10 Challenges of Teaching
10 Challenges of Teaching
Teaching is a phenomenal career – it’s gratifying to make a difference in the youth. Yet,
it’s also a career that comes with its challenges that many aren’t aware of.
To the everyday person, teaching children seems like a breeze. The misconception
comes from the idea that teachers get school holidays and half days – but that’s far
from the truth. In addition, while there are challenges in the classroom, outside of school
hours, there are as many challenges.
While the rewards outweigh the challenges, it’s still important to understand teachers’
roles and the problems they overcome.
Different teaching strategies satisfy and stimulate learners in various ways, and as a
teacher, you’re required to put in extra hours and effort to meet their needs. However,
once a teacher develops these strategies, they’re rewarded with empowered and
thriving learners.
But there will be times when you need to motivate your students through the
treacherous parts of the year. For example, high school students are bombarded with
exams and assignments that their futures depend on. Preschool students, on the other
hand, have to overcome challenges such as pen grips and ball skills. Both age groups
need a supporting shoulder from a teacher who they can trust.
6. Disciplining Students
Discipling students is a challenge in the classroom and can be a timely, emotionally
taxing process. While you’re guaranteed to have delightful children in your class, it’s not
uncommon that you’ll encounter students who lack good manners and are
disrespectful.
Disrespectful students can kill your love of teaching, but you also have to be careful in
the way you go about dealing with disruptions and disciplining students. Ways to
combat the lack of manners in your classroom is to implement justified consequences,
get to the root of the problem, get the parents involved and create intervention plans.
7. Endless Paperwork & Extended Working Hours
If you remember anything from your school years, it’s the fact that teachers were always
up to their necks in marking and grading papers. And sick days aren’t always an option.
Unfortunately, marking papers isn’t a task performed during teaching hours, which often
leaves teachers marking once the day has ended.
Paperwork involves accounting for the growth of your students by tracking their
progress throughout the year. In addition to teaching notes, individual evaluations need
to be recorded, and this is often a task that requires extended working hours.
8. Time Management
Teaching is a job that needs you to be on your feet all day, and there’s often little time
for rest. So on top of being on your feet, you need to be keeping busy bees’ minds
active.
Creating creative ways to keep little ones entertained is vital to making your job as a
teacher easier. This is where planning and time management comes into play. As with
high school scholars, time management involves designing a stimulating schedule and
covers the year’s work without flying past content.