My Career Would Have Ended 12 Years Ago

When I started teaching back in 2012 in Hong Kong, I couldn’t believe the amount of stress teachers faced on a daily basis. I was being pulled in every direction: managing a classroom, marking a mountain of assignments, responding to parents, designing resources, and somehow finding the time to plan 26 lessons before (every) Monday.

I remember thinking: This can’t be the career I signed up for.

After six months, I was ready to throw in the towel and be done with this life until an experienced colleague sat me down and said something I still hold on to today:

“The secret to a happy teacher is knowing that you can affect real change. Sometimes it’ll be a small thing, other times you won’t even see it, but it’s there.”

I had nothing to lose, so I started paying attention. And she was right.

The endless assignments I marked? One student appreciated the feedback and used it to improve her next piece. The resources I spent hours creating? My colleagues used them in their own lessons. The 26 lessons I planned each week? …Well, maybe nothing ground breaking happened there, but I began to see it: I was making a difference.

I became a teacher because I wanted to make an impact. Back then, baby Brian thought that meant changing lives and seeing those “ah-ha” moments on my students’ faces. And while those moments are powerful, the version of me today knows that making a difference also means something quieter.

It means knowing that your school became a slightly better place because you showed up, you cared, and you affected real change.

As we come to the end of the academic year, I hope every teacher knows that they’ve made a difference to their students, to their colleagues, and to their community.

Maybe we just need to remind each other of that more often.

So, what are you proud of this year?