Estonian comedian and teacher Popov: my mental health is completely destroyed
Estonian comedian and teacher Alexander Popov spoke about a dark period in his life when his students were the only reason he got out of bed, and explained why so few men work as teachers.
Comedian and self-described "garbage-collector teacher" Alexander Popov told Vikerraadio that working as a school teacher requires an incredibly strong personality, which is precisely why there are so few men in schools.
Popov said he went through a very difficult period in his life when his students were the only reason he could force himself to get out of bed in the morning. "This autumn I'm free from classroom teaching, but I actively support teachers — you have to fight for your rights," he said.
This fall, Popov will take the stage with a stand-up show titled "The Garbage-Collector Teacher." He noted the title refers only to himself, not to other teachers, and that the show will describe what happens when, under difficult circumstances, there's nothing left to do but let an "ape-like creature" loose in front of children.
Mental health and the profession
"I didn't become a full-time elementary school teacher because my mental health is completely destroyed. To work with children you need to be an incredibly strong person. That's exactly why there are fewer men among teachers — men simply can't handle it. Women are stronger in this regard," the comedian said.
Popov said he wouldn't want to be a teacher in a situation where he constantly has to justify himself, for instance over methodological decisions, adding that social media is where a teacher finds out how worthless they are considered. He also wryly mentioned an annual spring ranking that shows how low-status you are depending on which school you teach at — whether an elite school or one where everything seems hopeless. Popov himself has taught at an elite school.
According to Popov, the desire to learn exists in every school, and everything comes down to resources, while the hardest part is building relationships with students in a constantly changing world.
"There was such a dark period in my life that my students were the only reason I got out of bed in the morning and believed life had any value at all," Popov said, adding that humor serves as a defense mechanism once joy in life runs out.
Today, Popov says he is in a relatively neutral state, helped by humor as well as reading, which he discovered as a means of self-preservation. In his view, self-directed jokes are the most honest form of criticism — you can joke about anything, but you must remember you're accountable for your words, and that someone will inevitably dislike a given joke.
