I once smiled when people said, “Teaching is the easiest job.” I believed it too. Short hours, early afternoons, long holidays, and a peaceful life. I thought I would build minds and still have time for myself. From the outside, teaching looked gentle and safe. But no one prepares you for what the chalk dust hides behind the classroom door.

But after becoming a teacher, I realised the truth.

Teaching is not just about taking classes. It is about handling stress, handling pressure and handling people. Every day there is work, more work and sometimes never-ending work. There is always something new to prepare, something to correct, something to worry about. The growth is slow. The salary is low. Most of the time we move forward only with hope, and even that slowly starts to fade.

People often misunderstand how demanding a teacher’s work is. They do not see how the day actually feels. We reach school early. We stand and speak for hours. Our throat burns. Our head feels heavy. By the time we reach home we feel like falling into bed.

There are new rules now. We cannot scold children. We cannot raise our voice. We cannot even warn them properly. We must be calm all the time. But when students misbehave, who gets blamed? The teacher. When a student is disrespectful, who gets questioned? The teacher. When we try to complain, we are told that we do not know how to manage a class.

Everyone talks about mental health today. But who talks about the mental health of teachers? A student may shout, a student may misbehave, but a teacher must stay quiet and patient. A teacher sometimes faces bullying from students. Many face disrespect in front of the whole class. Sometimes the whole room laughs at you, and you are expected to smile and continue teaching.

Today, teachers are not encouraged to support or help each other. Instead, they are quietly pushed into competition. Everyone is made to compete for certificates, appreciation, and titles like Best Teacher. This competition does not bring improvement or teamwork. It slowly takes away kindness. People stop helping each other and start focusing only on being noticed by management.

We deal with emotional pressure. We deal with rude behaviour. We handle parents who think their child is always right. We handle management who believes the teacher must never be wrong. We are asked to prove ourselves every day.

Teaching is beautiful when respect exists. It is magical when students want to learn. But it becomes painful when respect disappears.

I still love the idea of teaching. I still admire teachers who continue with strength. But inside me, something has changed. I do not feel the same anymore. I feel tired. I feel unheard. I feel like I am slowly losing myself.

This is why I no longer want to be a teacher.

Think about it and comment below.

Featured captured from Pinterest@tjudomira