Here we go...
I'm beginning this with education for several reasons, most of which are related to my occupation. I feel like I know a few things about how education works, how laws affect education, and the effectiveness of teachers. Oddly enough, this post was inspired by the recent fast food worker protests.I cannot express to you the joy I experience when a student has been struggling with a concept and by changing how I am teaching it (we call this differentiating) a student will have an 'A-ha!' moment. This is the reason I decided to teach in the first place and it's a large part of why I still do it.
And here it comes, your groan as I mention teacher pay. Teachers and money are not associated with each other to the point that any time you want to make a joke about affording anything, you can just mention that you're a teacher and it's understood. Care for an example?
Notice this is Blogger and not a .com website. Can you guess the joke?
It's because I'm a teacher. (Ha)
Who are teachers?
Well there are very special people who fall into the same category as myself: Teachers who love to teach others (i.e. not just a job category). Everyone knows a teacher somewhere that loves their job, just like they know someone who hates it. Those in the latter are infinitely complaining about certain students (or other teachers), the government, or parents. These are not teachers. They are merely people who didn't know what they wanted in college and heard that apparently, education was mandatory. Which means job security. So sign me up to babysit kids.Now, everyone HAS to be educated. Those of you reading this are educated to the point that you understand at least one written language. You had to be educated in how to use your motor skills through mimicry to get to a point that you could interact with a computer. You taught yourself how to do somethings, but they were all on the back of some sort of education you received. What I'm getting at is: We all have to be taught. A necessity of life, if you will. A mandatory requirement for functioning in society.
And those who would give their working lives for your to achieve this? Let's pay them the same as fast food workers.
My beef
Surely I am not implying that current teachers and some without any formal education after 16 are one and the same on a financial level?
Well actually I am (in the foreseeable future).
Don't get ruffled and think I don't sympathize with the movement for higher pay. I certainly do. All humans should be afforded a decent wage for their contributions to society. It's just education might rank the highest, but still be paid the lowest comparatively (i.e. privatized food).
So, power to you, fast food workers of America. I salute your organization skills that allowed you to effectively boycott certain places thus far and I wish you well.
But for a teacher to do that (and in, let's say, a right to work state) would be folly. All the cogs would have to turn at once, seamlessly. A few disgruntled teachers who now work under yearly contracts and haven't had raises in 6 of the last 7 years (see North Carolina) could be easily replaced for whatever chattel out of college needed an 'easy' job.
It's all about necessity
Appreciation is not a week in May for $5.00 Starbucks cards. Appreciation is not a pat on the back and a word of praise. That's a slap in the face as a teacher. You are telling me that I am not worth a raise every single time you compliment me knowing it's all you'll ever have to give. And you know who will suffer the most from that? Our future. The students I will not teach in the future due to living expenses rising and my pay check staying the same will end up with a useless college graduate who will play videos and make class silent. That's not the future I want. However, it's what I see possibly trending in education.
We are necessity. We are permanent. We are teachers.
Education will always be around, but will quality?
