Get Up or Give Up: How I Almost Gave Up on Teaching

As seen on Ellen!

As he watched poverty wreak havoc throughout his classroom and nearly break him too, Michael Bonner knew something would have to change—so he changed himself, before he quit being a teacher. 

Michael Bonner knew he wanted to be a teacher after his favorite college professor, Dr. Poulson, inspired him. The professor’s passion and love for teaching prompted Michael to change his major and his life’s direction. But nothing prepared Michael for the reality of a Title One school.

Teaching is fun until a 7-year-old is assaulting you or you’re dodging furniture being thrown at you. When you mix the craziness of a classroom with a marriage that was about to implode, anyone might want to quit. Smiling on the outside while feeling dead on the inside took this dedicated teacher to the breaking point. Michael knew he must change what was inside him, in his approach to life, or nothing would change anywhere else.

So Michael took matters into his own hands to make four key paradigm shifts that helped him create a world of successful learning for his students and love within both the classroom and beyond. The result has been a transformation that’s taken Michael far beyond the classroom as he inspires thousands across the country.

Many agree teaching is an amazing profession but there’s little discussion why so many teachers are leaving the profession. Get Up or Give Up: How I Almost Gave Up on Teaching shines a light into the internal battles and decisions educators face daily, and how we must make a conscious decision either to give in—or push through.

Michael Bonner is a second-grade teacher at South Greenville Elementary School in Greenville, NC. He is working hard every day to make a profound impact on his students with his vision to teach them to become productive global citizens. Michael was voted Teacher of the Year by his peers and also received the Pacesetters Award from the American Association for Blacks in Higher Education. Michael was honored by Ellen DeGeneres in recognition of his positive and innovative approaches to education for children struggling with the challenges of poverty. In February 2017, Ellen Degeneres flew his class to Los Angeles to surprise them by making a music video with amazing celebrities such as Ice Cube, Big Sean, Migos, Ty Dolla Sign, and Lin Manuel Miranda! Since then, Michael Bonner has been speaking at universities and corporate events on the importance of educational equity and the necessity for quality teachers.