Teacher quits job after 24 years due to unrealistic societal expectations from parents

With advancements in almost every field, it becomes customary for parents to want the best education for their kids. The process eventually forces them to opt for educators who can live up to high expectations. Unfortunately, parents have started setting unrealistic goals for teachers to live by. It has exhausted the concept of learning and has become overwhelming for teachers to deliver. A teacher–who goes by @fitpeanut on TikTok–recently shared how demanding parents’ expectations have become. After teaching for 24 years, she decided to quit due to the bewildering pressure. “My goal was to make it to the end of the year before I ‘retire,’ but I can’t,” she shared. 

Addressing her video to parents in a distressed tone, the teacher said, “Parents, you need to get off the backs of teachers.” She added that she was leaving her profession solely because the “societal pressure of teachers is out of control.” “Parents, you are part of that society. We cannot meet the needs of all children,” she confessed. The woman further explained that though parents assumed teachers could go all out for every child, it was not a reality. Sharing her experience as a teacher, the woman stressed that dealing with “extraneous scenarios is out of control.”

She assured the parents that teachers do their best. However, it cannot accommodate every need of every child. “Parents, your child is not the only child in this room,” she pointed out. Repeatedly addressing the parents, the woman pointed out that they often fail to meet the needs of one child. It is impossible for teachers to meet the needs of many children. “Imagine trying to meet the needs of 34 children all at the same time,” she highlighted. She added that it’s not one classroom that teachers have to deal with, as they attend many classrooms throughout the day. “Your expectations are unrealistic,” she exclaimed. 

“You are wearing rose-colored glasses. It is not going to happen,” the woman added. “Don’t come in here and tell me to problem-solve. I know what problem-solving is. I problem-solve every day,” the woman mentioned. “If you want that, I suggest you home-school or maybe send them to a private school,” she added. The teacher motioned parents to put themselves in her shoes and understand what teachers go through every minute of every day. “If you think it’s going to happen in a public school, you’re fooling yourself. Get off the backs of your teachers,” the woman concluded. Her agitated and concerned tone was one that many teachers related to. 

A few fellow parents also took the message seriously and shared an apologetic and reasonable response. @leughannewrightco wrote, “Teachers are sounding an alarm and society isn’t listening.” @missytbtb shared an incident, “No one understands until they come in. One time, I had a mom who complained and when she sat at the back of my class for a week, she never complained again.” @springsteen1953 remarked, “Just retired after 37 years of teaching. Well said! Parents don’t get it.” @lollie9751 added, “Administrators and parents are mind-boggling. Teachers go to work on a battlefield every day.”

You can follow @fitpeanut on TikTok for more content on teaching.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 27, 2024. It has since been updated.