[Mrs. Williams]

Why don’t people think of teaching as a serious profession? I’m a teacher and whenever I tell someone who is not a teacher about my occupation, they say something like, “Really” and try to change the subject quickly. Or they will talk and compare it to their job and infer that I am just a glorified babysitter. Is teaching that disrespected?

User Detail :  

Name : Mrs. Williams, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 28, City : Athens, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : educator, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Lisa]

I respect teachers tremendously. My mother taught for 12 years in the Boston Public School System and that has always been a source of pride for me. I think the lack of respect from some arenas comes from 1) The low salary, 2) The low barriers to entry, i.e. it’s not typically perceived as a competitive occupation that requires outstanding achievement or extensive training, 3) The fact that besides secretarial work and nursing, for many years it was the only job available to women, making it a second-rate career, and 4) The hours – in our culture, working long hours, long days, long years is perceived as a hallmark of character. That said, I know that teaching is challenging, hard, important work and that there are some wonderful, bright, inspiring teachers out there.

User Detail :  

Name : Lisa, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : los Angeles, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Andrew]

Around here – Long Island, NY – teachers are well-respected and well-paid.

User Detail :  

Name : Andrew, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 35, City : Huntington, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : Reporter, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Patricia]

I am the daughter of two primary school teachers and have encountered the same phenomenon my entire life. I consider the teaching profession to be a noble one; teachers have the wonderful job of teaching children to be thoughtful, intelligent people. I think the lack of respect for the teaching profession stems from the foundations of our society. The United States has a capitalistic economic system; and let’s face it, no one ever became a millionare being a teacher. Our society often places emphasis on how much money we make or how glamorous our job is. Anyone who has witnessed a teacher staying up all night to prepare a science unit on ‘The Migration Patterns of North American Birds’ knows that education is not a glamorous field. But, teachers are invaluable to our society; essentially, they prepare others for the more ‘desirable’ jobs. I think teachers are awesome; you should be proud to be a teacher. Just think, all those people who shun your occupation are probably where they are today because of wonderful teachers like you.

User Detail :  

Name : Patricia, Gender : F, Age : 23, City : Espanola, State : NM, Country : United States, Occupation : Writer/Artist, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Robin29590]

They say you don’t know what war is like unless you have actually been on the battlefield. The same is definitely true of teaching, which is a modern battlefield in its own right (I know, I taught public high school math for a year). I think what you’ve experienced is a result of two phenomena: 1) people realizing that teaching is a daunting job for which they never gave their own teachers enough credit, or 2) they have absolutely no idea what the state of the modern classroom is like, as the only experiences they’ve had took place many years ago when children had been raised to respect authority. Today’s classroom is much different from the ones they might have experienced, in which no one would have dared talk back to the teacher, let alone cuss him or her out and throw chairs at them. Many classrooms are holding-pens, filled with 35 or more students who (despite the teacher’s most creative efforts to instruct and create interest in the material) have no desire to be there or learn and don’t feel like putting up the facade that they do. I know many teachers who were wonderfully gifted in what they did but could not deal with the tide of apathy against which they had to fight, and thus quit. This is just another indicator of the desperate need for a complete overhaul of our education system. In most places, it is illegal for a child to stop going to school unless he or she is over 16, so many just hang out until they hit the right age, and then the day before they turn 16 is the last day you see them in your classroom. These are often kids who should have been funneled through some sort of basic skills and job training track, but weren’t because no such track existed. Until such alternatives are not only available but promoted, you will continue to suffer the disrespectful effects, especially because those kids who didn’t want to be there eventually become parents.

User Detail :  

Name : Robin29590, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 24, City : Pittsburgh, State : PA, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Renee32500]

Unfortunately, many people do not realize the value of a good teacher. The public school system is in such horrible shape. I think back over my school days and can name every great teacher I have had. I thank those teachers who gave me a great foundation that I continue to build upon. There were also extremely poor teachers who gave me an education of a different kind.

User Detail :  

Name : Renee32500, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 34, City : New Orlenas, State : LA, Country : United States, Occupation : self-employed, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[Augustine23600]

Teaching is one of the finest professions you can have, and it is honored in our household. I did not go into it primarily because of the money, and, if I may be perfectly honest, the ingratitude of the vast majority of one’s students. I did not think I could handle trying to educate people who do not want to be there in the first place. People may not want to hear about one’s being a teacher because it brings them face to face with their own intellectual shortcomings – born largely of their own indifference when they were in school themselves. I have never understood why people brag about how much they’ve forgotten of what they learned in high school or college. That would be a badge of shame for me, but then again, I am committed to lifelong learning, read voraciously, travel to interesting places when I can afford it (this year it’s Amsterdam), and seek the company of people from whom I can learn something. Weird, eh?

User Detail :  

Name : Augustine23600, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 39, City : Columbia, State : SC, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Gene]

I have a great deal of respect for teachers, and think they are generally underpaid for what they do. Some of the people who have made the biggest impact on my life were my sixth-grade teacher and several high school teachers. It was a tough enough job 20 years ago when I was in school, but changes in society have made it even moreso. I think several factors lead to lack of respect for teachers in society: Low pay (if it were a good job, it would pay better, right?), the historical view mentioned by an earlier poster, and (in California at least), problems with education, which everybody wants to blame someone else for, and teachers are a prime target.

