Teachers do not get as much recognition as they should be getting. It has gotten a little better over the years with people having more awareness of all the efforts teachers put into their jobs, but it can be better. We have events like Teacher Appreciation Week where we share our thanks and appreciation for all that they do and that is great. I am glad that we have that but I bet teachers would want more than that. I think they should be shown appreciation in the form of better pay.
Currently the compensation that teachers get for their jobs is not enough. It is not representative of the work that they do day in and day out. Teachers are constantly planning lesson plans for 20 to sometimes even 30 students. Each day seeing when a student is struggling with a topic and then acting accordingly by finding the resources that that student needs or working independently with them. They take that time out to go above and beyond for their students.
I once saw a YouTube video by Prince Ea that said, “Teachers should earn just as much as doctors because a doctor can do heart surgery and save the life of a kid. But a great teacher can reach the heart of that kid and allow him to truly live.” This touches on the fact that teachers are also one of our main motivators because learning something new is not easy. Being able to believe in yourself and the new abilities you are acquiring is not always something that everyone can do alone. There are several celebrities that have expressed how crucial a teacher was to their lives.
John Legend wrote, “until her class, I hadn’t believed in my ability as a writer. She recognized my potential and showed me that I could write with creativity, with clarity, with passion. Mrs. Bodey, along with a few other teachers, helped me gain confidence in my skills and pushed me to challenge myself.”
Another was Jack Black who said, “I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t met Deb Devine, who inspired me and for the first time gave me a reason to really love going to school. [She] opened my mind and soul to an exciting world of literature and communication,”after recalling a time in his life when he felt like his life was going down the toilet bowl.
Who knows where John Legend would be if he did not have the confidence to pursue his dreams. We may have never gotten his hit songs like “Ordinary People” or “All of Me”. What about Jack Black? Movies like “Kung Fu Panda”, “School of Rock” or “Jumanji” may not have been as successful without him. Thanks to those teachers we will not wonder.
These are just some of the stories, imagine how many more like this there are. Teachers should be treated like valued members of society and be paid just as much.
Photo by: Katerina Holmes via Pexels
