Manthan GattaniMath teacher with 11 Years of teaching experience, Manthan has taught 10,000+ students across multiple geographies.
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I decided to write about a rather provocative topic today because as a teacher, I often feel like my personal life is not truly personal. Parents and administrators have access to my Whatsapp number and can see a part of my personal life. While I can choose not to share anything on social media, I believe that this is a conservative approach, and I wanted to discuss this issue more broadly. I hope to offer solutions that can help evolve our thinking about the role of personal lives in the lives of teachers.
As a first-year teacher, I was taken aback when a friend tried to convince me that my lifestyle choices were "bad" because of my profession. I am single and enjoy going out to a club or a bar every now and then, and I also like to attend parties and have a good time. But my friend posed the question, "Now that you're a teacher, what do you plan on doing with your lifestyle?" and suggested that teachers shouldn't go to clubs or parties because it sets a "bad example."
I couldn't help but wonder, is it okay for teachers to be ordinary people? There is a part of me that likes to believe that as long as you’re not breaking the law (which you aren’t) nobody should care what a teacher does outside of work.
But there is a reality that anything you do that's posted on social media will get into the hands of kids eventually. Or parents, which might be worse. There are nosy parents who will happily call the Principal and Superintendent if they see you drinking. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, but it could become a thing with the principal or the board.
Early in my career, a former student (who was just starting Grade 9) saw me, half in the bag, two-fisting beers at a beer festival. Nothing came of that, but I’m sure she told everyone I ever taught and the story grew with every telling.
Now, I’m old now (47), and I don’t go out and party much, so it’s less of an issue. But over the years I realised Teaching as a profession is not just hard because the society expects so much of teachers besides just teaching
This is not an advice, but my view is if you're good around the kids, no one should care how you spend your free time. As a teacher, I understand the importance of setting a good example for my students. But that doesn't mean that I should give up my personal life and the ability to have fun in my own way. There is nothing inherently wrong with a teacher going out to a club or a party and having a drink, as long as it is done responsibly and within the bounds of the law.
Of course, there is a certain level of professionalism that is expected from teachers, but that doesn't mean we should be denied the opportunity to have a personal life and enjoy ourselves. I believe that as long as teachers are responsible and considerate of their actions, they should be able to live their lives as they see fit.
It is important to remember that being a teacher doesn't mean giving up one's personal life. We all have the right to enjoy ourselves in our own way and not to be judged for how we choose to spend our free time.
In conclusion, it's important for us to maintain a level of professionalism and set a good example for our students, but that doesn't mean giving up our personal lives. Teachers are just like any other professional, and we reserve the right to have a personal life and enjoy ourselves. As long as we maintain a level of professionalism, there's no reason why we can't have fun and enjoy the same activities as anyone else.
Thats all for today.
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Written by
Manthan Gattani
Math teacher with 11 Years of teaching experience, Manthan has taught 10,000+ students across multiple geographies.
