Hello!
I get where you're coming from with your likes and dislikes at work. With that in mind, I'd like to offer some thoughts for your consideration:
I'm genuinely happy for you that you got a teaching job, especially since you've been looking for one for a while.
However, you're not ready for the teaching profession yet. You're still trying to figure out whether you like it or not, and there are a lot of factors that go into that.
For instance, you mentioned that you didn't care for the teacher training program you selected in college.
Everyone's level of interest in a certain job or field, as well as their related talents and skills, will affect how much they like that occupation.
Or you feel like the teaching profession doesn't really interest you or challenge you, and it doesn't meet your ideal career goals and development needs.
Or maybe you're worried about things like how you'll get on with colleagues, leaders and students, or the culture and atmosphere of the school. Or perhaps you're concerned about the pressure of being a teacher and the lack of opportunities for advancement.
So, the only way to solve your problems is to look for specific, individual reasons why you don't like teaching.
Teaching isn't as unappealing as you think. Your judgment and analysis are based on personal emotions and limited preferences, which aren't the whole truth. Plus, you're in a social context with serious "withdrawal" and high competitive pressure.
So, the best way to change your current negative emotions like "every day is so hard, I'm tired, I feel like I'm about to collapse" is to improve your understanding and knowledge of teaching and increase your work adaptability and satisfaction.
So, we suggest you try these methods to gradually increase your self-acceptance and love of your teaching work:
First and foremost, it's important to be aware of yourself.
As you mentioned in your request for help on this platform, you're really struggling with your current job. You're feeling anxious every day and you're struggling to cope.
Based on your awareness, you can set aside a certain amount of time every day to further perceive it, experience it, understand it, and feel its anxiety, discomfort, and mental fatigue.
Take it one step at a time. Accept that you have this emotion, rather than rejecting it, indulging it, or letting it influence you.
In other words, don't let your emotions control your actions. Emotions are for experiencing and releasing, while matters are for practicing and carrying out.
Secondly, you can improve your cognition through continuous further education and learning.
Teachers should make sure they keep their professional knowledge and skills in the field of education up to date.
You can brush up on your teaching and professional abilities by taking relevant training and learning courses at school and on an individual basis.
As you make improvements, you can gradually build up your self-recognition and self-confidence.
Third, you can build great relationships with your students.
You've recently made the switch from being a student yourself, so you know how important a good teacher can be.
Get to know your students, show you care about what they have to say, and respect their individuality and values. You'll find that mutual trust and respect will grow through interaction and communication.
At the end of the day, you can find the value in your work in your teaching practice.
It's a good idea to make the most of every teaching moment, put your positive energy into the classroom, keep an eye on how each student is getting on and enjoy the sense of achievement and fun that comes with teaching.
You can also share your teaching insights and experiences with colleagues, support and encourage each other, build good relationships with your students, and improve your teaching together.
It's important to regularly accept suggestions and feedback from students and colleagues, and to constantly improve and refine your teaching methods and approaches. This will help you to improve your teaching effectiveness and satisfaction.
If you reflect on your teaching work, pay attention to your growth and progress, and affirm your efforts and achievements, you can establish a positive sense of self-approval.
I hope these tips are useful for you!
Comments
I can totally relate to feeling stuck in a job that doesn't feel right. It sounds like teaching wasn't your first choice, and it's okay to admit when something isn't working for you. Maybe it's time to explore what truly makes you happy and consider a change.
The pressure must be immense, especially if this career path wasn't your passion to begin with. It's important to listen to yourself and recognize when you're not thriving. Perhaps now is the moment to reassess your goals and find a path that resonates more with who you are.
It's heartbreaking to hear how much distress you're experiencing. It seems like you've taken this route out of necessity rather than desire. It might be worth exploring other opportunities that align better with your interests and could bring more fulfillment to your life.
Feeling like you're on the edge every day is not sustainable. The fact that you didn't choose education as your passion might mean that teaching just isn't where your heart lies. It's crucial to take care of your mental health and maybe look into options that excite you and make you feel alive.
Hearing about your struggle is tough. It seems like you've ended up in teaching by default rather than design. If this job is causing you such profound unhappiness, it may be time to think about what steps you can take towards a career that feels more authentic to you and supports your wellbeing.