It dawned on me today (and not for the first time) that I have an odd job. When I tell adults that I am a high school teacher, my declaration is always followed by what I like to call the "I feel so awful for you" look. This look is usually followed up with a phrase like, "Bless you, I don't know how you do it" or "Wow, that must be really tough" or even, "You must be a saint" (this is always my favorite one since I am no where near a saint). My response is always something along the lines of, "No, it is great, I love my job." Now, after admitting that you (gasp) love your job, you would think that most people would respond positively. But apparently no one really believes me when I say this about teaching. People often think I am lying to them, lying to myself, or a crazy masochist.
And this is where I am lost.
Does teaching have such a bad rap that "non-teachers" can only feel pity for us educators? Does everyone just assume that our days are full of drudgery and abject torture? If this is the case, which I can only assume it is by the reactions I get, then why are teachers so under appreciated? If it is known that we have a tough job, why are we not paid more or even respected enough to get benefits that are offered to those working, dare I say it, less important jobs?
Now before my dear readers mistake this posting for an angry rant, let me state that I dug myself into the teaching hole early on. I knew from the beginning of my career that I would make little money and get little respect in the capitalist world. But I teach because not only do I think it is important, but also because I love it. This is not me complaining, this is me questioning what I view as a hypocritical concept in this nation.
So I ask, is education viewed as being as important as it should be? Lawyers get paid by the hour for their knowledge and expertise. Doctors get paid a hefty salary for their knowledge and application thereof. Athletes get paid millions for hitting a ball or running at full speed toward another human being with the sole intention of stopping their progress. Teachers get looks of pity and a salary that would make one cry.
26 comments:
I think teaching is a harder profession than most sports because of all the work that is put in. But I do believe that teachers should get paid more than they do now because the fact that school is so vital to kid's futures. To think that athletes are making millions of dollars to do what they love is ridiculous. Teachers do what they love and get paid not terribly but make nearly a tenth of that of what these athletes make. It must get tiring to have to deal with the kids, other teachers, and even parents every single day. People just give teaching a bad rap because it's a difficult job and not everyone can be a teacher. People should view teaching more important than any other job especially athletes.
This has always astounded me, I never could understand why teachers get paid peanuts compared to other careers, and people tend to find reasons to feel bad for teachers. Teachers are probably the most important people in this world. They shape the future by educating the younger generation. But yet they do not receive the amount of recognition that they so well deserve.
The people who judge a teachers job negatively really speaks a lot about themselves...
Ms Stoklosa I am the first to agree with you, teachers do get looks of pity and a salary that would make one cry and are truly under appreciated, they are not respected, honor or cherished although they are the foundation of our lives, our world, our everything!Teachers are the ones who inspire, who care, who fight, who educate, who push, the ones that are there from the beginning.
Teachers are like gardeners planting each seed carefully to watch it grow and blossom into a strong and independent plant.
I will never understand how the person who is teaching us the most about the world, the one who guides on our path does not get the respect they deserve.
I'm sorry if i don't say it enough but thank you for everything!!!
My mom's a sub, and she has always said the same thing. Teachers are the people that inspire politicians, and athletes, the high school football coach, the over achieving english teacher, they all deserve more. Aristotle, Socrates, these great maters of knowledge are to this day are studied by philosophers, physicists, for their amazing ability to explain new ideas to their pupils. The first astronaut would have never reached the moon if he hadn't been taught to read and write. Yet everyday we see how the influence of the few affects the many. Because slamming someone into the ground or having a TV show about being superficial get's more money to big companies, those people are paid more. Thus is has become normal to us to see the people behind our development at the bottom of the economic food chain.
It dawned me today to learn this very same thing. It is ubsurded to be ridiculed for devoting your life to the youth of America. People feeling bad because everyday when you wake up you actually do some thing important. Some people just don't have the right morals, success in life is viewed as the amount on their pay check. People in this country need to change! Education use to be viewed in such an honorable way, lately people see it as nothing, which says a lot about the country we live in. Hopefully Obama's preeching of change will be instilled in the minds of all, but not only for the change of this country but change for the people who call the United States home!
Reactions from non teachers like you said is typical. Most think "oh God you teach, you make like no money," "why do that?" It's a shame teachers have a bad rap. Because honestly they are the back bone of all the future members of the work force. One thing I will never understand is why teachers get paid what they get paid. It's a joke really. Teaching is one of the hardest jobs out there, and it gets no money.
Teaching is the most underrated profession there is. Here are people that dedicate their lives to ensuring that future generations are equipped with the knowledge that is needed to succeed in everyday life. Building off of what Justin K said, I think the salaries between teachers and athletes should be reversed. How is it possible that teachers, who give back to the community for a living, make less money than a professional athlete, someone who is paid to simply have fun? Possibly a lack of public school funding?
That being said, I have much respect for the teachers that not only have to deal with students who hinder others' education, but also have to deal with parents complaining like children about how their kid got a B instead of an A. I couldn't do it; I don't have the patience.
