Why People Who Marry Teachers End Up The Happiest

People can tell a lot about each other based on their career paths. That’s not to say the stereotypes of different jobs are always accurate. Lawyers aren’t necessarily smooth-talkers, accountants aren’t necessarily nerdy, and artists aren’t necessarily soulful. However, there are certain traits that are vital for people to succeed in their chosen professions. 

For example, veterinarians need to care about animals, managers need to have good leadership skills, dancers need to be agile, and chefs need to cook well under pressure. Therefore, it may be prudent to check a person’s profession when choosing a life partner. It may indicate a lot about their personality. A job as a librarian may not indicate whether the person is an introvert or extrovert, but it’s safe to assume he or she enjoys books. A good lobbyist is a good communicator, and that should branch out in other areas of his life. 

However, there’s one job whose quality is determined by good character traits: teachers. 

“Top Five Qualities of Effective Teachers” 

Pearson conducted a survey among students ages 15–19 to see what qualifies a good teacher. These were the top five choices: 

1. The ability to develop trusting relationships to create a safe, positive, and productive environment. This includes being willing to listen when there is a problem.
2. A patient, caring, and kind personality. 
3. Empathy and intelligence to understand the needs of all types of learners. 
4. A feeling of passion and commitment to their student’s success, and always willing to spend time helping them. 
5. Being engaging and motivating. [1] 

Reading this list over, don’t these traits seem attractive in a relationship? It seems that a good teacher would also make a good life partner. 

Good Teacher, Good Partner 

Everyone has a favorite teacher they recall as being loving and kind. I remember my fourth-grade teacher. She would give out candies whenever we had to take a test, usually peppermints or sucking candies that looked like colored glass and tasted like love. I had missed a month of school that year, and my grades slipped until the final test. She handed me the paper back and whispered, “I’m so happy you got this mark, or else I would have been worried about you.” I don’t remember the mark, but I remember how much she cared.  

These traits are a reflection of a good teacher, but they are also the reflection of a good person.  

The best teachers are responsible. Their job requires them to be accountable for the welfare of young children. Also, they have to be organized by keeping all of their lessons planned, grading homework, and returning them in a reasonable amount of time, meeting state education guidelines, and they rarely call in sick. They are passionate about intellectually raising the next generation, teaching them how to think, behave, and process the world around them. A life partner who can take responsibility and work under pressure is truly a gift. [2] 

Teachers also have to be quick on their feet, because kids are often unpredictable. Glue might spill all over the floor, the gerbil might disappear, two students might fight over the same seat, and one pupil might walk in crying the day after her grandparent died. Relationships are often just as messy and complicated, and a partner quick to solve problems and listen to others is a blessing. 

Teachers are also great at communication, which is key to a healthy and strong partnership. Plus, anyone who can make math sound interesting sure knows how to keep a conversation lively. 

Teaching is an incredibly underpaid profession, but teachers brave through the long hours, preparing on weekends, waking up early, leaving late, and spending their own money to ensure their students get the education they need to succeed. This level of commitment and passion is just as beneficial for a lasting relationship. [3] 

Also, people remember their fun teachers. In seventh grade, my teacher came to school dressed as a witch complete with a wig and fake warts. I don’t remember why she did it, although she did say, “You’re not going to remember anything I taught you, but you will remember the witch costume.” She was right. Teachers let themselves go with the flow and do things to excite the children they’re teaching, even it’s as simple as letting them go to recess a few minutes early, organizing prizes and games, reading stories, or taking a class outside to learn.  

Children love life, and that amiability rubs off on anyone who interacts with them. A person who is happy, rolls with the punches, and enjoys life is a beautiful person to spend the rest of your life with. 

So if you choose to marry a teacher, you’re marrying a lifestyle that includes summers off, nights and weekends working, and a job that never truly stops. Your partner will always be thinking about the students and the community they create. There will be stress and some days your partner will need a comforting shoulder. You will share in your partner’s world as he or she loves and educates the next generation. 

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