We live in a world where people who merely throw a ball around and tackle each other for three hours receive an exponentially greater paycheck than those who dedicate their lives to educating and shaping the next generation of productive citizens. I am strongly in favor of higher pay for teachers because I believe they make a much more significant contribution to our society than athletes, singers, actors, and other celebrities.

Unfortunately, that's not how the world works. Let's admit it: people cherish their entertainment. Sports, music, movies unite people, they're sources of fun and creativity, and they allow us to temporarily escape the responsibilities and challenges of life. All in all, entertainment provides us with tremendous value, and as such, it generates equally tremendous income for those who have successful careers in related industries.

On the contrary, it's fair to argue that teachers deserve greater recognition and compensation for their efforts. Teaching is one of the hardest professions out there since teachers are tasked with one of the biggest jobs in the world: creating a future generation of educated, involved leaders and workers. They are met with responsibilities that extend beyond planning lessons, teaching the curriculum and ensuring that students succeed academically.

You'll find good and bad people in any line of work, but I have had the good fortune of knowing some of the most caring and invested teachers on Earth. Most people can think of a teacher that has really changed their lives in some way. In fact, you will find many educators who truly care about the education and the personal growth of a student, they are the types of teachers who know how to inspire and encourage. They clearly demonstrate that teaching can be so much more than explaining mathematical derivatives, Newtonian physics or Shakespearean literature.

Teaching is a job that entails shaping the student to be a strong, responsible and self-assured individual who is ready to take on new challenges, persevere in the things they don't want but need to do in life and act on their visions for the world. To add, students come from a wide range of backgrounds, each with different stories, struggles, and accomplishments, and quite frankly, some students are easier to teach than others. This adds to the difficult nature of teaching, but it certainly is one of the most important and rewarding roles.

Without teachers, society would not function as effectively, and children would grow up to be adults who do not have the knowledge of navigating society as independent leaders. Stemming from this, teachers deserve more credit than they currently get, because whether we actively acknowledge it or not, they do make a meaningful contribution to each of our lives and to the world as a whole.