Well I think that teachers rock. It's too bad we're all too back asswards to figure that out. It's time to reevaluate where our priorities lie in the grand scheme of things.
I for one have always questioned this as well. I always hear my teacher say "I’m poor, I’m a teacher." Why is it that someone who spends their life educating doctors, lawyers, and everyone else, get paid the least? Without the knowledge gained from teachers none of these "professionals" would be where they are today. For a long time I wanted to be a teacher. I feel like I would be able to relate and get along well with teens and I think it’s privilege to have the ability to shape the minds of so many. However, I must admit that the pay aspect of a teaching job is what made me change my mind. I commend those who overlook this slight disadvantage and do it because it is what they love doing. I honestly feel that it takes a great deal of selflessness and devotion to pursue the teaching career. Although many teachers don’t get the appreciation they deserve, at the end of the day, they make a huge impact on the lives of many.
I think that it takes a certain kind of person to be a high school teacher. Not everyone can put up with kids everyday and try to teach them thing when it appears that they don't care about anything. Education definitely isn't having enough emphasis put on it. Florida is dead last in the amount of money the education system gets in all of the United States. People obviously don't realize how important children are to the future of the country. I think it has to do with a misunderstanding between people's conception of a teacher's job. It is probably more difficult than most of the jobs out there because the job that they do can greatly effect the lives of many young people and generations to come.
I totally agree. Your intelligence and skills are capable of doing most profession in our society! I love your teaching skills, and I am grateful to have you as a teacher for the past two years. And, I love how you help me with my anti-genocide club! I think being a teacher suits you, you have influenced me in many ways! Don't let anyone put you down, because you lead us to the best professions! :D
I 100% agree with you! Teaching is an extremely hard job. It requires a tremendous amount of patience, never ending planning and grading hours, and knowing how to control your classroom. I know for a fact that if you ever took a lawyer or a doctor and told them to switch jobs with you for one day it would be harder for them to stand infront of a classroom filled with judging teenagers and say a few words than doing what they do every day. Teaching is only for people who actually love the profession, and that is why sometimes I don't understand mean teachers. If you are so annoyed by your students and are just miserable walking into class every day then is it really worth it? I mean teachers are definitely underpaid and if you do not truly love it then you should not do it.
Athletes get paid way to much for chasing after a ball. I find it ridiculous that people who spend countless hours dedicated to eduating kids, who are the world's future, and giving them the tools to succeed are getting paid less than half of what athletes make for running after a ball or tackling someone to the floor. I just do not understand it.
This topic is very interesting because regardless of how often it is mentioned and discussed... nothing seems to change. I think, for the most part, people do realize that without educators, there really would be no room for many other professions. One must be EDUCATED to serve as a highly paid lawyer, or well known doctor. It is quite obvious that without the schooling to back them up, their careers would fail. So why are we as a society so able to sit back and NOT change our actions that do not cooperate with our thoughts, those thoughts being how extremely important educators are for EVERYONE? It's crazy to think how hypocritical certain issues in our country can sometimes end up being.
Education is always viewed as a weakness in America, but not many are willing to commit into becoming a teacher. Partly because of the negative stereotype and partly because of the low income. Most people view a teachers job as too much work, when in my belief, if you try to have fun with it, you too will have fun. Also the government doesn't help out the cause by giving the guides to the countries future an unattractive pay. For the amount of impact teaching has, their pay is way too low.
I don't agree that teaching requires more work than playing a sport and getting paid millions. If someone dedicates their life to being a teacher, they must love what they do. Teachers do what they love and don't get paid nearly as much as an athlete gets paid to play. However, athletes also work extremely hard in what they do, but I think that people give teaching high school gives a bad impression to most people because they think about all the disadvantages with dealing with students every day and also the parents. All that matters is what that individual thinks about his or her job. So who cares if people look down on the profession of teachers, it only matters what you think.
Education is not viewed as an honored profession. My argument is logos driven because it based off of logic and reason. Let’s face it, teachers get little or no credit from other adults or the young students they are trying to help. I could not even begin to tell you the number of statistics that are out there that demonstrate why the scholastic standards have dropped over recent years. One of the baffling statistics, from the National Center for Education Statistics, says "In 2000, barely 25% of high school seniors found school work to be meaningful and only just over 30% of seniors thought that things they learned in school would be important later in life." Just goes to show you that students don't show the same motivation that teachers like Mrs. Stoklosa show day in and day out. This lack of students asserting themselves affects the school’s decision when they are going to make their teachers’ often miniscule salary. Thus, education is viewed as unimportant in the eyes of those receiving it and this ignorance permeates to others, specifically adults.
