10 Differences Between Teaching in America and Working in Corporate America
Emily writes over at Our Milkshakes, where she writes about her life as a wife and mom to her 20 month old and one on the way. She taught middle school/junior high school for 6 years and now works in a corporate setting where has been for the past 4 years. She lives with her family in the suburbs of Houston.
Over the past 5 years out of the classroom and in the corporate setting, I’ve noticed some things. There are some very different acceptable behaviors between the two settings. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
1. Working
Corporate America: You will be paid to work 8-9 hours, yet nobody works more than 3-4 per day. It’s not frowned upon for management to call you in their office to help plan an event outside of work, or spend an hour deciding which cookies to order for someone’s birthday.
Teachers: You will ACTIVELY work 8 hours, and most likely spend another 2 or more preparing lesson plans, grading papers and corresponding with parents.
2. Coffee
Corporate America: Starbucks machine and Keurig. Don’t you dare put a Starbucks machine on another floor and only a Keurig (with 8 different coffee flavors) on their floor. How dare an elevator ride be required to get free Starbucks. Such a travesty.
Teachers: We were lucky to get a 4 oz cup of coffee on testing days.
3. Food Meetings
Corporate America: A meeting means food. No matter the time of day or length of the meeting a meal or generous snack is demanded, even expected.
Teachers: Teachers will be crowded in the gym or cafeteria with a generous 10 minute break every 2 hours to get water from the water fountain.
4. Promotions
Corporate America: I want to get promoted, how many a**es do I need to kiss while I should be working to show my abilities.
Teachers: All requirements for a position are all mapped out…earn a certain certification or degree, and apply for the job.
5. Hours
Corporate America: It seems acceptable to not only come in late but to have your breakfast you took time to stop and buy with you. Then, it’s assumed you should get ample time to eat said breakfast after arriving late and not be bothered.
Teachers: Arriving late as a teacher? You better have a very good co-worker that will monitor your students because it’s not really an option. And if you have breakfast with you, it will now become your lunch.
6. Hours (Part 2)
Corporate America: You are consistently arriving 20+ minutes late and your boss addresses the concern by asking if you want to change your hours. That’s an option!? Employee is furious for days they were talked to about being consistently late and make no attempt to change their hours or arrival time.
Teachers: See #5. Changing hours is clearly not an option.
7. Budget
Corporate America: An email is sent about cutting costs, and then 4 people are flown to another city requiring hotel stays and meals out for a meeting. Although cameras, speakers and all needed equipment are available for a video meeting.
Teachers: If you’re lucky and the school has supplies, you will receive 1 pack of 12 pencils, 12 pens, construction paper and maybe tape (no dispenser) for the entire school year. That, my friends, is a budget cut!
8. Lunch
Corporate America: Lunch breaks are 30 minutes, yet everyone takes an hour and the sense of urgency to be back at your desk within the 30 minute period does not exist.
Teachers: Teachers get a 30 minute lunch break as well, that goes something like this: monitor or walk students to cafeteria (5 minutes), organize classroom for next set of students (5 minutes), go to the restroom and get water (3 minutes), heat up or obtain food (3 minutes), check for time sensitive emails from principals/counselors/department head/parents because you cannot be caught doing this with students in your classroom (3 minutes), eat and retrieve students from the cafeteria or monitor hallways as they return to class (5 minutes). Nice ‘break’, huh?
9. Hours (Part 3)
Corporate America: I work 8-5, what do you mean I can’t sit at my desk from 8-8:30 putting on my make-up for the day or eating breakfast or browsing gossip sites on the internet? Then disgruntled employee is upset all day and will show them who is boss and take even more time to apply make-up, eat breakfast and/or stay updated on the latest gossip tomorrow.
Teachers: How I enter the school is how I will look all day. Plus, if I alter my appearance from the norm on any given day all teaching will come to a screeching halt as students insist on knowing WHY.
10. Sick Days
Corporate America: Text to boss: I am sick and will not be in today.
Teachers: Call principal, call department head and contact the Substitute Office and hope someone shows up. By this point, it’s been 20 minutes because each person wants to know what your ailment in, when it started etc., and you haven’t even contacted the Sub Office to make sure someone will be able to cover your classroom.
There are perks and drawbacks to every job, but take the time to appreciate your teachers May 4-8…they deserve it!
Looking for some fun diy gifts or each to grab gifts for your teachers to show them how much you appreciate them? How about some fizzy bath bombs, a chocolate peppermint sugar scrub, lemon + rosemary sugar scrub, an amazon gift card, a Starbucks gift card, or pencil flowers.
Boy you nailed this one right on the head
As the wife of a teacher…. yep. I don’t know how they do it.
Wow..i don’t know where this site got their info on corporate America, but it is way, way wrong. Teaching is not an easy profession, don’t get me wrong. But saying someone works 4-5 hours in corporate america? AYFKM? They micromanage every second of your day in corporate America..you have to explain 5 minute bathroom breaks and can get written up for taking them. You are not permitted to show up less than 5 minutes before your shift…period..3 times, you’re fired. I’m very close to both worlds of employment, and i will say this…Corporate America is very much more strict. Maybe in the past it has not been such, but even with lesson prep and grading, the hours of teaching have been far less grueling, and the autonomy and overall work/life balance has been far easier on the soul to work as a teacher than a corporate shill. Again…not downplaying it, but the factual information on this page has not been accurate as to my experiences with corporate jobs.
This was a guest post by the author listed above as somebody who has had multiple experiences in both professions. I guess you have had very different experiences. I’ve seen both sides and both ways. I think it really depends on the job and the profession for corporate America, too.