Something I experienced yesterday. Very sad story.

kimmar

It was career day at my son's school yesterday.  I agreed to come, even through the neurotic pleads of my son to make sure I bring some worthy gifts from my business for the kids.  (BTW they loved highlighters.  They went off without a hitch parents, just in case you ever have to do this too.  )

I just wanted to share what I experienced though.  It was something that I found very very very troubling and opened my eyes to what teachers are going through.

Our schedule placed us in a different room throughout the day where we split the entire class time with another guest speaker.  So, I got to sit through some guest speakers as well.

The first period class was very interesting.  The guy I watched was a real estate salesman.  Very nice and cordial and the kids were nice to him.  I liked the guy, he seemed very nice and was complimentary of the kids and the teacher.

The second period was different though.  I sat in with a lawyer.  A little ways through the talk one of the kids asked her how much her salary range was.  She told the kid what it was but then made a very mean remark.  She said that she had though about going into teaching, but wanted to do something where she was more "important".

I sat there for a minute in shock.  I couldn't believe what I just heard. 

When I got up to talk to the kids I made it a point (with this important lawyer in the room) to tell the kids that I thought teaching was one of the most important careers in the world.  I also told them that it was one of the few jobs that can change so many lives and that teachers deserved much more credit that any of them receive.  This made the important lawyer give me a dirty look, which gave me a great feeling of accomplishment. 

But there's more...

I then got the experience of hearing something similar again from another speaker in another period.  This was a man who worked for a broker company.  One of the kids asked him if he ever thought of becoming something else.  He said he too thought about becoming a teacher at one time but that the pay wasn't enough and he wanted to do something more "rewarding". 

After the whole thing was over I went to the teacher in that room and apologized to her for his comment.  I also told her about what I had heard earlier in the day and that I wanted her to know that some of us do appreciate their efforts and work they do for what clearly is way too little pay. 

She told me that it happens every single year during career day.  She said it used to bug her but they're all used to it now.  She also told me a story about how one of the teachers ended up going home crying one day (she was new) because she received a huge talking down to in front of her students such as this.  Well, she said it was actually much more abusive. 

What is going on that it has come to this point?  I don't understand it.  Our teacher's get abused and mistreated constantly.  And on top of that they get paid next to nothing for what they have to put up with and the lack of respect they get from the community.

Another thing I've noticed.  If you look at salaries for private school teachers, they are lower than for public school teachers.  I know that the unions have a lot to do with the public school teachers pay raises (which are still MUCH too low in my opinion), but it always seemed to me that it should be the other way around.  What I mean is not that that public school teachers deserve less, don't get me wrong.  What I'm saying is I was always told that a free private market gave higher salaries to its workers.  Shouldn't the private schools pay more then, in order to compete with each other and get the greatest teachers?

To me, I think they all deserve at least double or more what they make.  But I can see that the people who do choose this career are doing it out of love for education.  Still, it makes me sad that people consider it an unimportant job and do not give teachers the respect they completely earn and deserve. 

Ampallang

When I was in school my math teacher spoke about her experiences in both the public school and the private school and said she preferred private (even with the paycut) because she felt much safer. 

RainStar

Yeah, it is sad!

Dedicated teachers do their best, many go out of their way to teach kids via methods tailored to help each child. What do they get? A lot of bs, trash talk and low pay as a result.

zoey121

 Though sad i am glad you went and showed support for the teacher and your child. There are still folks going into service industry today and i hope they get continued support or better support.

  You can almost smell the type of people that spoke there just by there slight off handed comments.

 It truely is a story that it takes "all kinds".....

gnomexxx

I've talked about this here before with some stories about things I've heard on talk radio.  Really vicious mean callers.  It's a good litmus test of what the public thinks.

I have the utmost respect for teachers.  I can't imagine having to put up with the crap they do all day and the pay they get.  Yet so many people still consider them some kind of wipping post when it comes to venting their frustrations about how society is going.

Teachers are professionals who are highly trained and are required to continue their training all through their career.  That means something that apparently American's have not woken up to.  And with the material parents are giving them (I'm talking about these little brats that get dropped off everyday at the schoolhouse door) I think they do a damn good job!

It makes me laugh that a lawyer would consider themselves more important than a teacher.  Why is that, because of pay?  F*ck pay.  Pro football players make more than mostly all of us, but I don't consider their contribution to society any more important than the crap my dog takes to fertilize my lawn.  Yet, most people look at them like idols.  Teachers deserve that respect more than some dumb ass who can push people out of the way to get a ball across a chalked line does.  Why is that so hard for folks to understand. 

