The Doc Is In

“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “to speak of many things.”

6 Phases of Teaching

Posted by drpezz on October 23, 2008

A friend of mine shared this with me, and I laughed out loud at this one. I don’t know who to credit with creating this, but I thought I’d share it any way.

Phase 1: You are listening to jazz — Your first day at work is great. Your fellow teachers are wonderful, your classroom is cute, you love your students, and your principal is the best!

Phase 2:You are listening to pop music — After a while you are so busy that you are not sure if you’re coming or going anymore.

Phase 3: You are listening to heavy metal — This is what you feel like after ONE month.

Phase 4: You are listening to hip hop — You become bloated due to stress, you’re gaining weight due to lack of exercise because you are so tired and have so much school work to do when you get home, you feel sluggish and suffer from constipation. Your fellow teachers are too cheerful for your liking and the walls of your classroom are closing in. You have started thinking ‘WHATEVER’ about your principal.

Phase 5: You are listening to GANGSTA RAP — After more time passes, your eyes start to twitch, you forget what a ‘good hair day’ feels like as you just fall out of bed and load up on caffeine.

Phase 6: You are listening to the voices in your head — You have locked your classroom door to keep people out, You wonder, “WHY am I even here in the first place?” and “WHY did I become a teacher!”

35 Responses to “6 Phases of Teaching”

  1. mrschili said

    Heh.

    Since I don’t teach in public schools (I teach college level English, for those of you who may not know), I’m kind of still in the jazz phase. During the weeks that papers come in, though, I’m DEFINITELY listening to gangsta rap.

  2. emptynester said

    This cracked me up!

  3. KauaiMark said

    Funny AND with cats. The wife will love it and be forwarding it to all her friends…

  4. ms_teacher said

    This was funny. I’ll be adding a link today. I LOVE it!

  5. Jan said

    Love it. I’m not sure but what I may have fallen somewhere between phases.

  6. gina said

    This is so right on time! Thanks to whoever created it. I will be forwarding it to other teacher friends!! God bless!!!!!

  7. Title I said

    I think we all have had these feelings at different points in our careers. What a riot!

  8. Brian said

    So funny my wife wet her pants.

  9. Leanna said

    I’m in hip-hop mode in January when it is dark and cold out. :-) This is surprisingly accurate in many ways. :-) I love the heavy metal cats.

  10. Peggy said

    The is truly the life of a teacher, from the begging to theend. I, for sure fall right into phase #6.

  11. This has cracked me up. I actually think it is a cycle that you continue to have through out your teaching career. I can identify with all of those phases several times over the last 16 years or so.

  12. Maynard said

    Been there, done that, got the Tee Shirt! I can identify!

  13. Donald said

    I’m on my 34th year, and found this to be very funny yet TRUE!
    Shared with all my co-workers. Some of then can not STOP LAUGHING!! Thanks for making my dayl
    God bless ;o)

  14. drpezz said

    Glad y,all enjoyed this! :)

  15. Anonymous said

    I think I was listening all

  16. dhconcerts said

    I’m sending this to teachers in my family and friends circle. :)

  17. Ouattara said

    I have been teaching for some year and I can already notice for some reasons I am already experiencing the 6 phases teaching. Thanks for the advice and hope to overcome now.

  18. drpezz said

    I just love phase 6. That cat cracks me up. :)

  19. celmore said

    I’m still giggling. We’re two days away from parent teacher conferences, so I sent it to everyone in our building. This will forever be a favorite!

  20. Christi said

    This is hilarious…in Pre-k where I teach, this is just a DAY in the life! By two o’clock, I’m in the final stages :)

  21. coach said

    Phase 7: You are listening to real country radio.
    You realize that your role in life is not to compensate for what others lack, nor is it to continue the work of Mother Theresa, nor is it to fulfill Martin Luther King’s dream.
    Its a job, for goodness sakes. It ain’t easy, but there ain’t another like it.

    http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=herding+cats&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-501&tnr=21&vid=000199757485

  22. drpezz said

    I was never raised on country music, so Phase 7 with country music would be a delirium from which I would need to be saved. :)

    Love the video, too.

  23. Tired1 said

    After the week that I’ve had, I think I went through all six (+1) in the course of five days!
    This was a riot, but so true.

  24. Janis said

    This is so cute!

  25. NANCY said

    You don’t just have to be a teacher to appreciate. I work in a cafeteria and have a boss that at the end of a day, you will have gone thru all 6.

  26. Rebecca said

    Too funny–I hope it opens at work. When I was reading the blog’s, I noticed that you all used complete sentences with few spelling errors. This realization made me laugh even more. You really are teachers.

  27. drpezz said

    Someone’s gotta do it. :)

  28. Kim B said

    OMG This is totally hilarious — that someone could capture the reality of teaching so precisely! I’m a first year teacher with a K-1 Combo and without a doubt I have been in each one of these stages. Thanks for expressing it such a humorous way. It always helps to laugh!

  29. Karyl Ketchum said

    After 30 years of middle school teaching, I can really relate to Phase 6: Listening to voices in my head……and locking my door to keep my “fans” away…..how true!!!!I still wonder how my brain works at all in this system, but I still enjoy everyday. :)

    Karyl

  30. Ms Mendenhall said

    Ah so! :0)

  31. MR D said

    I am inspired by the hilarity of working with the public…2 funny!!!

  32. Ruthann said

    I am not a teacher but can still relate. SOOOOO funny!

  33. Ms Daniels said

    This is hilarious. Right now I am definetly in the Hip Hop phase. I’m eager to see what it’ll be like for Gansta Rap.

  34. Anonymous said

    too vey funny

  35. Margaret M Scarborough said

    Somebody knows a lot about teachers!!!

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