The Difficulties and Real-Life Struggles of Kindergarten Teachers

An online post from a kindergarten teacher expressing her professional struggles has gained significant sympathy and support.

On the 14th, a kindergarten teacher with N years of experience, referred to as A, shared her experiences in early childhood education, revealing vivid realities of her challenges and psychological burdens.

A shared, "I feel happy during the time spent with supportive parents and children, but I increasingly feel disillusioned about this job that I started with love. I feel sorry, frustrated, and sad that I cannot satisfy all the expectations of parents."

The passion for being a teacher is present, but the conflict with reality becomes prominent in her writing. A remarked, "While I approach my teaching role with passion and happiness during my time with the children, that happiness is becoming increasingly blurred, and I feel like I am losing my confidence as a teacher and as an individual, as well as gradually losing my days."

Excessive Parental Demands and Psychological Pressure

One of A's difficulties is the reaction from parents regarding the use of her annual leave. For kindergarten teachers, who do not have school breaks, personal annual leave is an important time for rest; however, some parents continuously question, "Why are you using it so often?"

Even more surprisingly, there is excessive interference regarding communication methods. According to A, there are parents who check the teacher's emotional state simply because she did not use emojis on the KidsNote application. Additionally, if a complaint is filed against the teacher to a superior rather than to the teacher directly, it can lead to situations where the teacher must personally call the parents to soothe their concerns.

Some parents question even the smallest injuries their children incur, and A expressed that she feels psychological pressure to the extent that she worries about whether her own breathing is heard as a sigh.

Teacher's Guilt and Burnout

In this context, A feels a deep sense of guilt.

"I feel guilty for not being able to satisfy parents, and I wonder if I am lacking as a person, feeling a great deal of remorse," she articulated, adding, "It's hard and frustrating to feel that saying 'I'm sorry,' 'I ask for your understanding,' and 'I will try harder' is my only option."

A lamented, "I even wonder if I should be using my annual leave like this. I feel like everything is my fault," and displayed a feeling of anxiety akin to a ticking time bomb, concealing her unease behind a smile while questioning if this is the best for her life.

In particular, she expressed, "I want to invest more love and focus on the children, but when I look after more than 15 kids, there will inevitably be things I might miss," asking, "Can't we talk about it and work together on improvement? How should I protect myself? What should I do?" Many netizens left supportive comments in response to her post.

"Stay strong. We know well the hard work of teachers," "It’s not easy to meet all expectations, but your efforts and love are undoubtedly making a big impact on the children," "I find it overwhelming to care for just my one child at home, so I think it’s amazing that you care for many children," and "Every parent who has raised children knows that looking after kids is not easy," were among the messages of empathy and support.

Image source: Stock photo for illustrative purposes / gettyimagesbank