Rikimaru_X

Teachers was my best friends in school and growing up I didn't have much people to turn to. Without them I wouldn't be here and going towards my goal. I think what's going on is people are not doing this or that to make others happy, to teach others or to reach to others but the wants to recieve a material value for their work as the goal in their career. As a teacher you don't get much pay, but as you grow up kids will remember you and when they look out for who been there for them and taught them this and that, they will remember. A teacher can possibly save more lives mentaly/physcialy than any police man, fire man, doctor, etc.

I just experienced one of my HS teachers (remember I graduated in 05) who passed away last summer. I didn't like her and she was rich, but she loved teaching. When I found out about her death it...it's like you disliked her for what? Doing what your supossed to do? When things like this come around it leaves a very big thought in your head. There is another teacher right now that is fighting for her life to live as she did had only 7 days to live. I don't know if she is alive right now ( I need to check) but it's such a hit for our school.

 

Adreal

I wonder what the lawyer would have thought if you had asked her what important job she'd be in without a teacher.

modjoe86

In response to the private vs. public issue, I've always seen it as a choice for a potential teacher. I went to catholic private school K-12, and the pay for teachers was horrendous throughout. On the flip side, though, classes were small and respectful. I plan on teaching history after I graduate next year, and I'd prefer to take a pay cut to teach private. My friend's mother moved from private to public, and she says the kids are horribly disrespectful to her, and apathetic in their studies. And with all the law suits nowadays, discipline is next to impossible in a public setting. In private school, if a student is acting like a dipshit, you can tell him to quit acting like a dipshit. That's a big perk for me.

The way I see it, I'll be poor as shit anyway, I might as well take an extra pay cut and get some peace of mind from my job.

Rikimaru_X

Yo Joe, of course kids in public schools are varied and can be disrespectful, but I've known many teachers who knows how to handle kids like that. I guess if your not cut out for being harsh then private might be for you, but hey, there might be different laws at different schools.

KeeperofKeb

my son homeschools and his teacher gets paid $0 but he's smarter than any kid his age, he's actually 1 year ahead of everybody else, he's 5 and was reading at 4, he can write, add and subtract, and he memorizes paragraphs and phrases like they were going out of style.  public schools are great, teachers have a lot going against them as teachers just by walking in the door but they don't do it for the money they do it cause they love it and that is better in my opinion, if you do something you love to do you'll never work a day in your life.

 

 

keeperofkeb

Man1ac

I think the main issue which should be addressed here is that there are some people in this world who are complete an utter assholes to be blunt. The lawyer made me laugh. Lawyers have to live their lives chatting shit, so wtf makes them any more important than teachers. Every occupation make an important role in this world, the pay can vary ridiculously like footballer but teachers are abused wrongly. I go college, and some student there do stupid immature shit and their 18 ffs, it's hard being a teacher and tbh if there were no teacher there would be any other occupation which justifies my first statement.

Munki

 

Originally posted by kimmar 
The second period was different though.  I sat in with a lawyer.  A little ways through the talk one of the kids asked her how much her salary range was.  She told the kid what it was but then made a very mean remark.  She said that she had though about going into teaching, but wanted to do something where she was more "important".
I sat there for a minute in shock.  I couldn't believe what I just heard. 
After the whole thing was over I went to the teacher in that room and apologized to her for his comment.  I also told her about what I had heard earlier in the day and that I wanted her to know that some of us do appreciate their efforts and work they do for what clearly is way too little pay.

 

Sadly those young bucks were probably too young to understand his subtle comment.. or atleast too young to know what slashing a tire is :PWhich brings me to my next point... why they dont have career day in highschool...

Anywho, jokes aside, its pretty bad. My opinion sits on the fact that teachers should get payed more. But not all of em. Ive had horrble teachers that ruined entire subjects for an entire class, screwed up kids.Ive also had teachers that inspired me to do my best and made me who I am today.

Sadly one of the worse teachers Ive ever had makes more than some of the best ones ive ever had because he had his masters and they had to pay him more.

but thats a different rant... back on subject. Let me put my opinion is plaing, simple mathmatical terms

Lawyer = Broker = Douche

PS wow.. bad grammer.. can you guess who the bad teacher was? lol

 

 

 

nurgles

Whats the difference between an onion and a Lawyer? you cry when you cut an onion.

I could never teach below the University level,the students are there to learn not just be occupied while their parents get a break. The complete lack of respect so many people have for education constantly amazes me.

And yes, respect equals pay. It may not be true to you, but it is for the society as a whole, pay is how valued you are to that society.

Gorair

 

Did anyone watch sliders? ( yeah i know sliders = automatic loser so what i watched!)

the episode where the teachers were payed and recruited to schools like professional sports players are done today? best teachers coming out of college signed multimilion $$ deals for schools and did all the endorsements etc ...

wouldnt that be nice to see in real life.