Oh Mrs. Stoklosa,
From my understanding i dont believe that people see the life of an educator as a bad omen. Again from my understanding, the reason why most wouldnt dream of entering the teaching realm is because of their lack of patience. In order to put up with Laura and Tyler in the same class for 450 minutes a week and 7:30 i the morning requires an extreme amount of patience! ;)(Almost as much patience needed to drive behind Tracy)When you tell others you teach, they immediately put themselves into your position and imagine themselves teaching, and failing miserably at it.
And for the record yes, i do believe that teachers deserve much more credit than they get. Teaching a group of 30 kids, half of whom smoke pot, another eight dont care for education and see no reason to, and another good portion far too incompetent to learn, is an extremely important task.
(I'm not saying smoking pot disables people from learning, because it hasnt been proven. But if it does, then you still have to teach them.)
Hey Mrs. Stoklosa the first thing I have to Say is that I think you are a fantastic teacher. You make english class enjoyable. I do believe that teaching is a hard job. You have to deal with all the boisterous students and know-it-alls. I believe that teaching is a job that requries a lot of work and is harder than most professions. Teachers should be getting paid the big bucks rather than the atheletes and movie stars. I definitely appreciate all the hardwork you put into the class.
To be a teacher someone has to be really devoted, or have a true passion for it. I cannot imagine myself with little kids like my cousins or with teenagers like us.I think it is terrifying, so I do want to congratulate you for your job! And we as studnets can see what teachers really like to be a teacher and which dont.
I used to think the same thing of teachers. I used to think that they had the worst job out there, that ever waking moment was dreaded because they had to teach little miscreants such as ourselves.
That's a bit of an exaggeration, but a lot of teachers give of that feeling. To me it seems that some teachers, though not near to the majority, really don't enjoy their job. Of course I could be wrong, but some just seem really bitter.
And of course teachers aren't viewed to be as important as they are, but that's because education in America doesn't get the attention it deserves. Our lower level education sucks compared to other countries. If our schools, and teachers, had higher pay, our education would be better, as well as our views on teachers.
Teaching should be the highest praised profession in the world. Without teachers we wouldnt have any careers, who would teach the young generations. People look down upon it because it pays much less than other careers around the world, and the fact that most teenagers treat their teachers badly especially in highschool. The rep is created through perception of a hard job that pays little.
I feel as though people praise you when you say that your a teacher because alot of people feel that its a long and vigorous job.ALot of people feel that education is dwindling as years progress and also that the behavior is becoming worse. So therefore the fact that you could like your job fascinates people beyond beleif.
I think that education is viewed as being less important as it should be. Just by the salary that teachers receive you can conclude that the government does not take it as seriously as they should, and they do not think it is that important. Also, every year our schools budget gets cut, which means less money for teachers, scholarships, and extra curricular activities. I'm sorry but i dont see how a baseball player hitting a home run should earn ten times more than a teacher educating entire classes of students.
It's difficult, as a teenage student, to simpathize with a teacher. Yet, I can really understand what you're saying, you are sacrificing your ability to reap the benefits of the wonderful education that you never let us forget how lucky you are to have. Teaching has a bad rap for the same reasons that it has for years, because kids are mean little shits. And the reason why highschool teachers are stereotyped as having it so hard is because highschool kids are notorious for thinking they're much older and much more influential than they really are. And this can clash with the whole respect rant that most teachers demand. The reason why they don't make enough money is because the majority of kids can't afford a private education, so public education has got to be provided, and no one's about to advocate the rising of taxes, so there it is. I'm not assuming that I didn't give you information that you didn't already have.
It is extremely unfortunate that teachers are paid so little, however, I have no idea how much they're paid, nor would I know whether or not it was good pay if I did. I'm only working off of every teacher I've had who've always complained about their salary.
The reason why teachers are so under appreciated by students is because they're pissed and they think school is stupid. So the teacher is so commonly looked at as the evil stranger who locks you in this room and doesn't let you pee, and makes you pay attention to him/her even though you've never met this person in your life. Believe me, it gets on my nerves a whole lot. It's really sad that many of these kids don't realize what these adults are sacrificing just to provide us with a free education. It's sad that teachers are paid so little, especially since we need them so badly.
I agree 100%. Teachers, they create the future for everyone, why should an athlete get paid much more? Or a rapper, who doesn't even hold the title of Musician, considering they all just talk in a loud and angry manner in front of a microphone.
I've always wanted to become a teacher, a kindergarten teacher that is. I would obviously love my job, I've always enjoyed being around kids and showing them how the world works.
People who judge a teacher are just selfish; they are just ignorant that can't think beyond the image of a human in front of a chalk board.
I am not surprised in the least bit that you receive these responses. Today, teens are always perceived as up to no good or we're confused. In reality this simply isn't true. Only a very small majority of kids actually set out to give their teachers trouble. Also, education is not looked on as important anymore.With all this "I need to go to college" mentality, it seems that the whole education system has turned into everyone's diabolical plan to get into college. You take this class because it looks good or slave away for service hours. The real importance of education has seemed to die in recent years and I believe it is because of these reasons.
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