User Detail :  

Name : Gene, Gender : M, City : Oakland, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Lucy-H22664]

I have a lot of respect for teachers. I believe that teachers are some of the most important members of society. I was taught from a very young age by my parents that teachers are to be honored and respected, but many parents don’t teach this to their children. In fact, many parents don’t teach their children much at all. Many children in this country grow up in child care, school and after-school care. Their parents are too busy working or doing other things to properly raise their children. So children come to school unprepared and unmotivated with no one at home to help them learn or even make sure they do their homework. As a result, the kids don’t do well in school, and everyone blames the teachers.

User Detail :  

Name : Lucy-H22664, Gender : F, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Age : 25, City : San Jose, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Charlotte32291]

I think that old adage ‘Those who can DO, those who can’t TEACH’ is unfortunately very popular. Also, because teachers are paid so poorly (in my state at least) people think that it’s a poop job. Obviously, those people are superficial enough to equate pay with legitimacy or prestige. I know that I had quite a few stupid teachers growing up who were control freaks. Unfortunately, it seems, most teachers are egocentric control freaks. Of course, there is nothing in the world more wonderful than a good teacher. Too often, it seems, they are few and far between. Maybe it’s because of the low pay and wild children. Who knows? I talked to a friend who is a teacher; I’ve been thinking about joining the profession, but there are many questions, and I have just begun my quest for answers.

User Detail :  

Name : Charlotte32291, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Presbyterian, Age : 31, City : Charlotte, State : NC, Country : United States, Occupation : Data Coordinator, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Beth S.]

Sad to say, I’m beginning to agree with Charlotte. I also agree with everyone else who has commented to the effect that a really good teacher is the most wonderful thing there is. The trouble is, it’s a vicious circle. The more teachers are underpaid, underappreciated and overwhelmed with problem students, the fewer good people are attracted to the profession. That’s why we now get ‘control freaks’ who overreact, are insensitive to the students and show ‘zero tolerance’ for anyone who questions their point of view or perception of the facts.

User Detail :  

Name : Beth S., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 44, City : Overland Park, State : KS, Country : United States, Occupation : Attorney, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Shari]

I am also a teacher, and I have experienced similar attitudes. They were generally linked to the false idea that teachers get the summers ‘off.’ These people were obviously not teachers and didn’t know any very well. Unfortunately, I think many people have this attitude and are resentful, perhaps. Any teacher will tell you that our summers are not free. We are preparing for the following school year, often in addition to working a summer job to supplement our income. We spend hours each week at the library and other places, researching, planning, preparing, etc. We have less than two monthsto prepare 10 months’ worth of lessons and activities for 15 to 200 or more students. I wish those people who think we have it so easy could teach for a year. Then they might understand what a respectable, honorable and difficult thing it is to teach.

User Detail :  

Name : Shari, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 29, City : Canton, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Peter-J]

There’s an old bartending rule in which conversations of a personal and controversial nature are disallowed. Unfortunately, in light of the messed-up state of children’s states of mind today, conversations about teaching methods are by their nature personal and controversial. It is not a matter of disrespect. Most people I know greatly respect the courage teachers must have to deal with the psychotic TV- and video game-trained gunmen called students. If anything, television and video games are the disrespected babysitters, not you, the teacher. I believe a lot of people just do not know who to blame for the perversion of youth culture, and they might feel that today’s teaching methods are to blame, although I am sure you are doing the best you can. So don’t worry about the fears people have to enter into a conversation about teaching. Finally, another possibility for people’s reactions to conversations on teaching is flashbacks – remembrances of ‘bad apples’ teaching – perhaps memories of detention halls, i.e. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Of course, I am exaggerating. Teaching is respected, so keep it up.

User Detail :  

Name : Peter-J, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : Atheist, Age : 27, City : Los Angelos, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Bartender, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, 

[Larry J.]

Unfortunately the general outlook on teaching is a reflection of the opinion most have about the current generation. It seems many people have written off the Gen Xers, and therefore your profession is viewed as fruitless. I, on the other hand, am thankful to God that in spite of all of that, there are still people who want to become teachers.

User Detail :  

Name : Larry J., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Christian, Age : 34, City : Corona, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Railroad employee, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Mike20423]

I’m in my third year of college. In high school I had a few teachers who were straight out of college, and I have a talked to current college students who plan on becoming teachers. One possible reason for the responses you get may be this: A lot of the students I’ve talked to who plan on teaching, plan on doing so as a temporary job. They plan to leave school, get a teaching job and then try to find somewhere to begin their career. So this might be the problem – that people see teaching as a transition career. Another problem might be the notoriously low pay. People may feel uncomfortable talking to you about your career if they have a high-paying job because they don’t want to insult you.

User Detail :  

Name : Mike20423, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 20, City : Virginia Beach, State : VA, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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