who said jobs were always easy?

My father after some 40 plus years in the US speaks little English. He tells me he suffered in his jobs as he knew little English. He couldn’t communicate very well—sometimes he was misunderstood and sometimes he didn’t understand. He had a family to raise and the luxury of leaving a job was not an option. He feels grateful that the people he worked with were so patient with him.

I have been fortunate to enjoy the jobs I have had and the people with whom I have worked. But that is not always the case with everyone. Many people have jobs they detest, jobs that are extremely stressful, or jobs that require an inordinate amount of hours (or all three). My job as a teacher is not always easy. My job is stressful—studies indicate that urban teachers are second only to police officers in the stress they suffer—but this year has been particularly difficult in addressing the discipline and classroom management at our school. I am trying to expand my repertoire of engaging lessons in a culturally responsive environment to the students I serve, something I have not had issues with in the past. It has been a challenge. I am trying to see this as an opportunity to grow and learn and love and open myself to change—but it is hard when you feel depleted and exhausted.