Teaching and Teachers Preparation
Teaching is both a profession and a craft, and great educators are always learning. This section explores the realities of teaching, teacher preparation, instructional practices, professional growth, and the challenges and rewards of working in education. Whether you are a future teacher, a seasoned educator, or simply interested in what happens behind the classroom door, you’ll find ideas, resources, reflections, and conversations designed to inform, inspire, and support the people who teach.
Why Are Teachers Leaving?
Inspired by: Here’s Why Teachers Say They Haven’t Quit - Education Week June 17, 2026
As a teacher who genuinely loves what I do, I find it difficult to see so many educators leaving a profession that I believe is incredibly meaningful. At the same time, I understand why some teachers are reaching a point where they feel they can no longer stay. Student behavior, increasing workloads, compensation, limited resources, and a lack of support can gradually turn a profession people once loved into one that feels overwhelming. I also think it is important to recognize that teachers and administrators are often experiencing pressure from the same system, making this issue much more complicated than simply blaming one group or another. If we truly want to keep good teachers in our classrooms, we need to look honestly at what is driving them away—and, just as importantly, ask what makes the rest of us choose to stay.
Question to Consider
What would it take to create a teaching profession where educators can spend less time simply trying to survive and more time doing what they entered the profession to do—teach?
Read More: Here’s Why Teachers Say They Haven’t Quit
Continue the conversation…
🎥 The Great American Teacher Shortage — Dr. David Jeck
Dr. David Jeck, a longtime Virginia superintendent and educator, examines why teaching has become increasingly difficult to enter and remain in. He asks a very basic but important question: What has happened to a profession that once attracted people who wanted to dedicate their lives to educating children? His discussion points to issues such as compensation, workload, increasing demands on teachers, lack of appreciation and support, and the amount of time educators are expected to devote to responsibilities beyond actually teaching. He ultimately argues that addressing the teacher shortage requires better support, resources, preparation, and working conditions for educators.
Why I think this video is relevant
As an educator myself, I found this video particularly relevant because I don't view teaching as simply a job—it is a profession I genuinely love. That makes the continued loss of teachers especially concerning to me. I understand why educators become frustrated: the demands placed on teachers can extend far beyond instruction, while time, resources, compensation, and meaningful support don't always keep pace.
What I appreciate about Jeck's presentation is that he asks us to look beyond the simple statement “teachers are leaving.” We need to ask why they are leaving, what could make them stay, and what the consequences will be for students if we continue losing experienced educators.
And I think there's an important distinction worth making on your website: this shouldn't become a “teachers versus administrators” conversation. Many administrators are dealing with pressures of their own. The larger question is whether we have created an educational system in which the people responsible for educating our children are increasingly being asked to do too much with too little time and support.
💭 A question to ponder…
If we want great teachers in our classrooms, what are we willing to change to make teaching a profession they can realistically sustain for a lifetime?