Please read my previous post!

You can be depressed about whatever you want...but it's not good for you to be depressed. I'm sure you are making a difference to kids. I hope you have a better day :)

That is my point exactly....YOU cannot continue to be depressed. It is not good for your mental health or physical. It is not good for your students. If you are truely this depressed as you say you are then you cannot continue to be effective in what you do.

Depression begets pain, mentally and physically. If you are going to let salary eat at you the way apparently it is then you need to either change your outlook or deal with it in another way which may be outside the traditional school system.

There are 2 different type of depress. I didn't say I feel the mental health depression adn believe me I know how I feel about that kind. And it is not that. It is just depressing news. The teacher are feeling that depressing news.

By the ways, depressing news can lead to something as in doing something about it after doing all the research.

I am really considering doing research and write a book about it. I was thinking about it. So how to adovate it!!!

You honestly can tell me a thing about living on your own. I have been on my own paying my own way since I was 17yrs old. I worked my way through college. Sometimes having more than one job, and most of the time not having enough sleep. I don't see that you have any reason to gripe. #1)you lived in Florida when you went to school #2) You knew what the cost of living was #3) National statistics show that educators are some of the lowest paid professionals

In order for you to be happy you have to love what you do. You also have to quit making excuses, because that is all they are is excuses. Be happy that you had the opportunity to go to college, and yes it is your FIRST year, and all you have done is gripe in these blogs about your job, your family, and the fact that you are hearing impaired. Give it a rest already.

Actually, I do think and I do enjoy teaching but the stress of living yikes!!! Also what depressing is how do you do the things you love and get burned out for it.

I am really thinking of writing a book and maybe something good will come out of it too.

Dragon - I had no ideas of the cost of living until couple of month ago!!!! Honestly, I was soooooo shocked!!! I have roommates before but I never knew how much they pay for the place or something. I live in TN where rent was $300.00 a month and my husband did the fiance. So this is a shocking year for me!!! I am getting the whole package right now!!!!

So just look at my posting as learning, sinking in head and so on and maybe in 2 years, I can say whew, I did it!!! Reality is hitting me in a full force!!!!

being deaf is very expensive!!! Just to let you know I have more expenses!!!

TJ if you don't mind me asking how old are you?

"I have more expenses than you"

You can't possibly know that you have more expenses than anyone else. I have diabetes. That is medications, special foods, doctors every three months, etc.....

Everyone has their own issues tj. You act as if you are the only deaf person alive. I don't pity you because of it. Everyone wants equal treatment until it comes to not getting compensated for a disability, but if you were being discriminated against you would be screaming about that. You cannot have it both ways.

"Mrs. Okie" here. I taught for more than 25 years. I certainly wouldn't have had time to spend hours on blogs, had such a thing been around then. Yes, teachers need to "vent," but to do so in such a public manner is highly unprofessional. Pretend that your writings are posted on the bulletin board in the main hallway of your school. Would you want your students' parents to read your writings? I hardly think so.

I will acknowledge that I did not teach special needs children, so I cannot fully appreciate your challenges. But try to think on the positive things you are achieving, personally and with the children in your care. We'd like to read a "good progress" report from time to time, with no names, of course. Find joy in knowing that you are making a difference in their lives.

Perhaps you are not teaching full time, hence not earning a full salary. It might help to think about the fact that at least there is a publicly posted teacher's salary schedule, and that you know you will be "climbing up the ladder" salary-wise. This is definitely NOT the case with a good many jobs outside of education. Try to concentrate on the good things about your job: holidays off, long Christmas vacation, sick leave, health coverage, retirement plan, as well as the progress you see in your students, working in a positive goal-oriented environment, opportunities for further education, and not to be denied, the esteem given you simply because you are "a teacher." Believe me, you can't put a dollar value on that, and if you think it isn't worth something, try working in the "business world" for a while!