In response to this Lifehack post.
1. Is what I do really worthwhile? I believe that, second only to medicine, education is the most worthwhile endeavor you can have. I has the ability to change the future and your perception of the past, it can be used for good or evil, and we consider it so important that everyone gets it for free. No one is allowed to forgo it because they are too poor, or too busy, or even too rich.
2. Do I enjoy my job? Absolutely! I use to be in the military, and I really enjoyed my job there, until some changes were made and I choose to leave and become a teacher.
3. Am I learning? Constantly. I’m learning how to learn, I’m learning how to teacher better. I’m learning technology and content and about people in general.
4. Does this job lead to somewhere I want to go? That is a difficult question to answer, since I don’t have a clear idea where I want to go. I enjoy my job. I enjoy my school. I enjoy my students (even the ones that aren’t good students). Could I go somewhere else? Maybe. Right now? No, thank you.
5. Am I well paid? I am paid well for the hours I put in at work. All the extra hours I spend at home, helping others, learning new information and knowledge, I do for free.
6. Do I get on with my boss? I have an excellent boss. Easily the best of my career. He has a clear vision and is a life long learner, like me.
7. Do I get on with my colleagues? We have a good work environment. We have many strong relationships throughout our floor and good friendships between most of the teachers and staff. I count many of my colleagues among my closest and dearest friends.
8. Am I empowered to be creative and do things my way? Absolutely. Everyone from my principle to my floor vice principle and team leader supports my ideas and plans.
9. Is my work/life balance acceptable? Hmmmm…This is a close call. I love my work, so I spend a lot of time working. Probably more than most. Could I spend less time working and more time relaxing? Yes. I work harder than I have to, but not harder than I want to.
10. Is my job title prestigious? Yes. I don’t think I’ve ever told someone that I was a history teacher without some kind of affirming response. Everyone either loves history, and would love to have a job that let them talk about it all day long, or they admire the fact that you work with teenagers, because they don’t think they could do it themselves (mostly this comes from parents of teenagers).