Is It Worth It?

As I dragged myself into school last week I ran into a couple of younger, talented (perhaps I am thinking of you!) teachers as they were chatting before school started.  One turned to me and immediately inserted me into the conversation, 'Is it worth it?'
I don't transition well during the mornings and had no idea what was being asked.  'Is what worth what?'
'Is the raise in pay worth the stress of becoming an administrator and leaving the classroom?'
And I went on this really weird existential brain trip before I could provide an answer:

1. Few jobs are ever really worth the money we receive for them: the hours, the stress, the yelling.  In examining my life and the few remaining minutes of it I have left after commuting, working and sleeping (sheesh I feel lousy now), I came across a happiness/money study from the Wall Street Journal:

In a nutshell, the perfect salary for overall day-to-day happiness is $75,000.  After that there isn't much gain.  Personally, if there is gain it's most likely offset by cost.  I believe you tend to pay for the higher paying jobs in terms of hours, stress and obligation.  The article did note a benefit that people making over $100k feel overall more satisfied that they are successful, but they aren't happier.  Most teachers make around that magic mark, so, no, according to research the salary isn't worth it.

In two years, so after six years of being in administration, I will finally make more money than I did as a teacher (also coaching a couple seasons yearly).  For my first two years as an administrator, the teachers I supervised made significantly more money than I did (yes a tad bit confusing).  So, even now the financial payoff is hard to see if not downright depressing some days.

2. The worth I am seeing is in my growth.  Work is fascinating.  I get to make decisions, take responsibility and find solutions.  A major reason I left the classroom was to impact the institution, both the specific school but also education in general.  I was tired of feeling powerless.  I also left out of curiosity.  I felt an urge to explore other areas of education.  And again, every day in the last four years of administration has been very challenging AND interesting.  I also left the classroom to investigate leadership, in particular helping develop leadership in adults.  Changing a student's life will always be rewarding, but there's something magical in helping an adult change.  They've had more disappointment, scars, proof that life will be what it is.  When an adult begins to redefine life . . . well that's worth it.

People looking to leave the classroom to get away from it, to find better money, will most likely be disappointed.  For each minute spent there is no more efficient salary toward happiness than teaching.  I would suggest never leaving the classroom for the money.  Leave it for the growth; leave it in order to re-enter it as a changed person.  Leave in order to make it better for others.

SO, that whole stream of conscious passed with the two teachers waiting expectantly.
'No, then?'
'Um, I guess it is and isn't.  Read my blog.'  And I walked upstairs to see what the yelling was in the freshman hallway.