It's Disgusting That We Expect Anyone To Go Into Education Anymore | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

It's Disgusting That We Expect Anyone To Go Into Education Anymore

People need to see that things are not okay and that they haven't been for a long time.

25
It's Disgusting That We Expect Anyone To Go Into Education Anymore
Go Overseas

Teaching is a full-time job, kids. You can't show up acting like Cameron Diaz in "Bad Teacher." You (typically) work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. You get a half hour for lunch at best. You get about an hour for "free period," which actually means you're working on grading assignments or tests, preparing for upcoming meetings or conferences, researching new teaching techniques or tricks, going over notes for the next class, or maybe finding fun activities online if you truly have nothing to do (which never happens).

In your typical work day, you have to see and deal with horrible, heartbreaking things. You see kids who aren't being fed or taken care of at home. You see kids who are physically abused. You see kids who are emotionally abused. You see kids who are sexually abused. And those are just the kids who don't know how to hide it.

You see kids who aren't receiving the medication they need. You see kids who have to act as caregivers for their siblings because their parent(s) won't do it themselves. You see kids who don't have clothes that fit. You see kids with clothes that have been handed down so many times that you can barely call them clothes anymore. You see kids whose families can't afford food but are expected to have school supplies.

And you have to somehow put all of that aside, every day, and give all of your students a "normal" environment that they can feel relaxed, comfortable and safe enough in to actually learn. You have to keep them engaged and entertained and make learning fun for them just so they have something to look forward to every day. You have to teach them how to appropriately socialize and interact with other people because they aren't learning proper behaviors at home.

To add to these stresses teachers face, they are treated like they're worthless. Salaries have been and are still being cut across the country. Health insurance packages have become unhelpful and, frankly, just plain ridiculous. For example, my mom is a special education teacher with a master's degree (plus six credits every five years) and our health insurance won't cover any form of vision. I'll repeat that for you: a teacher's health insurance will not cover any form of vision. So basically, teachers who need glasses are told, "Tough luck" and have to teach children without being able to see properly.

My mom, my brother and I all need glasses. My glasses cost between $500 and $700 alone. So consider being a single parent with two kids and you all needing glasses. The average annual salary for a special education teacher in the state of Michigan according to teachingdegree.org is just over $59,000. That's under $5,000 a month. After paying the bills for our home, cars, TV, phones, electricity, gas, water, insurance, food, taxes and everything else people have to pay for, where do you get the money to pay for glasses? Whose glasses do you get first? What do you cut out of your budget that has already been cut time and time again? Which bill do you not pay that month so you can afford glasses?

It's also worth noting that teachers don't only have to have bachelor's degrees. They have to go back to school for their master's degree. And then every five years, they have to go back and take another six credits worth of courses to stay "up to date." Who pays for those credits? Not the schools they work for, usually, so that comes out of pocket, too. And with all of the changes to teachers' health insurance plans and general salary cuts over the last few years, I don't know a single teacher who could have ends meet on their own without having some form of secondary income.

It's disgusting that we expect anyone to go into education anymore. People need to see that things are not okay and that they haven't been for a long time. We need to start doing things that make this world a better place. And we weed to start making it so the next generation will be educated enough to make the world a better place, too.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

131162
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

30195
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

27780
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments