“What do you want to be when you grow up?” my first grade teacher, Mrs. Doxy, asked my class. Among answers like “astronaut," “the president," and even “a black poodle!," my voice rose above the rest, enthusiastically exclaiming “a teacher!” My six-year-old brain could not comprehend any reason not to be a teacher. Teachers were loving, intelligent, helpful, and everything I admired. No one could convince me not to be a teacher. Now, as a 20-year-old woman, it would be difficult to convince me to be a teacher — not because teachers have been anything other than amazing to me, but because the United States is anything but amazing to teachers.
Educators give their entire lives to their professions, and what they receive in return is a lack of public support, politicians discrediting their importance, and legislation which rids them of job security, pay, and support. Studies show that four in 10 teachers quit the profession within a year of starting their first teaching job, and many of those individuals do not continue teaching afterwards. Take some time to consider the following reasons teachers leave, and the following reasons we should thank the teachers who have stayed:
“The better teachers are paid, the greater student outcomes."
Teachers, despite influencing the lives of every single individual in the United States, are paid approximately as much as flight attendants. Meanwhile, software engineers and locomotive engineers in entry-level jobs make more than the average teacher. Furthermore, jobs which require no college degrees, such as being a Margin Department Supervisor, pay more than even the highest paid high school, elementary school, and primary school teachers. This is an injustice, considering how much pressure and responsibility we give teachers. Teachers are responsible for the future and livelihood of each individual person and each generation as a whole.
One common reason people utilize to defend the lack of payment teachers receive for their work is the shortness of their work day and the lack of work for three months of the year. However, what those people do not understand is that a teacher, even outside of the school building, is still at work. A teacher’s work day is not limited to the hours spent at school; their hours extend far beyond that. Many teachers work 11 and 12 hour days, beginning at seven a.m. or earlier and ending at seven p.m. or later. If teachers did not work these extra hours, students' work would not be graded. Students would wait weeks to receive papers and tests. School work also bleeds into weekends and summer ‘vacation.' Teachers fill out paperwork, adjust curricula, attend conventions, create new lesson plans, and uphold the standards of a perfect citizen. Teachers cannot be caught being anything less than perfect; any mistake a teacher makes is infinitely worse because of their profession and association with children.
“Many teachers don’t feel engaged or listened to when it comes to decisions that affect their classrooms."
Decisions being made about education often come straight from governing bodies to the classroom — often with little to no input from the average teacher. Common Core is a perfect example. Though it is essentially a good idea, its implementations have created a difficult environment for both teachers and students. Along with Common Core, a variety of tests are executed, which drain participating schools of funds and force teachers to abandon necessary curricula in order to teach specifically to the tests. Students are not being taught to think creatively or solve problems; instead, teachers are forced to teach students information which they can then regurgitate during a standardized test. This is a disservice to both our students and our teachers.
“Inadequate funding is the worst problem facing our schools."
Programs like speech and debate, Science Olympiad, drama clubs, choirs, bands, and other beneficial extracurricular activities are underfunded by schools. Many of these programs run solely on donations and participation fees. Not only is the underfunding of the programs a problem, but the incredible teachers and staff members who run these programs are not paid, or are paid far less than a fair amount for their time and effort. Teachers have families and lives outside of school — just as every other human being does — and should not be expected to dedicate every moment to students — as many do. This is another way a teacher never leaves their job. Activities such as those previously mentioned are scientifically proven to increase a student’s intelligence, capacity for learning, public speaking skills, confidence, and other essential aspects of growing into a fully functioning adult. Without these programs, and without the skilled professionals running the programs, students are far less likely to develop the skills needed to further their education after high school, and ultimately, are less likely to succeed in life.
“Many educators agree that we need students to develop a sense of agency, but our school structures often do just the opposite.”
Not only do current school structures not encourage a sense of agency within students, but they also make a teacher’s job nearly impossible. A good teacher personalizes each lesson according to the learning styles of the students in their class. Some teachers have seven classes filled with 40 students each, meaning they have to personalize lessons for 280 students in a day. Teachers I personally know must adjust their lessons for even more students — upwards of 400 students per day. Teachers must not only modify the lessons, but they must also modify methods of evaluation based on a student’s learning style. Quizzes, tests, essays, and other forms of evaluation must be adjusted for each student. Students obviously benefit from these adjustments, and it is definitely a positive for teachers to change lessons and evaluations for the benefit of students. However, it is nearly impossible for many teachers to effectively implement the personalization of curricula due to the decrease in available teachers and increase in class sizes.
“It would be tough to find a group of professionals — outside of law enforcement — more keenly aware of the potential threat of an active shooter."
Teachers do not only have the job of teaching students life skills, creating a proficiency in multiple topics in all students, and helping students become self-sufficient, but they also have the job of saving students’ lives, should the need arise. With the recent increase in school shootings in the last decade, it is apparent more than ever the importance of dedicated teachers. Teachers have “died protecting [their] kids,” as was the case of Victoria Soto. When faced with the decision to run and hide with her students or protect them from the front line, she decided to guarantee the safety of her students. Most teachers would make the same choice.
Not only do teachers put their lives on the line for students, but they also support students who do not receive the love and support they need from home. Teachers and professors constantly pay for the lunches of students without the money to do so themselves. They buy school supplies for class and are not compensated by the school. Teachers I know have even bought students winter coats, socks, and personal school supplies. These items not only make it so the student can survive the school day, but it also gives the student a feeling of love and care from an adult — which is crucial to the development of children and teens. “Most professionals don’t have to pay out-of-pocket for essential work tools," but many teachers end up paying $1,000 or more a year out of their paychecks for necessary school supplies.
Teachers are such an integral part of development for individuals. They teach us all how to learn, how to be respectable citizens, how to function in life, and provide shining examples of all of that through their own behavior. Unfortunately, the teachers we so heavily rely on are leaving the profession, and potential candidates are avoiding the profession altogether. As a country, we need to treat our teachers correctly, not only to encourage more people to become teachers in the future, but because those currently practicing as educators deserve more credit, support, and payment. So the next time you hear someone bash a teacher — be it your neighbor or a politician — and the next time you hear a school is cutting teachers and programs, speak out. Whether you want to admit to it or not, a teacher has made you who you are.
