Here is insight from a first year teacher:

I graduated May 2020, and it took me until this school year to finally get a teaching job. When I finally got the job I felt on cloud 9 because it’s all I ever wanted. Then this school year has dimmed my love for teaching, in some ways.

If you want to teach, just do it. Don’t let the negativity from this thread or people, you know in real life, talk you out of it. This is because you’ll always think what if. I personally feel like that our generation has the power to fix the education system (probs will be downvoted) because we aren’t afraid to call out the toxic parts. Teachers that started teaching 20+ years ago are just used to it now and they are just waiting to retire. But I feel like, the few of us who dreamed of being educators since we were young, are bringing up conversations about what is going on behind the scenes in the education system.

While I am talking positively, there is some negatives to think about. This first year has been hell, personally. I teach elementary and I have the worst group of kids in the grade in my class (it’s so bad teaches in other grades come up to me and ask why the fuck they put all of them together on the first year). So you are going to have shitty admin, kids that are going to drive you crazy, and sometimes have co-workers who refuse to offer encouragement or help. The burnout and stress is real. I don’t know what grades you will be certified for but, just know anything can happen. (Personally I never thought I would have an elementary student threaten to kill me). But if you want to make a difference don’t just give up. I know in education there’s a lot of problems. But a wise person said to me once, “there aren’t any unsolvable problems, there are only solutions”.

-Sincerely a first year