u/Excellent-Team-7979

Hey everyone, I’m 26F, single, no kids, and live alone with my two cats in rural Pennsylvania. I’m an 8th grade science teacher and honestly thought hosting sounded like such a cool experience. I like hiking, camping, concerts, museums, coffee shops, traveling, thrifting, weekend trips, outdoorsy stuff, etc. I’m pretty laid back and close with my family/friends.

But now that I’m actually looking at student profiles and doing the application, I keep overthinking my living situation.

I live in a 2 bedroom apartment, not a house. It’s honestly a decent apartment — one floor, pretty spacious living room/kitchen, safe area, student would have her own bedroom, etc. But the bedroom itself is kinda small compared to a suburban house, and the bathroom is older/outdated. It’s cozy but definitely not luxurious.

I think I’ve gotten in my head because online it seems like every host family has this giant beautiful house, multiple kids, huge kitchen, finished basement, pool, whatever 😭 meanwhile I’m just over here in my apartment in rural PA with cats.

Part of me feels like I could genuinely provide a good experience because I’d actually include them in things and make them feel welcome. But another part of me worries they’d secretly be disappointed and wish they got placed somewhere “better.”

Has anyone hosted as a single person/in an apartment/smaller home? Or been an exchange student and not cared about that stuff as much as I think people do?

All right, I get it… Corruption happens everywhere… But how is the school able to not fill a teacher’s position once she leaves at the end of the year while simultaneously giving the superintendent a 13% raise? We are I can’t even get paid for the masters that I will have and be paid correctly.

No wonder some districts one can’t keep teachers within their districts into why people leave teaching to begin with!

I’m just burnt out and counting down the years until I can leave and find a different district.