A kindergarten teacher has gone viral on Facebook after a brutally honest post detailed the reasons she has decided to quit her job.
In a world captivated by social media, there lived a dedicated kindergarten teacher named Jessica Gentry. Jessica was no stranger to sharing her life’s journey with the online world, from her passion for fitness to her daily experiences.
One day, she made a life-changing decision – to quit her job as a kindergarten teacher. Wanting to explain her reasons to her Instagram followers and her former HR manager, Jessica began to weave a tale of the challenges she faced in the classroom.
“Allow me to share with you the story of why passionate teachers are fleeing their beloved profession like they’ve been set ablaze,” she began.
Jessica wanted to clarify from the start that it wasn’t the children who pushed her to leave her job, but rather the changes in parenting styles she had witnessed in 2021. She recounted how parents, preoccupied with their careers and devices, often left their children in unstable situations, leading to behavioral issues in the classroom.
“You see,” she explained, “those little ones flipping tables at school? They come from homes where they’ve never been told ‘no’, never been given boundaries, and never been shown love through respect. Our classrooms are the first safe haven they’ve ever known.”
Jessica went on to express her dissatisfaction with the school system’s emphasis on technology over hands-on learning. She shared her own experiences of having to spend weeks administering a new math assessment to her students, only to find that it was a waste of precious instructional time.
Furthermore, Jessica lamented the lack of honest communication between teachers and parents. Instead of holding parents accountable and fostering true partnerships, teachers were forced to adopt a customer service mentality, which often led to frustration and misunderstandings.
“My dear friends,” she confessed, “being a kindergarten teacher took a heavy toll on my health. The numerous challenges weighed on me, and I realized that I needed to prioritize my well-being in order to truly help my students.”
In another heartfelt message, Jessica reflected on her journey: “No one warned me about how easy it would be to let teaching seep into every part of my life when I first started. No one told me that if I didn’t set boundaries early on, I’d pay the price later. No one told me that the kids needed me healthy… not me run down and ragged.”
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And so, with a heavy heart, Jessica Gentry left her career as a kindergarten teacher behind, ready to embark on a new adventure. She hoped that by sharing her story, she could shed light on the struggles teachers face and inspire change in the education system for the betterment of both teachers and students alike.
