Teaching: The Best Job I Never Wanted

BY MIDDLEWEB · PUBLISHED 04/07/2024 · UPDATED 04/07/2024

By Stephanie Farley

In her reflective piece, "Teaching: The Best Job I Never Wanted," published by MiddleWeb, Stephanie Farley shares her accidental yet fulfilling journey into teaching. Celebrating nearly three decades in education, Farley provides an introspective look at her career, initially unplanned, which ultimately shaped her life profoundly and positively.

Originally studying psychology with ambitions of becoming a research psychologist, Farley's career trajectory shifted drastically when she left her PhD program due to disillusionment with lab work. Upon the suggestion of a friend, she explored the realm of teaching with a master's degree in English literature under her belt. Despite her initial reluctance, Farley soon embraced the profession after starting with emergency credentials and taking up multiple subject roles at a secondary school.

Farley’s narrative deftly counters the prevailing negative discourse surrounding the teaching profession, often depicted as thankless or overwhelming. She acknowledges the challenges, including the daunting statistics that claim high attrition rates among new teachers. However, her personal experience reveals a different, deeply rewarding side of teaching. She highlights the profound sense of meaning she derives from teaching, such as witnessing the impact of her colleagues on students, which often moved her emotionally.

One of the most significant aspects of teaching for Farley has been the mastery of the craft. She describes the satisfaction of seeing students grow academically and personally, which she compares to reaching the "genius" level in a New York Times game—a rare and exhilarating achievement. Farley emphasizes that the mastery of teaching skills brought her a unique joy, notably through student reflections that affirmed their learning progress.

Connection with students stands out as another cornerstone of Farley's teaching philosophy. She recounts instances of deep engagement with students, even in brief interactions as a substitute teacher, underscoring her ongoing quest to understand and support each student's social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Moreover, Farley appreciates the novelty and the fresh starts each school year brings, which keep her motivated and excited about her role. She advocates for cultivating positive emotions in the classroom, enhancing the learning environment through humor, curiosity, and creative teaching methods.

Farley's optimism about the potential of education to transform lives remains undimmed as she continues to find joy and fulfillment in her work. Her story is not just a personal testament but also an encouragement for those in the educational sector to find value and happiness in their careers.

Stephanie Farley’s insights and experiences are detailed further in her book *Joyful Learning: Tools to Infuse Your 6-12 Classroom with Meaning, Relevance, and Fun*, and more of her educational philosophies and articles can be found on MiddleWeb’s website.

Original Article

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com