Being a Teacher and a Mom: Does it Matter?

Being a Teacher and a Mom is having children a benefit or drawback to teaching?.  I consider this as a mom, teacher, and combination.

After many years of staying home with my children, I returned back to teaching.  While returning to teaching, the question, “Is having children a benefit or drawback to teaching?” has crossed my mind.   As always, everyone is different along with lifestyle, priorities, and circumstances which dictate this answer.

I spent many years in college receiving a formal education on best practices to teach both early childhood and special needs.  Then, I had several years of teaching before I had my own children.  I remember at a conference, a parent jokingly said, “You will understand when you have kids.”  At the time, I was slightly offended by this.  After spending 6-7 hours a day with their child and I was with my students more than most parents were with their child each day.  I also spent all my free time, planning, preparing, and researching for their child.  My top priority was my class.

Not a Teacher with Children

I immediately thought of that parent and was impressed by her teacher in many ways.  She was kind, patient, and calm.  None of these things are determined by being a parent.  In fact, none of those things you need an education for either.  Her personality and dedication impressed me the most.  My daughter thrived educationally and socially.  We both loved having her. She doesn’t have children but I knew she was going the extra mile in her free time and I appreciated her because of that.

Being a Teacher and a Mom

My first thoughts were, “She obviously loves children but who gets the short end of the stick?  My child or her children?”  It has to happen at some point, right? We now love her for the teacher she is and all that she does.  It doesn’t matter to me if her teacher has 0 or 50 kids at home.  I’m concerned about what she is doing with my 1 child while she is teaching her those 6 hours each day.  

Being a Teacher and a Parent

I am now a preschool teacher with a preschooler.  I teach part-time and get a chance to be a full-time mom still.  My preschooler is not in my class but our classes run at the same time so I only work while my children are in school.  I can honestly say, everyone gets the best of me. 

Being a Mom and a Teacher

There is no better training of children than having two small ones, a husband that travels, and chronic migraine.  To say I know how to balance, delegate, plan ahead, and multitask is an understatement.  I’ve learned how to entertain my babies while being in excruciating pain.  I’ve sacrificed my body, mind, and gave up my occupation that I love all for my babies and family.  I put myself on the backburner and was happy to do it, but it was really, really hard.  I turned into a superhero and did a job that not every mom can or wants to do.  Work/life balance did not exist.  My work was my life and there was no day off.  They were long days and fast years that I feel beyond grateful for.

Now that I’m back to teaching, my students and families are getting the best and healthiest version of me.  I feel like I can give 100% to my children, students, and my health.  Working part-time really motivates me.  I LOVE my job and arrive each day happy to be there.  On my days off, I am often migraine sick but no one would know.  Part-time allows me to be sick and take time for self-care.  For those of us who have a chronic disease, scheduling sick time is the norm and necessary

Being a Teacher Mom

Overall, I understand teaching both with and without children.  I understand the fundamentals through education, the student’s point of view through not having children, and the behind the scenes of what parents and children go through at home. After all these years, I feel that I’m the best teacher and mom because of these experiences.  With these experiences, I know that not all teachers and moms are dealt the same hand.  There is no answer that fits all and what is great one year may fail the next.  Not every mom, teacher, home or classroom are the same.  It’s a constant ebb and flow.

Thank you to those teachers teaching my babies

Thank you to those parents allowing me to teach their babies

May we all grow and learn endless lessons both inside and out of the classroom this year!

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