Let’s face it. This job is hard. Like really, really hard. It’s so hard that we forget it’s hard. Our jobs equal drama. We get so used to dealing with chaos that it becomes our norm. Before we know it we are just purely surviving. Between dealing with understaffed classroom, an overwhelming amount of paperwork, collaborating with people who maybe don’t want to be collaborated with, and teaching a group of students that most people couldn’t handle teaching – most of us are doing it all alone. This job is crazy isolating. The general ed teacher down the hall can’t sympathize. I remember distinctly my first year teaching venting to one of my new teacher friends about how horrible my day was and she nodded in agreement saying, “I know, my phonics lesson went really badly.” I had a lot of disbelief on my face, “yea, well today I got bit and punched in the face.” Just a bit different.
If you are reading this and feel like I’m reading your mind a little bit – I unfortunately have no magic cure or brilliant solution. Sorry to disappoint. But I do want to tell you that you are not alone. I want to tell you that you are doing a great job – even if you don’t feel like you are right now. I want to tell you that your students are insanely lucky to have you. I want to give you a hug and a big glass of red wine. Hang in there and keeping trucking. You have nowhere to go but up.
I’m all about quotes. Here are my favs for this exact situation:
- Planning for the Fall: Part 4 and 5 – Visually Structured Tasks and Routines - January 30, 2026
- Using TAH Curriculum for Homeschooling from a Homeschooling Parent - September 10, 2022
- Using The Autism Helper Curriculum for Homeschool - August 8, 2022
38 Responses
OMG! Is so true I am in that boat with you and many more. Thank you, you are not alone!
Last week was probably one of the roughest I’ve ever had. I’ve been teaching LOT of years and could retire but It’s just not out of my system yet. I love what I do and since I’ve found The Autism Helper, new life has come to me. I hurt my back just looking in a closet for something for a student. The stiffness and pain has been awful coupled with 2 challenging students. My principal asked how things were today and I told him……I went online and checked my Social Security and retirement. But life is rosier today and I will move on. Thank you for all the hard work you have done.
Your words were exactly what I needed to read at this moment. This year´s been a little difficult…new school, new students,new paperwork…just simply out the comfort zone I had built the last 6 six years. Thanks for the quotes…they truely lit up my day.
Your timing is impeccable!!! Thank you for posting this! You are awesome!!!!
This post brought tears to my eyes, the second time this week a post of yours has done that! I drove home today wondering what I am doing wrong as a teacher as I am the only one at school every weekend and many evenings. But I’m also the only teacher who has as many “preps” as I do, let alone progress reports, behavior plans… Thanks for helping me not feel alone.
Thanks for the reminder that we are not alone and what we do matters. I had sub paras today (thank goodness someone picked up the jobs!) but they were almost like having more students. I will keep on, keeping on!
This was posted just at the right time. The quote about quitting was me today at school. Thank you for the encouraging words and reiterating I have a purpose and I am where I am suppose to be!
So amazing… just what I needed 🙂 Thank you!
Thank you very much for the encouragement! You are awesome!
Thanks!! It’s good to know that I am not just crazy…or maybe at the very least, I’m not the only crazy one out there struggling day to day but loving my job at the same time.
I needed this!!! Thank so much. But you made me cry. Deep breath, move on.
Very timely!! Thank you.
Yes, dont we all feel this way once we get past the “beginning of school year” hump? Lol, now name tags are torn, and fresh crayons (unbroken) are a thing of the past!!!
Wow! Thank you so much! I really needed to hear this today. I was working with a little guy this morning and I heard a voice in my head say, “This is why you are in this job.” The paperwork, IEP meetings and new programming are just pulling me under and my little guy was just so darn cute! He really made me smile and so did your message! Thanks for voicing what so many of us are feeling.
Decided not to open my email and read the IEP and ETR for my new student starting…later this week…sigh. It is overwhelming. Thanks for reminding me that #1 I’m not alone and #2 I’m not crazy for liking my job…most of the time. Today one of my students who has been copying his name since school started just randomly wrote his name on a blank piece of paper. First I said great job! Then I sat beside him and cried ( happy tears). This is why I teach… They get it! You inspire me. Thank you:)
Diane,
I totally agree with you! Sub aides are like having another student. Some years having certain aides are like having another student. I have an aide this year that is complaining that I don’t have certain things together that another teacher has when I already spend so much time prepping and providing materials for the kids. It’s frustrating because I do so much and it feels like she doesn’t feel like I do enough. She forgets almost everything I tell her and give her. Very frustrating. In this situation I would be fine without her in my classroom. I feel like she thinks that I go home and do nothing, which is not even close to the truth.
Sasha, thanks for the inspiring words!
Kimberly
For you Sasha and ALL of us “Lone Rangers” out there ????
xoxoxoxoxo
Have a great day! ??
A new school makes everything so much harder! Hang in there! 🙂
Totally know what you mean! Hope the rest of your week is better!
Your students are lucky to have you 🙂
Haha – good point! No matter how hard it is – we still love it! 🙂
Aww! Hang in there! No where to go but up after a bad day!
Definitely – that honeymoon period is WAY over haha.
Thanks for reading! That little guy is luck to have you 🙂
Aww! It’s all about those little victories! Thanks for reading! Hope the rest of your week goes better 🙂
You too! Thanks for reading 🙂
Indeed! One gen. ed. teacher told me in one of our conversations..”so your K-2 classroom is largely similar to mine.. except that yours will be “beginning of the school year” all year-round!” yikes! I sincerely hope not! But, it does feel like one. This is my first year to teach in a self contained classroom with most kids having moderate to sever autism and cognitive challenges. This support site is a breath of fresh air to me.Y’all included in my prayers!
“Re-framing” is one of the strategies I have learned since I started my K-2 self contained (DS, ID, AU) class this SY. I have to be constantly aware on how I look at my challenges and circumstances. There were a million reasons to doubt-daily- if I heeded to the right calling. But, when I witness my students’ gains -even how “small” it is- I tear up and feels as if this God’s way of telling that “you are in the right place at the right time.” To be true to myself, I am physically and mentally exhausted on a daily basis. This support site-keeps me real, yet proactive. Kudos to you!!!!
Love this. Definitely needed to hear this! It is an isolating and tough job and unfortunately, not very many people understand. But at the end of the day, I always ask myself, “was it worth it?” My answer is still always “yes”. And as insane as it sounds to others, I love my job!
Yikes that is a scary comment! Don’t worry – it gets better! Thanks for reading and hang in there!! 🙂
So true! Thanks for reading!
It’s always worth it! Your students are lucky to have you! 🙂
Thank you!! This was right in time for me…. I love what I do more than anything I could possibly do (outside of being a mom)!!! There’s times I feel like I’m on a hamster wheel and no one gets it. This blog literally was how I felt this week when I finally had a chance to read it. Thank you for putting yourself out there and reaching out to support the rest of us in the field… TAH has been a huge support for me 🙂
Thank you for the sweet comment, Farrah! Hang in there – it’ll get better! Your students are lucky to have you 🙂
Thank you so much I so greatly needed this inspiration to keep going. I just had a question about the state testing. Im not sure if your students take it. But I am In Texas and mine take the STAAR ALT 2 any suggestions on this?
I’m sorry – I’m not familiar with that! 🙂
Thanks, I needed that! :*|
Glad to help! You got this! 🙂