The Arbitrary ChuckJerry

What's great about being a teacher?
The relationships with the kids is the best part. Getting to know them and knowing that they trust me is pretty gratifying. Also a few times I've been told by my students that they never really understood math until they took my class, so that makes me feel like I'm doing something right.

Also knowing that I've essentially got complete autonomy inside my classroom is gratifying. There are rules and curricula and such, but how all that is carried out is left up to me, which eliminates a lot of the things that suck about a job from management and so forth.

What sucks about being a teacher?
The kids who literally do not care at all makes the job terrible some days. I can see that they are capable and they see that they are capable and they don't even try. I still can't wrap my head around that. I've failed some tests in my day, but I've never gotten a zero.

Both your parents were teachers - how did that influence your career decision?
Immensely. I think that I was raised with the countenance of one who would be a teacher. I've never really felt challenged by any other job, nor have I enjoyed any other job as much as this one, even if I have a bad day.

In addition to taking on the character traits that make one a teacher I also feel like being a teacher is an ideal situation to be in for one to raise a family. The hours are not ridiculous, the benefits are phenomenal, and the vacations coincide with the kids I don't yet have. I valued all the time I was able to spend with my parents over summers and school vacations, and I want to be able to give the same to my family.

Also, when can we expect the "what it's like to be adopted" post?
It had slipped my mind. I'll do it within the next couple of days. The short answer is that it has had a surprisingly small effect on me, as best I can tell.