in charge of meeting physical needs as well?? We all need to give our heads a shake.
Lynann Kroetsch
I agree. I have been out of this for 20 years and my last year was crazy for this very reason. Thank goodness my principal was behind me. The parents involved then moved their kids out of the school and tried about three more schools.
Letters to the Editor
Congratulations on amazing article
Congratulations to Adrienne Peoples-Sprecker for the wonderful article entitled “I left part of my heart in Ghana,” published in the ATA News of Oct. 31.
An article of this calibre is likely to encourage experienced Canadian teachers to consider enlisting as volunteers for Project Overseas. Project Overseas is praiseworthy as it enables talented Canadian teachers to share their expertise with colleagues in the developing world.
Leo R. Sam
Retired teacher, Edmonton
