Be honest - what do you think of teachers?

[Anonymous]

Yes I know there are horrifically bad teachers and astoundingly amazing teachers - that is not what I am asking. What I want to know is:

1. What do you think of people who choose to enter the teaching profession?
2. What do you think about teaching as a career - in terms of how demanding it is or what it requires.

[Anonymous]

1. Depends on the person who is becoming a teacher.
2. Depends on what school and location that they are teaching at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes I know there are horrifically bad teachers and astoundingly amazing teachers - that is not what I am asking. What I want to know is:

1. What do you think of people who choose to enter the teaching profession?
2. What do you think about teaching as a career - in terms of how demanding it is or what it requires.

I do not think teachers are respected much in our society because Americans today are more impressed by money and materialism than by knowledge or education. Someone like Donald Trump is admired by millions of people, yet he contributes nothing of real value to our society.

[Anonymous]

1. Complete respect as long as they are not mailing it in. I have heard teacher friends talk in a cynical way about the profession, which turns me off. I don't know how common that is, but I always wonder why the select a profession they seem to hate. I also wonder if they would be happy in any profession. Hopefully, this isn't too common. I also have teacher friends who seem like amazing people and teachers.
2. Seems demanding, requires the right kind of personality, patience, passion, and knowledge. Not for everyone.

signed,

a non-teacher

[Anonymous]

I really have no substantial opinion of the profession, I'd have to know the teacher. It's like any profession. Some doctors are a-holes and I don't think they care that much about their patients, others are wonderful people. Same with teachers. Some probably chose it for the wrong reason and others are drawn to the profession.

[Anonymous]

I was a teacher (5 years high school). Now I am a college professor.

I have mixed feelings about the profession. I taught in three different school and I think I was a different kind of teacher in each one of them. One was an inner city school and my first year out of college. I was terrible, I hated it, and I don't think anyone learned anything. Not because I wasn't trying but because I was in way over my head. The second was a little progressive private school. I think I was an amazing teacher there because the school fit me well. I still hear from students from those years. The third was a boarding school and I did fine, but wasn't a standout. I felt like the fact that I had to coach (and have dorm duty, but mostly the coaching) was the reason that my teaching suffered. It was hard to juggle both, especially in the fall when you are just setting patterns with students. Some people love working at boarding schools, but I found I didn't like to live at work.

Teaching was both a really hard job (constant deadlines, so many different classes at once that you were always scrambing, discipline problems when at the city school that were draining) and a really easy job (home at five even if I had grading or prep to do at home, summers off when I could work on my Masters).

I think it was a good job for the money (and I worked mostly at private schools where the pay is lower than public.) It bothers me when teachers complain about how hard the profession is or how little they get paid. There are professions that pay better, but honestly those people do mostly work harder (and longer) for their extra income.

[Anonymous]

Most of the people I knew in college who majored in education weren't terribly bright. Many of them seemed more interested in getting married than having a career.

With that said, I do believe there are lots of bright, committed teachers out there and I don't believe the profession gets the pay or respect it deserves.

Since I don't have school-aged kids I don't feel like I have a clear sense of how demanding the job is. I'd imagine parents can be very difficult to deal with at times.

[Anonymous]

I stay away from teachers because they are immune to all of the little viruses they carry, but they still pass them on

Just kidding of course. I think teachers who have a hard job, make it a hard job for themselves and that means they are doing their job well.

The exception is schools where the parents make the teachers' lives hell. I was a coach and long term substitute teacher before law school. I realized that most teachers a really bright and dedicated- and all of them are crazy! Middle school teachers are like the Navy SEALS of teaching.

[Anonymous]

In some ways I think I would have like to be a teacher.The hours would have suited me, and I like children.
But from what I hear, and this is thru my mom who knows several retired teachers, the problem is dealing with the parents

[Anonymous]

1. I think they are selfless, caring, intelligent, patient, and incredibly hard-working. They also have a sense of humor.

2. Teaching is incredibly hard. It can absolutely suck the life out of you. The stress and anxiety that goes with the job is so high.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, pp! I teach primary montessori now, but have taught kindergarten and first grade, too. For me, it is "a calling" and I feel it is what I was meant to do. I actually love the parents, it is the school admin that can be hypocritical and disfunctional, and the kids (the majority) are why I teach! I just wish I was paid more!

[Anonymous]

As with most professions, someone who is GOOD at their job has my respect.

[Anonymous]

I think it was a good job for the money (and I worked mostly at private schools where the pay is lower than public.) It bothers me when teachers complain about how hard the profession is or how little they get paid. There are professions that pay better, but honestly those people do mostly work harder (and longer) for their extra income.

This is always the issue I have when teachers in high paying Counties complain about their pay. When you calculate their overall benefit package (great retirement, health insurance, 10 month jobs, holiday, vacation, sick, ST/LTD, relatively stable work hours, etc.) and compare that to their level of education, I feel that they are generally well compensated for their work. I'm not saying anyone can do their job, and there are a lot of demands on them from students, administrators and parents, but compare a teacher to say a computer specialist, an accountant, or a hr generalist, all who probably work longer hours and with less overall compensation (full benefit comparison) in the private sector.

Many of the teachers I know are married to lawyers and no longer teaching, but that could be due to my current stage in life (pre-school aged kids). In general I would say they are nurturing, creative, and good at communicating with young kids (again, my stage in life) and have a great deal more patience than me!

[Anonymous]

I have a lot of respect for someone who wants to spend all day with hyperactive, snotty brats!! I certainly couldn't do it. I can barely take it when my kids come home from school. So, OP, the question is....do you have the patience and unconditional love and tolerance for other people's children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This is always the issue I have when teachers in high paying Counties complain about their pay. When you calculate their overall benefit package (great retirement, health insurance, 10 month jobs, holiday, vacation, sick, ST/LTD, relatively stable work hours, etc.) and compare that to their level of education, I feel that they are generally well compensated for their work. I'm not saying anyone can do their job, and there are a lot of demands on them from students, administrators and parents, but compare a teacher to say a computer specialist, an accountant, or a hr generalist, all who probably work longer hours and with less overall compensation (full benefit comparison) in the private sector.

Well, in the private sector a person running an organization the size of a school (just the staff, no kids), would definitely get paid more than a school principal.
The retirement will most likely not be there when you are ready to retire.
Benefits not that great. You really need to enter the profession to see that it is not that much
And yes, you do have to be educated.
Private sector is for those that want it. And most of the time the private sector is able to compensate with more salary and less benefits.