When Teachers are Momsby Lyn Newton | More from this Blogger 22 Dec 2007 09:53 PM Being a teacher can have many pros and cons. I love my job and would not trade with anyone else in the world (however I would trade salaries with a few people!) One aspect of being a teacher that many moms must learn to overcome is that fact that children are a constant part of your life. While it is very important for moms and teachers to love and enjoy children, the time spent with children each day can get overwhelming. Teachers have very little time away from their students each day. They usually get a thirty-minute lunch break and then a thirty to forty-five minute plan period. Other than those two times, the teacher is in the mix of the children. Teachers of lower grade levels can even find it hard to make time to go to the restroom. These teachers are called upon and needed continuously throughout the day by the students. When a teacher also serves as a mom, the day does not end when she leaves school. She then is at home again amongst children and then again at the beck and call of others. These can be very trying times, especially if your children are about the same age as the children in your classroom. It can be very easy to feel frustrated with your own children at home. It can be harder to enjoy your time with them when you have be carrying out similar activities with children at school all day long. The key is to remember the impact that you and your attitude have both at school and at home. Your actions and your words can make a big difference in both places. Take the time to enjoy the children in both locations. Plan some activities for you and your children at home that are fun and not necessarily educational. I think that teacher moms often get too caught up in wanting to make sure that their own children are prepared and in return can over prepare. Tips: Managing Student Supplies Learn more about Lyn Newton  Lyn is a kindergarten teacher and mommy to a girl and a boy. In her spare time, she enjoys informative and creative writing. Relevanteducation tags User Comments sharichez (25) 29 Dec 2007 08:09 PMI liked your comment at the end about just having fun w/ your kids and not always thinking of them as extensions of your students. I teach high school kids and am bothered by their poor math and spelling skills. It drives me crazy that they have to use a calculator to add numbers such as 141 and 133. As a result, I feel it is my job to make sure that my own kids don't grow up and exhibit the same weaknesses as my students. My poor 2nd grade daughter gets "mini-lessons" on how to do "mental math" constantly. I'm thrilled w/ the results and am amazed at what she can do now, but there are many times I need to tell myself to chill out and let her be a little 2nd grader and work at that level. It's hard being a mom of little ones and fearing what they "could turn into" at the high school level. Community Tags difficultites of teaching, teachers, teachers as moms, teacher's children Discuss this article
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