Like those in any other profession, teachers can certainly get divorced for reasons that have nothing to do with teaching. For instance, a spouse could be unfaithful to the marriage, the two people could simply drift apart over time or a spouse could run into issues with addiction that make it clear to the teacher that this is no longer a relationship that they want to be in.
That said, teaching is a common and difficult profession. It takes a lot of work and there are tens of thousands of teachers in the country, at various levels. Let’s take a look at some specific factors that may lead to divorce.
Working long hours
First of all, many teachers work very long hours. Yes, they do get breaks for the summer, Christmas and other such times, but they may put in far more than eight hours a day when school is in session. If a teacher wakes up before sunrise to get to school and then stays at school doing lesson plans and grading papers until after dark, their spouse may just feel like they never see them.
Additionally, some teachers are forced to work at home or even on the weekends. If the students all turn in papers on Friday, the teacher may have hundreds of pages to read and grade by the following Monday. Their dedication to this task takes away from the time they have to spend with their family, even when they are at home.
Running into financial issues
It’s often said that financial stress is a leading cause of divorce, and this is very true. Often, couples who do not make enough to pay the bills are constantly stressed and argue about how they should use money — saving, spending, etc.
While teachers are not stuck in minimum wage jobs, they are often considered by financial experts to be vastly underpaid. This is not a profession anyone goes into for the money. This is especially notable when you consider all of those unpaid hours working at home. Financial problems are a real possibility.
Are you getting a divorce this year?
If you’re a teacher who is deciding to get a divorce this year, be sure you know exactly what options you have, what steps to take and how your decisions will impact your future.