I hear these phrases all too often after I tell somebody I am going to school to become an elementary teacher: “Well, you must not be in it for the money,” or “Well, good for you,” or “Wow, I don’t know how you can do it.”

The thing is, I know people don’t really mean any harm by saying these things, but for somebody who is passionate about kids, I have to be honest, it offends me. Why aren’t teachers put at the same level as doctors or lawyers? One could argue that teachers are needed just as much as doctors or lawyers in a well-run society.

In a study done by Stephen Machin, Olivier Marie and Sunčica Vujić on a sample of men and women in Britain found that in 2001, of men ages 21-25 with no educational qualifications in Britain, 2.57 percent of those were in prison, as compared to the 0.30 percent of men of the same age who had some educational qualifications.

There have been countless studies like this done to examine the importance of the effects of education on crime.

Because of this, I do not understand why the teaching profession is seen as such a secondary option. There have been too many people who go to school to be something and their “back-up” is being a teacher if “what I’m doing doesn’t work out.” Teaching should not be seen as a “back-up;” it should be seen as just as important as those so-called “elite professions.”

Teachers have the ability to change the way our children see the world. Teachers have the ability to help children find where they belong and what they are passionate about. Teachers have the ability to educate our children to make good choices and decisions instead of turning to crime.

It’s time we start giving teaching the credit it deserves. Teachers put their heart and soul into their job each and every day. They have to show up to work each morning with a loving demeanor and a caring smile regardless of what is going on outside of school.

I have met countless teachers who you hear through the grapevine about their horrible divorce or that their mother just died, but they still show up to class every day like it’s just a normal day, because they know that it is what is best for their students.

Teachers love their students like their own children, and after writing that segment above, my mind went straight to the Sandy Hook shooting and right to the teacher who took bullets for her students. That is the kind of reason teaching should be seen as an “elite profession.” Parents leave their children’s lives in the hands of their teachers, and that kind of trust can only be found in the classroom.

I am so tired of getting a half smile every time I tell somebody I am going to be a teacher. It is time to give teachers the respect they deserve, because after all, the success of future generations of children is in the hands of our country’s teachers.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela