15.
“I’ve been in early childhood for 25 years and have multiple state qualifications, plus a degree in early childhood education and a minor in social sciences. Early childhood education, like district teaching, is very stressful, with low pay, long hours, and, in some cases, minimal or no support from school leadership. In five years, I’ve had seven jobs. Six of those jobs were in childcare center-based programs, and one was as a nanny. I left center-based programs due to what I described above, and my nanny job due to the pandemic. I thought I could continue in this field for another 25 years, but I was wrong.”
“The anxiety, stomach aches, stress eating, headaches, and exhaustion were occurring more and more each day, and I was bored in my last position as a floater/after-school teacher. I was also over the gossip, drama, and high school behavior. It was emotionally draining, unprofessional, and ignorant, and I left because I couldn’t take it anymore. I’m a nanny now, and I love going to work, plus, I get paid more. If I were to return to this kind of environment, I’d have to be either the owner or part of the leadership. That way, I can solve or help solve problems to avoid teachers getting burnt out.”
—Anonymous
