Do You Ever Feel Like You’re Not Cut Out for This?
Trust me, you’re not alone—I’ve been there too.
When I started my teaching journey back in 2012, I began with student teaching and substituting in a school in NYC that served students with severe behavioral challenges. These were students whose needs couldn’t be met in their community schools. I often heard comments like, “How can you work there? Isn’t it scary? Those kids are so tough!” Yes, I did witness a few meltdowns and students being taken to crisis, but it wasn’t as bad as everyone thought.
During my student teaching, I genuinely believed this whole teaching thing was a breeze. My cooperating teacher had everything under control: she worked with the students one-on-one, her paraprofessionals moved seamlessly around the room, and she even had me helping out with paperwork! Teaching really seemed like the best job ever.
One day, my cooperating teacher told me she was planning to take a couple of days off and asked if I would like to substitute for her. I was thrilled! I finally had the chance to show everyone that I could manage the class on my own.
Well, let’s just say I was in for a wake-up call!
By 9:30, the paraprofessionals had disappeared. By 10:30, we had a lockdown because a student ran out of the room and I couldn’t find him. By 11:30, one of the paraprofessionals returned and was showing a movie to the students. It was a complete disaster!
Honestly, I’m surprised they let me come back for a second day!
I’m sharing this story to let you know that we all feel like failures when we’re just starting out. Even now, there are moments when I feel completely lost or overwhelmed.
But don’t give up! With each day, you’ll learn, grow, and get closer to becoming the teacher you aspire to be.
My philosophy is that if you love your students and are committed to giving them a good education, you will naturally improve over time. Each day, each week, each month, each year, you’ll get better.
Yes, there are still moments when things don’t go as planned, but now I know that I can handle anything that comes my way. I’ve learned not to take things too seriously and to remember that every moment, even a crisis, will pass.
I hope this post encourages you to show up each day with the confidence that you’re making a difference in your students’ lives just by being there and caring.
If you need encouragement or support, please email me! You can send me an email at lailasmods@gmail.com. I would love to offer support, guidance and encouragement.
