Melissa McDonald is a middle school teacher living and working in Oakland, CA. Melissa talks about her experience of becoming a teacher, first teaching at a charter school in Watts, CA before moving to Oakland. She shares why she enjoys teaching kids during the pivotal middle school years; the problematic nature of &#34;grab bag&#34; knowledge in the US educational system; children&#39;s right to privacy and building trust; the reality of bringing work home and everyday pressure to beat the clock.Producer: Robin LandyMastering: Matthew SolbergFollow @90000hrspod on InstagramEmail: ninetythousandhourspod@gmail.comIntro: &#34;Crossing The Line&#34; - Eric Andrew KuhnUnderscore: &#34;Guard,&#34; &#34;Limbo, &#34; &#34;Drifting,&#34; &#34;Arc&#34; - Eric Andrew Kuhnhttps://www.ericandrewkuhn.comSupport the show at https://www.patreon.com/90000hourspod Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/90-000-hours/donations'>https://redcircle.com/90-000-hours/donations</a>

Mike: Copywriter/Project Manager

90,000 Hours is a podcast exploring how people really feel about what they do. Loosely inspired by Studs Terkel&#39;s seminal 1974 book &#34;Working,&#34; 90,000 Hours peers into a diverse cross section of working lives to reveal how most jobs differ from what you&#39;d imagine; the complexities lurking in the day-to-day; and ultimately, the unexpected ways that work unites us in the human experience.Beautifully paced and edited into a first person narrative style with musical textures, this &#34;podcast about working&#34; ends up being about more than just work, including common themes such as separation of self-worth from our occupations, labor politics, imposter syndrome, and so much more. 