Teaching in a very small town. I don't think I like it.?

Question

Have any of the fellow teachers here ever moved to a very small town (500 people) from a big city(Dallas,TX) and did not enjoy the lifestyle?

I feel like everywhere I go I am watched. My plan was to raise a family here. However, I feel like everytime I go out I have to act a certain way because so many students see me so much.

As of now, I don't even feel comfortable going to the local winery and having a glass of wine without someone starting a rumor that I am drunk. I know what I am doing is legal because I have someone drive for me even if I have one drink. I just see how many rumors start around here and I don't want to get in the middle of them.

I don't think I can ever live this way. I am very likely going moving out to teach in a city that has about 100,000 people or more. This looks like my last semester teaching here. I don't think I can take another minute of it!!!!!!

Anyone else in the same boat?

Answer 1

i am in the opposite, and i teach in a large city (philadelphia).  although i do not know much about dallas school districts, large districts can be a royal pain in the butt.    one small group of people in charge of the logistics of 10,000 teachers does not add up.

sounds to me like maybe somewhere in the suburbs surrounding dallas would be your best bet.  this way, you can live in one area, and work in another, but they aren't too far away.

Answer 2

I can't speak myself, I'm not a teacher - But hey, you're pretty lucky - the teacher's union is so strong, you shouldn't have a problem with rumors getting in the way of your job. I might be speaking out of my butt though - tell me if I am, because It's very possible :-)

Have you just recently started teaching there? Perhaps its' less the low population and more the fact that you aren't used to an environment like that. And if that's the case and you feel the pressure is too much, more power to you for going where you wanna go and doing what you wanna do. Good luck with all of this, I hope everything turns out alright.

Answer 3

am not a teacher but have lived in a small town of slightly more than 600 people for 14 years and it sucks!! Not a lot goes on, so when something happens IT IS A BIG DEAL!! Everyone knows what everyone knows and nobody knows it better than the person spreading the rumor. You live in a glass house and sometimes one would believe you are running interference to keep your neighbors from pummeling your glass house with giant rocks. If the sirens go down the highway, it is not long and you can see a string of cars following the sirens. I basically don't care what my neighbors think of me but I am also not teaching their children so I can only imagine what you must be thinking/feeling. Can you and your family move to the next biggest town?? That may be an option, that way you can relax without feeling like someone is peering in your windows......Honestly, the small town atmosphere is good because generally speaking there is hardly any crime and if there is you know about before it hits the local newspaper, in my berg people are mostly friendly. If you wind up staying where you are at, I would suggest you get to know the towns people so they can see you are just an ordinary person and do normal things. Maybe sit in on city council meetings, etc......I will never move away from my town although it is really a Little Payton's Place and it drives me crazy........

Answer 4

I don't live in a super small town, but it's not uncommon to see your teacher coming or leaving once in a while. For all teachers I've known, it's different. One teacher was really friendly and often saw us and hung out with us outside of class and became friends with many students online. He was young and yea, sometimes we wondered if he was crossing the line, but he was a marching band teacher and had to see us for hours every day anyways. Another teacher who was only in his second year of teaching was also close to many students. He was willing to become friends over Face Book, but had a strict policy of not contacting anyone outside of school. I did however see him go into a bar once, but I fought the urge to tell everyone (not like it was a big deal anyways). We see our teachers around....for me, it's good to see teachers be human (seeing them at the supermarket, at sports events, out with family), but I'll admit that it's weird if they don't have that air of "teacherness" about them. Good luck with everything.

Answer 5

im a student in a small town like that and i understand what you mean. the other day our spanish teacher went to a tanning salon and some girl saw her there and everyone was like omg the spanish teacher tans. and someone saw the science teacher at a sports bar with his girl friend and everyone was like omg he was there with his gf shes ugly and stuff like that. our math teacher told us he goes to a mall like an hour away that way he can pretty much avoid seeing anyone there lol but idk kids are stupid they make such a big deal outa things when they see teachers outside of skool but seriously its no big deal idk why they care

Answer 6

Haha, I'm not a teacher but I've always said I'd hate to ever become one in a small town. My friends and I always see our teachers out of school when we're walking around, because our town is like so small and in the middle of nowhere =[ And when something wrong happens everybody knows within five minutes. It basically blows..

Answer 7

I moved to a small southern town from Seattle last year. It has taken a while to get used to it, but I love it now. First of all, even though they are curious, once you are in you are in. People here stand up for each other. Second of all, go have your wine. Yeah they are watching. Behave and they will see that you are okay.

You are taking care of their kids and I am sure you'd agree that character counts when you are training children. I know that there is something about character in my teaching contract, how about yours?

Anyway, get settled and then decide.

Answer 8

I'm not a teacher, but I've had experience living in small towns and you are correct:  you are being watched like a hawk :)  Everyone who's ever lived in a small town knows how the rumour mill works and if you happen to be the town's policeman, doctor, teacher, etc, you're put under extra scrutiny!  Smalltown people love a good gossip.  Sounds to me like you'd be much better off in a bigger city and leave the smalltown teaching jobs to the likes of Mrs Old Maid who likes to stay in with her knitting and a cup of tea!

Answer 9

Not in the same boat but I have heard of similar situations. A teacher being called into the Superintendent's office because the neighbors noticed that the teacher didn't go to church on Sundays etc. Another because her apartment was too close to a neighborhood tavern...

I taught in a town of 25,000, it was fine. Parents/kids knew me but I wasn't hassled about anything. Just hellos when I was shopping.

Answer 10

I can understand that you feel watched in a small town environment. But if you feel that you don't feel safe, I think you would do better in a career where you wont be intimidated to do your job and love it at the same time.

Answer 11

Small communities like that are close and outsiders need to have patience before they become one of THEM.  I could see where they could be very positive things in a situation like this versus a big city, and I do understand from your comments the negative side.

No one likes to thing that everything they do is being judged, but you cannot be the only one in town who enjoys a drink or a glass of wine.

My advice is to stick it out and above everything else be yourself and not attempt to be someone else just to please the town folk.  They would be smart enough to pick up on that super quick.  Begin giving little compliments about this and that nothing more brings you close to people like this than saying they are appreciated.

Answer 12

Go to the next larger town. NoT in the same boat but grew up in a small town.

Answer 13

Been there, done that....

My first teaching job was in a small farming community in the Central Valley of California.  I grew up in the Bay Area.  I hated the experience.  There was never any "down time" as I was always running into parents of students at my school.  I always felt I was being watched and judged as well.  I knew the parents gossiped.  I never heard any gossip about me, but I heard enough about other teachers to make me decide to move back to the "big city".  

I now teach in a community that is no where close to where I live.  I have the luxury of being able to go where I want and do what I want without worrying that someone from my school will see me.  

Yes as teachers we are judged at a higher moral standard than others because we work with children.  However, it is important that you feel comfortable where you work so that you can enjoy your life without worrying that what you do is going to be broadcast or misinterpreted around the school.

Good luck to you!