This is going to sound so petty. But it is just something on my mind. So I'm a phys ed teacher, and I feel like the other teachers do not see me as a "real" educator. I actually personally feel insecure about that myself and I am wondering if you have any advice or encouragement on having more grit to manage that feeling at work and around others!

Everyone in the teaching field had a choice as to what they wanted to teach and at what grade level. I have been a Health and Physical Education teacher for over 28 years and I know through the hundreds of course credits I received and medical school level courses I had to take, I’m valuable. As long as you value your field by dressing professionally and actually teaching your students, no one can devalue you. Have fun and make sure your students leave class excited by what they learned or did in your class. And always correct people when they call your class gym… No it’s Physical Education!!

I do understand and I've witnessed it a lot. But that's simply not true! Remember that you are a valuable member of the teaching team. Physical education is an important part of a well-rounded education and you my friend play a vital role in helping students develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime

I think it's a hard one because we're all comparing ourselves to everyone so much. I don't think you should feed into it, I would treat them with kindness and let your work speak for itself

I’m a school social worker and at times we get the, you just talk to kids and play games bullshit. Nobody ever said that to me but have my colleagues. I always think, if you wanted to talk to kids…if you think our job is so easy …you should have gone into social work. We all had a choice!

Everyone thinks the grass is greener until they give it a shot. Then they discover it isn’t even grass and that comparing apples and oranges is silly.

But that’s not the problem here. At least, not one over which you have control. The issue is the way you internalize their insensitive remarks. I would be very conscious of self-talk. They say those remarks in a brief moment, but you mentally talk to yourself 24/7. You have more power to motivate yourself than you realize, but only if you employ it. So regularly remind yourself that you certified to teach young people. I’m guessing you had tests in pedagogy and in an area specialty that you had to pass at some point. That puts you on the same level as your peers from an official standpoint. And even if you didn’t have those tests, there is more to being a teacher than jumping through regulatory hoops. The trick is to remember this every time the negative thoughts appear. Don’t let the thoughts go unchallenged, and then reaffirm several times to yourself that you are qualified for your position. You teach in a way and in a subject that is different to others, but that doesn’t make you any less of an educator. Make sure you remind yourself of this until it’s habit to challenge the negative talk.

I used to get so angry when someone would say something like, “You’re so lucky! It must be great just coloring all day.” First, I’m not lucky. I CHOSE to teach Art, and I know a hell of a lot about it. It is rare for a skilled artist to also be a skilled teacher, just as I imagine it is rare for a skilled athlete to be a skilled teacher. (And I know you are much more than an athletic coach…most Phys Ed teachers teach Health Sciences, as well.) And second, even when I was teaching elementary art, my classes were academic AND centered on art-making. I also hate it when people call my classes Arts & Crafts, or when other teachers are surprised that you need certification to teach Art. I don’t have this issue now that I’m teaching middle and high school in an International Baccalaureate school, but I know there are still colleagues who think they have it harder. Until they have to cover one of my classes. Ha.

On my email signature I have
My name
Health Educator
Physical Education and Kinesiology Educator

I have a friend that also lists her Masters degree under her position

And lastly - those other teachers are jealous that we have the fun jobs with the most flexibility of what we teach.

Oh. And my PE classes have always been 55-65 students and Health 38/42.
Guess which teacher probably has the better classroom management.

I respect every educator—it is not easy working with kids and everything that goes along with it!! I will say, however, that three phys ed teachers I know (hs and elementary) have blatantly stated that they do very little, I.e grading, planning, conferences, etc. and can’t believe they make the same or more than I do. They say their job is a cake job—their words, not mine. I’m not saying this is applicable to you—but these individuals don’t help your situation:-/. I also know that I know some teachers who have the same position I do and do very little as well—so it isn’t just phys ed.

I would suggest connecting with others in similar positions at your site. Just pop in one day after school and talk to the art, shop, or foods teachers. The specialists in elementary are always battling the perception of being “just a prep teacher.” There are some things you should do to promote yourself and boost your confidence. So when I hang art in the hall, I hang a sign stating it was made in the art room with me and what standards were met. So advertise what you are doing in class on the school FB, newsletters, and in the hall. Take pictures of the kids to include. If you do any coaching, post that too. Essentially brag and make you and your school look good.

The most important thing is that you know your value. Every educator is valued, and you should not think that other teachers must give you that validation. Believe it or not teachers in the classroom teaching general education feel the same way you do.

I feel the same at my school and I teach art. I don't grade anything, and my time is not a big deal. I get ignored a lot, and then I'm given directions like I'm not educated. I have a MEd and I have almost 30 years in the classroom. I don't know how that steroitypes can change.

Okay, so I’ve worked in a few different school systems, two that were independent and three that were/are public. I found that in almost every system there was a category of teachers that enjoyed higher status than the others. In the first independent school, it was the specialists. The PE, art, music, science, librarian and world language teachers had a lot of power. We classroom teachers had less. I have theories about why that was, but I won’t go into it. At the second independent school, the classroom teachers didn’t necessarily have more power but many seemed to think of their own position as more important than the specialists. Instead of PE or music, they would simply refer to their students “special” as “Prep” on the kids’ daily schedule. The specialists were treated like second class citizens in the first public school system I spent a considerable amount of time in. They didn’t have their own classrooms. Most traveled among two or more elementary schools in the district and if they had a space in a building it was a closet—-that was still also being used as a closet. Classroom teachers treated them as equals but it was clear that the district didn’t view them as equal. On the other hand, the special education program was heavily funded and sped and BSI teachers had really nice spaces to work in. OT and PT had to work in closets though. At the second public school system that I spent time in, it seemed that the special ed teachers were the ones most likely to complain in the teachers room and get defensive or lose their tempers with classroom teachers. I got the sense that they were the “second class citizens” in that district. I’m still figuring out the third public school system, which is a huge urban district, but I think it’s the bilingual and ESL teachers who have the least status. ESL teachers were regularly pulled to sub during and after the pandemic and bilingual teachers have classes that are, on average, 30% larger than their grade level gen ed peers. So, to make a long story short, how you are being treated is probably not your imagination. There’s seems to always be a social hierarchy. Ask around and see how other PE teachers and specialists are treated. There could be other reasons, and I think there was more than one reason at the first independent school I mentioned, but one theory I have is what the money is spent on in the school or district has a lot to do with how teachers perceive and treat each other.