Education: A world where everything is always perfect, where we can speak our minds freely and without hesitation, where classroom difficulties are just minor bumps in the smooth road… Teachers never said that. Beneath the surface of carefully planned lessons and neatly graded assignments lies a reality rarely shared outside the classroom, a reality highlighted by implicit rules about what can and cannot be discussed publicly. So what happens when teachers decide it's time to break the silence and share the uncomfortable truths of education?
Requested by TeacherGuy1980 on Reddit:
“What is the inconvenient truth about education that cannot be said ‘professionally’?”
We thought we'd share some of the secret challenges and hidden frustrations that educators face every day. Prepare for an honest and uncomfortable glimpse into the heart of education.
There won't be enough time.
“There is not enough time and energy to give attention to all children. There were about 300 new students this year. Unless you’re sitting in a classroom, you don’t even know everyone’s names yet.” —Cam515278
Large classes are not effective.
“I teach high school. In my case, I noticed that the returns for every student started to decline. [in excess of] 16. For me, this is the ideal class size. With every student you add on top of that, your students will begin to receive more and more personal attention. “Once you’re 30, it’s just survival mode and maintaining order.” —MydniteSon
Hybrid training was not significantly different in terms of speed.
“During COVID we had a period of hybrid classes. Half of the class was at school and the rest studied at home. Next week in a different direction. As a result, I only saw half the kids, but since there were only 13-15 kids in the class, I ended up getting almost as much done. And it didn’t feel like half the kids were falling through the cracks.” —Anonymous Teacher333
Managers don't care about fire code violations.
“There were 34 desks in one section, but my room could only fit 33 desks. When I asked what I should do, he said, ‘I want the kids to skip school.’ I also couldn't do anything contractually because there were restrictions on class sizes. average of 30. Otherwise, it was considered okay because the sections were smaller.” —Josh Moredekai
Logically, it is impossible to meet the needs of all children.
“This is my problem. There are children who have needs that I cannot meet while caring for 20 other children.” —Musical Mawls
Student bad behavior eats up classroom time.
“And don’t forget that almost half of class time leads to distracting behavior.” —LowConcept8274
Sometimes things fall through the cracks.
“It’s not just about grades. 'Why didn't I notice that he was more reserved than usual?' “Because I knew them for eight weeks and met them 90 minutes a week in a class of 32 children, so they started out as quiet kids.” —Cam515278
Good caregiver communication is impossible.
“If you make 5 minutes of phone calls to 300 families, you can talk non-stop for 25 hours.” —Telvin3d
You can lead a horse to water…
“You cannot teach children who refuse to learn.” —westbridge1157
Some human needs are met first in the classroom.
“That's right. Or if basic human needs are not met, forget about it. There are students who are so sleep deprived that they just sleep. …if he feels warm and safe…go ahead buddy. “I don’t wake him up anymore.” —Oppa Dad
Sometimes my lesson plans are not what my students need.
“In 2012, there was a 12th grade student in my 9th grade science class. He had a child while working and the other student lived with his girlfriend because he was soon kicked out of his home. He didn’t need to learn stratification and uniformitarianism.” —2007 Hokie
Pupils do not spend enough time outside.
“Kids need to be outside more. “Getting sunlight for 40 minutes out of 7 hours a day is crazy.” -madkandy12
Middle school students really need daily physical education.
“No learning is happening when Jimmy and Samantha are doing cartwheels in the classroom. Because middle school doesn't have recess or at least physical education classes for every student every day. Yes, there is still a gym, but at the end of the semester you can rotate electives and take art and music instead of gym and computer technology. They need physical activity all year round. Because we know a lot of them don't get that outside of school.” —Latter_Leopard8439
Children can handle learning after some wobble.
“I am a mother who works after school once a week. We found that our seven first and second grade students were magically able to stay focused and get their work done. … After letting the kids play outside for 20 minutes. The other group gasped at our decision… “I feel constantly frustrated because my children are squirming and can’t concentrate.” -boomrostad
The least restrictive environment is always helpful.
“Being ‘inclusive’ means providing resources to meet the needs of all students. We need more time, smaller classes, teaching support, and technology.” —houndtastic_voyage
Schools need to catch more kids.
“More students need to hold back their grades. I like Mississippi’s recent approach that requires students who don’t pass a basic reading test in third grade to repeat that grade.” —liefelijk
School performance is usually determined by parental income.
“I teach at a ‘good school.’ Consistently ranked in the top 10 in the huge state. But many of the teachers who have worked here for 25 years are absolute trash. They don't do anything special in the room. But we have super rich parents who have given their children private tutors and lessons since first grade.” —books
School districts care more about public perception than student outcomes.
“Schools and systems are much more concerned with how the public perceives their decisions than whether they benefit students. Cell phone policy is one good example. Opinions on social media drive decisions. I also get about five emails a week from the school system asking me to vote for someone in our district to win a random prize. If they win, it is promoted as if it indicates how successful our system is.” —Nebmalim
Relationships do not form in all environments.
“Teachers dealing with large classes and/or tight schedules cannot be expected to build personal relationships with every student, let alone tailor their lessons to take into account each student’s interests, individual characteristics, etc.” —Designer-Star
Education is not as powerful as background.
“School doesn’t make much of a difference to many children compared to home. I've worked in awesome private schools with shit** teachers and city public schools with great teachers, and it doesn't matter. We are like 15% of the way a child develops at its best, but society acts like we are the 95%.
Edit: I am editing because I feel mild ethical guilt about the melodrama of my statement. Of course, having skilled and caring teachers makes a difference, especially for children in more difficult situations. But my point is that in my 18 years of teaching, the difference really isn't that big. I poured my heart and soul into my classes in Oakland, California and watched them still struggle in life. “I relaxed at a private international school and watched them all go on to good universities.” —I agree_You_3295
Taking a break from teaching is healthy for many people.
“It is a good decision for teachers to quit within the first few years because of poor health. 'Most people are not cut out for teaching.' Teaching is too difficult a job for most people. “I don’t blame them for thinking that way.” —My Strawberry
Administrators do not help young teachers survive.
“Twenty-five years ago, when things were much better, half of teachers quit before their fifth year. They just didn't know enough to make it work. I think there are about 3 years left now. And it is a wise teacher who realizes that the salary, workload, and constant risk are not worth it. Instead of allowing too many teachers to fail, we need to provide safe and affordable training. “Administrators must take back all the responsibilities they once placed on teachers, especially discipline.” —MantaRay2256
Education is a cruel public system that ignores health.
“Most people who drop out are not ‘unfit for teaching.’ They are not suited for a cruel public education system that ignores their health.” -Anonymous
Teacher preparation programs are idealistic, not realistic.
“Most education college courses are useless. No one writes a five-page lesson plan. Every example is also an ideal class.”—Schadenfreudian
This is just a job.
“I’m not a martyr. I’m just doing this for money and summer vacation.” —Scuffy_Nerf_Hoarder
The honest stories teachers share shed light on difficult aspects of education that the public doesn't often see. It is clear that teaching is full of challenges in classes that are too large to give each student enough attention in an effort to keep up with everyone's work. This story tells us that if we want to create better schools for everyone, we must listen to teachers and work together to solve these problems. That means smaller classes, more support for students and teachers, and changes focused on making schools better places to learn. It reminds us that improving education is about more than just good grades. This is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed and that every teacher feels supported in their important work. However, this success cannot be achieved without teacher input.