Parenting

From The Confessional: These Teachers Are Overwhelmed AF

by Cassandra Stone
michaelquirk/Getty

Teachers are sharing all the ways they’re fed up, overwhelmed, and stressed to the max right now

Look, everyone has it rough this year. Everyone. Particularly essential workers, though, because we’re in a pandemic and none of them have any choice but to show up to work every day and risk possible COVID-19 exposure. In some states, they’re being forced back to teach in-person whether they’ve been vaccinated or not — and children cannot get the vaccine yet, let’s not forget.

And when they’re not teaching in-person, they’re trying to reach their students virtually when many of them are struggling with online learning. It’s hard AF and they’re overwhelmed AF.

This is why the Confessional is full of teachers venting and sharing their stresses, concerns, and emotions about what life is like for them right now.

I’m a teacher. This year I like to wear socks with curse words on them inside my boots as a private “fuck you to all the people who don’t give a shit if I get Covid from their kids.”

Confessional #25816592

I’m so irritated having to talk to my kids teachers every morning on zoom. I can only imagine how they feel having to deal with all these parents every day.

Confessional #25815157

Teacher here. Got a bulk "thank you for all you do" email from an online edcompany. But it was so heartfelt and just what I needed to hear today. In tears over it!

Confessional #25814489

With many schools offering “hybrid” models for students (a combo of both online and in-person), teachers are often pulling double duty trying to reach all of their students equally. Creating different lesson plans about the same curriculum, and communicating with students and their families through a pandemic is no easy task.

I hope the people at the Capitol now know what teachers and students go thru during active shooter drills and real crisis at schools.

Confessional #25814092

Today there were about 30 Trumpsters on the corner with their flags and I freaked out, rolled down the window and started screaming obscenities at them. Not sorry. I’m a teacher, btw.

Confessional #25813865

As a kindergarten teacher who says “mask over your nose!at least 10x a day, seeing adults not wearing them correctly makes me so fucking mad! I understand the children need reminding, but if you’re an adult get your fucking life together you asshat”

Confessional #25813834

Teachers — we don’t deserve them. Even through it all, they’re still showing up every day and doing what needs to be done. If your child has a teacher they can rely on and learn from, let that teacher know you appreciate them.

As a HS teacher and a mom, let me tell you this semester has been hard. But then I get an email from a student saying that my class has been the bright spot in her life these last few months and it gives me motivation to keep going.

Confessional #25810437

Toddler cracked my tooth and now I need an emergency crown and root canal. During finals week. I'm a teacher and a mom, and 2020 can't end fast enough.

Confessional #25810127

I’m a teacher. It’s supposed to snow this week. Usually I hate snow. This year I’m really hoping for it because it’s one day in the week I won’t have to worry about catching this damn virus from my co-workers or kindergartners.

Confessional #25809869

No one gets how hard I work as a teacher. During covid times it by a thousand. I feel I'm failing my family by giving to my students. Shit this is tough.

Confessional #25808236

Almost a year into the pandemic, and teachers are still in uncharted territories because of the community spread numbers, the lack of federal leadership shown by the Trump administration, and the lack of clear plans for health and safety protocols in each district.

While the Biden administration has made it the number one priority to tackle the pandemic head-first and do everything possible to mitigate the virus, COVID cases are still at an all-time high nationwide. The World Health Organization has reported that the number of documented cases in children is on the lower end not because children aren’t catching and spreading the virus, but because cases in children are underreported. Parents who have kids with mild or asymptomatic cases don’t get their kids tested, and then the community spread increases.

Please shut down the schools. It seems like business (we are a school of choice, admin is worried our numbers will drop) is taking precedence over health. I’m a teacher. And I’m so very scared.

Confessional #25805410

I'm a teacher that got covid 2 weeks ago. I still have extreme fatigue and headaches but have to go back to teaching in person tomorrow.

Confessional #25802472

Everyone thinks our school had 2 with corona. Actually, 1/4 of the staff got sick. 1 almost died. School district covered it up and parents complained about lazy teachers.

Confessional #25800071

I am a teacher. I worked 80+ hours last week. This is utterly fucking unsustainable.

Confessional #25798986

Please, be kind to teachers. They’re doing their best, they’re risking their health, and they’re overwhelmed AF.