I quit being a teacher before I even got to the classroom.

I wanted to make a difference. My life was entering a turbulent period so I returned to college for my Education Degree to become a teacher. I enrolled in a university on the west coast with a highly regarded K-8 Education department. In my junior year, irritated and highly disappointed with my experience as an Education student, I surrendered the idea of being a teacher and switched majors.

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There were a few reasons. It’s not completely accurate that I left before getting to the classroom (forgive my clickbait title). Part of what made my Education program so competitive was the amount of student teaching we were required to do in elementary schools around the city. I spent two years student teaching 2nd-5th grade and in that time I had a number of experiences that convinced me that I would not have a very fulfilling or even lengthy tenure as a teacher.

In a 3rd grade class we spent two weeks on the effects of global warming. Now, whatever your beliefs about climate change, surely we can agree that 8 year olds should be learning geography, the water cycle…