I remember back when I was taking my first education-related course. It was called Introduction to the Teaching Profession. We were required to do 15 hours of observation, split between elementary, middle, and high school. I heard many stories from students in my class about teachers not responding to them coming in for observations or when they were there not acknowledging them except to make sure to remind them teaching is awful and you will hate your life for going into it.
Wow, what a slap in the face for someone who is literally exploring the teaching profession.
They are literally discouraged by the people that inspired them to become teachers in the first place.
We hear the saying we need good teachers all the time, but how can we expect the people who want to be good teachers and make difference if they are being turned away by teachers themselves?
The problem in our society is we are failing to look beyond the classroom.
Hypothetically speaking if we did not have schools, curriculum, or educational resources to educate our children, how would we have a functioning society?
No one would be educated.
There would be no more technological advancements, medical professionals, or attorneys.
The power of education is much more than what we see, it is who we are.
By telling future educators to get out while you can - teachers I am looking at you - you are dooming your own career to get worse and future generations.
The children in our classroom will be the next ones voting, running for president, performing surgeries, and helping others. Telling students to turn away from education is creating the opposite effect teachers and administrators are demanding. And that is CHANGE. The change teachers are demanding in their jobs right now is not possible in education unless more teachers see the bigger picture rise to stand up.
I am aware many teachers are starting the movement demanding better pay and benefits.
It is a start and such an amazing sight to see, but it is not enough. There are not enough teachers to make our voices heard. We have half the country standing up for social issues or political ones, but what about education?
The people signing your bills and making laws went to elementary middle and high school. Do you think they would be there without that? We don't provide enough funding to college education programs, there are too many teachers discouraging our future educators away from the profession, and not enough incentives for students to look past money to fight for the bigger picture.
Teachers, your children, and grandchildren are the next in line for school, why are you dooming their future by setting up a career in education to fall rather than to rise? Set up education to prosper by telling of your experience of lives you have changed and the impact you are making each and every day no matter how hard it may be.
