Being a teacher in the dating scene can be very challenging. There are certain difficulties that must be faced whenever you go out with someone new. These challenges include the fact that all eyes are on you wherever you go. Your life is an open book that everyone seems to want to peruse.
This is especially true if you live in a small town. The smaller the town, the more people will know and be in your business. The smaller the town, the more students and parents you will run into. Your every move on your date will be scrutinized, judged, and evaluated. The places you and your date go, the way you dress, and the other individuals you associate with will become the topics of intense scrutiny and conversation.
And if that isn’t enough, you have to be extra careful when using social media. No bad words, no visible signs of smoking or drinking, and no mocking of different types of people. Every time you post something, you will have to take a step back and examine it to be sure it will not offend someone or get you in any kind of trouble. For example, one teacher was released from her job at a Georgia high school because she was shown holding two glasses of alcoholic beverages in one of her Facebook pictures.
If you drive, you always have to be very careful of how much you drink as many school districts require their employees to report any incidences to the human resources office. Driving while under the influence can be devastating to a teaching career. Even if your date gets a ticket or is arrested, it is a very poor reflection of you in the eyes of the community.
And even your date may have a certain perception of how teachers are. He may think that all teachers are prudes or that you are conservative and traditional. He may not realize that many teachers have a truly funny personality or a little bit of a wild side. In other words, you may not be what he expects; this can either be very good or very bad for your prospective relationship.
So when you feel you have to drive to the next town to buy your birth control pills and alcohol and that you can’t make a move without someone watching you, you are not alone. Thousands of teachers go through these challenges, but they are just more challenging when you are single.
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