There’s a verse in the Bible I’ve been thinking about lately. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” While I believe in God (kind of) and like money as much as the next gal, I don’t consider either of these entities my master. Instead, I replace them in my head with “You cannot serve both comedy and teaching.”
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm in the fourth year of working at a Title-1 school in Florida. Prior to Covid, my students' learning gap was a crisis on its own. Post-Covid it became a new kind of emergency, one that will not be remedied anytime soon. I enjoy the work that I do, because I'm making a difference. I have built relationships with my students and seen changes in their behavior/academics, but it's glacial.
I'm exhausted.
I look at my colleagues--the elite teachers--who live, breathe, eat, teaching. The ones that teach entire generations before retiring with a comfy pension. I'm not them.
As someone who moonlights as a standup comedian, I appreciate your courage to quit teaching. You're a funny comic. If you're ever in the St. Pete-area, would love to give you stage time.
I was a teacher. Music. In NYC and West Philly. I taught at an upper class special needs school for Jewish kids in Fresh Meadows Queens. Also a mostly African American Catholic school in Springfield Gardens Queens. Vastly different environments. I sent a substitute to that last one once and the kids nicknamed him "Retarded Bitch" in 4 minutes. Teaching, when you care, is difficult.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm in the fourth year of working at a Title-1 school in Florida. Prior to Covid, my students' learning gap was a crisis on its own. Post-Covid it became a new kind of emergency, one that will not be remedied anytime soon. I enjoy the work that I do, because I'm making a difference. I have built relationships with my students and seen changes in their behavior/academics, but it's glacial.
I'm exhausted.
I look at my colleagues--the elite teachers--who live, breathe, eat, teaching. The ones that teach entire generations before retiring with a comfy pension. I'm not them.
As someone who moonlights as a standup comedian, I appreciate your courage to quit teaching. You're a funny comic. If you're ever in the St. Pete-area, would love to give you stage time.
Your insight is so honest and valuable. You deserve to be happy :)
Not a comedian, but a teacher in LA. I can relate to this a lot. Thanks for sharing and good luck with the next chapter! And keep on being funny.
I was a teacher. Music. In NYC and West Philly. I taught at an upper class special needs school for Jewish kids in Fresh Meadows Queens. Also a mostly African American Catholic school in Springfield Gardens Queens. Vastly different environments. I sent a substitute to that last one once and the kids nicknamed him "Retarded Bitch" in 4 minutes. Teaching, when you care, is difficult.