 

 

Hades_Warpig

God, it pisses me off when kids in my highschool are disrespectful of our teachers, I totally agree with you. Then don't get close to what they deserve. I hope that all the kids that do realize what they could have done in school after they graduate or drop out, instead of just making fun of ppl and getting into trouble and not doing anything in school. When i see it, a fire lights in my soul. I hate it, I really do. They deserve more. And to the stupid anoying bad kids.... us successful,respectful,contributing ppl need FMEoA (Future Mcdonalds Employees of America)

Enigma

I know exactly what the teachers feel like.

My very first job after college was a teacher and I quit after one year because the pay was so very low.  It's horrible what the goverment pays teachers.  When I used to work for Target (left the company 5 months ago) I made two times the amount than a five year seasoned Teacher did.  If you think about it, that's pretty sad.  Think about it...Target pays their managers more than the Government pays their teachers.

I am a Claims Adjuster now for Farmer's Insurance (I get to say who is at fault or not) and Im making almost twice more than I was at Target.....which means a heckuva lot more than a teacher.

Teaching is one of those professions that you have to have the desire to teach and educate children. If you're in it for the salary then I guarantee that you will be pissed after working there a few months.  However, I heartily disagree that Teachers are useless and I would NEVER say what that lawyer said in front of the teacher.

What the lawyer failed to mention is the fact that they make crap the first 7 years after passing the BAR.  Look up the salary schedule for Lawyers.  You may be shocked in what you find.  Usually the crooked injury lawyers makes the most money.

8hammer8

Originally posted by nurgles


Whats the difference between an onion and a Lawyer? you cry when you cut an onion.
I could never teach below the University level,the students are there to learn not just be occupied while their parents get a break. The complete lack of respect so many people have for education constantly amazes me.
And yes, respect equals pay. It may not be true to you, but it is for the society as a whole, pay is how valued you are to that society.

Why did California get all the lawyers and New Jersey all the toxic waste dumps?

New Jersey had first choice....

This whole conversation got me thinking about how some people feel that certain professions are useless or not as necessary or rewarding and then it hit me where I had heard of such absurdity:

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe:

Golgafrincham

The plan as depicted by the TV series.

Golgafrincham is a red semi-desert planet that is home of the Great Circling Poets of Arium and a species of particularly inspiring lichen. Its people decided it was time to rid themselves of an entire useless third of their population, and so concocted a story that their planet would shortly be destroyed in a great catastrophe. (It was apparently under threat from a "mutant star goat"). The useless third of the population (consisting of hairdressers, tired TV producers*, insurance salesmen, personnel officers, security guards, management consultants, telephone sanitizers and the like) were packed into the B-Ark, one of three giant Ark spaceships, and told that everyone else would follow shortly in the other two. The other two thirds of the population, of course, did not follow and "led full, rich and happy lives until they were all suddenly wiped out by a virulent disease contracted from a dirty telephone".

The B-Ark was programmed to crash-land on a suitably remote planet on one of the outer spiral arms of the galaxy, which happened to be Earth, and the Golgafrinchan rejects gradually mingled with and usurped the native cavemen**, becoming the ancestors of humanity and thereby altering the course of the great experiment to find the question for the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, or so Ford Prefect presumes. A lot of them didn't make it through the winter three years prior to Arthur Dent's reunion with Ford Prefect, and the few who remained in the spring said they needed a holiday and set out on a raft. History says they must have survived.

People from Golgafrincham are called Golgafrinchans. In some versions of the book The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, the planet is also referred to as "Golgafrinchan", but this usage is less common and is thought to be an error of typography.

*Tired was a typo for Tri-D, but was left as is because D.A. thought there should be some tired TV producers too.

**Arthur reflexively called the primitive Earth primates "cavemen", despite Ford pointing out that they didn't actually live in caves as such.

 

I am actually going to start into the teaching profession near the beginning of next year after having been in sales my 7 years out of college.  I plan on starting out as a substitute and seeing what age level I want to work in.   I am pretty sure I want to be working with elementary aged kids where I have always seemed to have a connection with through out my life.  I was going to be getting a raise at my current job, just signed for it actually, but I will be turning that down to start teaching where I believe my real passion will be.  Pay does not even cross my mind as long as my wife and I are both working, we will make whatever happen that needs to.

Adreal

I was a math tutor once at the last college I went to. It was a very fulfilling job, and I'd be tempted to do it for free even though they weren't paying me much.  The last semester there I quit though because homework and a job on the side was way too much. I'm glad I quit too because physics was a pain in the butt. It sure kicked the crap out of Calc class anyway. I was barely getting in all of the studying I needed even without work on the side.

I'm trying for a part time tutoring position in Chinese at the university I'm attending at the moment. ::crosses fingers::

K.o.v.e

Yea that is pretty sad teachers are way under paid and deserve more respect. Wow you should have slapped that lawyer in the face thats the dumbest thing ive heard.

Adreal

Originally posted by xxvicexx


You are all so noble...

Force of habit.