In the most humble way possible, I recognize that I am smart.
Not “smart” in that my intelligence is defined by my good grades and rigorous classes. Yeah, I've taken tough classes, and I have maintained relatively good grades in school. But rather, I am smart because I have independently sought out ways to learn about the world around me. It is all so fascinating. As a result, when I was growing up my nose was always in a book. I listened to classical music recreationally. I studied for spelling tests for fun. I lived for the rush of solving a math problem, and I always thought summer vacation was way too long. So, when I was in eighth grade and realized I wanted to be an orchestra teacher, I thought it was the perfect career for me. After all, I was smart and musically inclined (orcha-dorks unite!), and I enjoyed being around kids.
My future plans came as a shock to some people, however. The most memorable instance was during my junior year of high school. I was sitting at lunch with a couple of friends talking about college visits when one girl asked me what I wanted to study. Naturally, I said I wanted to major in Music Education to become an orchestra teacher. She gave me a bewildered look and replied, “An orchestra teacher? Really? But you’re so smart! You should be a doctor or a lawyer or something!” At the time, I didn’t think much about her comment, so I just shrugged my shoulders and said something to the effect of, “Nah. Those careers aren’t exactly my cup of tea.”
About two years have passed since then, and as I’m studying to be an orchestra teacher, her words keep echoing through my mind. I know she meant no malice in what she said, but it greatly upset me. The implications of what she said suggested that smart people don’t become teachers. Smart people get high paying jobs. I couldn’t disagree more.
Now before you assume I’m a stereotypical “against-the-system” college student, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with someone making a large sum of money. The problem herein lies when one associates the value of who they are with how much money they make. The idea that smart people make a lot of money suggests that money is a measurement of one’s intelligence; therefore, one who makes a lot of money is also assumed to be smart. I’m not saying that smart people who make a lot of money should be reprimanded for their monetary success. Rather, I’m saying that it is incorrect to assume that one’s intelligence dictates one's income — a certain popular figure in today's political climate should alone disprove this idea.
How we view teachers in American society is similar. There’s this misconception that because they make a modest salary, educators are less valuable and not as smart as a mechanical engineer, a doctor or a lawyer. This is a false dichotomy. Good teachers need to be just as smart as those working every day in their field, and they need to be skilled at communicating these ideas in different ways, which requires many skills within itself. They provide the building blocks for attaining these highly sought after jobs. However, educators do so much more than that — they mentor us, help us become better people and effectively expand our knowledge and understanding of the world.
So why do we, as a society, not give them the credit that they deserve? Salary increases for educators may help increase the value that we attribute to educators. Yet, that doesn’t solve the root problem of equating intellect with the number of zeroes in a paycheck. So, how do we solve this issue particularly when it comes to education careers?
I think at this point, solving this problem is going to take little steps and time. When we raise our children, we should not only encourage them to be scientists, astronauts and biologists, but we should encourage them to be teachers. The decision of pursuing a career should not be primarily dictated by how much money someone will make though it should be considered. Rather, the focus should be on where one's true passion lies and involve one's moral and spiritual duty.
When we interact and work with teachers, we should respect them for their knowledge of their field and for their commitment to educating the upcoming generation. After all, these people are currently working to educate the minds of the future — minds that will eventually work in diplomacy, file your taxes, make sure your burger is safe to eat, build highways, vote for national leaders, be national leaders, perform in your favorite band and develop cutting edge technology. These tasks necessitate smart and capable teachers to build a strong educational foundation for the future. So, wouldn’t it be crucial for preserving the stability of our communities to encourage smart people to become teachers in our schools?
Though being intellectual isn't the only thing required to be a good teacher, I think it is often an important part that is overlooked and under-appreciated by American society. By reclaiming societal value on teachers, we not only improve the livelihood of the educator, but we also get back to the heart of education — to educate the heart and soul for the sake of pursuing truth.
I leave you with my favorite quote by the virtuous philosopher Aristotle:
"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all."
