When Teaching Feels Like You’re Just Trying to Hold On

Let’s just say what most people won’t... sometimes, the only thing keeping you in the classroom is the paycheck. You’re not staying for the passion anymore. You’re not inspired by new curriculum rollouts or team-building initiatives. You’re staying because rent is due. Because your kids need groceries. Because you can’t afford to walk away...yet.

If that’s where you are, you’re not alone. And you’re not a bad teacher.

You’re a tired one. A human being doing what they have to do to survive.

Maybe you walk into work every day with a knot in your stomach. You dread the emails, the paperwork, the impossible expectations, the meetings that only remind you how far behind you are. You’re running on fumes. You’ve thought about quitting, maybe more than once, but when you open your budget, you snap right back to reality.

Here’s the truth no one tells you... even if you’re not feeling passionate, or you’re not giving your all, you’re still making a difference. Your presence in the classroom with your students matters. Even on the days when you're literally just showing up, that still counts. That quiet kindness you gave a student today? That small moment of patience you offered? Those things have a ripple effect, even if they don’t show up on a test score or in a thank-you note.

You are not required to feel joy every single day to be a good teacher. You don’t need to be the most creative, the most enthusiastic, or the most energetic to be enough. Don't look at others and feel like you aren't doing as much. You don’t have to pretend this is your dream job if it’s not anymore.

What you do deserve is to be seen, to be supported, and to have permission to be honest about how hard this is.

It’s okay to want more. To think about other jobs you could be doing. Just because you’re in this now doesn’t mean you’re stuck here forever. You can start thinking about what’s next and still pay your bills. You can care about your students and still want out. Both things can be true at the same time. So if today you showed up mostly for the paycheck, that’s okay. That’s real life. That’s responsibility. That’s grit.

When you’re feeling defeated, remember:

1. You are not struggling just because it feels hard. This job is hard—and doing it anyway is a form of strength.

2. Small efforts still matter. One kind word. One check-in. One moment of grace. That’s impact.

3. You are allowed to outgrow things. Needing change doesn’t make you weak—it means you’re paying attention to what you need.

4. You’re more than your job. Your value isn’t tied to test scores, emails, or classroom charts. You are a whole person, and you deserve care too.

   
   

Take a breath. Take a break if you can. You aren't alone.