Thank you teachers.

[imwjl]

My twins are graduating high school and I had a few recent reminders of how much just a few good teachers do for kids but also how most of them are good.

My teacher wife has the van today bringing a whole lot of stuff home in essence reminding me what the teachers do beyond their obligations.

Something really interesting in these times is the virtual learning from pandemic created a network where some teachers made sure kids were getting education even if they were moved around a lot via poor family situations.

Just like my graduating decades ago, most were good teachers and each year one or a few were downright life changing. My boys were amazing for all the hard work they have done but I thank their teachers for some times and motivation that made all the difference.

Thank you teachers and parents. I see a fantastic crop of kids beyond my own who are moving on.

 

[ce24]

After 35 years teaching high school my experience says 95%+ are excellent teachers. Just because a child has a problem with a teacher doesn't make them a bad teacher...

 

[boris bubbanov]

We pay teachers easily, less than half of what they provide in the way of productivity to society. So, great teachers go into other professions and do a less impressive job (but get paid 10 times as much). Not meaning to put down the fine teachers we do have, but I think if there was hot competition to be an educator, kids would catch on to this and demonstrate more respect and the benefit to society would be simply shocking.

Sometimes the solution is right before our eyes.

 

[teletail]

Educating our children may be the most important job in the country. You sure wouldn’t know it by how we treat our teachers. Just my opinion, but 99.999999% of us wouldn’t last until lunchtime if we had to spend a single day teaching. Thank you teachers, know that some of us appreciate you.

 

[buster poser]

We pay teachers easily, less than half of what they provide in the way of productivity to society. So, great teachers go into other professions and do a less impressive job (but get paid 10 times as much). Not meaning to put down the fine teachers we do have, but I think if there was hot competition to be an educator, kids would catch on to this and demonstrate more respect and the benefit to society would be simply shocking.

Sometimes the solution is right before our eyes.

Paying them poorly--particularly if they teach people who don't look like us--is a matter of identity for about half of us, so it's a bit of a pickle.

 

[mindlobster]

I teach kids occasionally - music and art projects, and it's rewarding and challenging and always worth it, but my partner is on another level. She's been a full time teacher for 20+ years, and she loves her kids and they love her. Once in a while she gets emails from former students who have gone on to do good things, and they remember her and thank her. She's not always supported as she should be, but I'm proud of her.

 

[fuzz guy]

You're welcome! It's a difficult job at times but extremely rewarding as well, and one student having a single breakthrough can offset months of frustration. It's what keeps me going, the kids. As far as salary, here in Australia I feel we are compensated fairly, but I know that's not the case everywhere. If you want great employees, teachers or otherwise, you need to pay them appropriately.

 

[kuch]

My twins are graduating high school and I had a few recent reminders of how much just a few good teachers do for kids but also how most of them are good.

My teacher wife has the van today bringing a whole lot of stuff home in essence reminding me what the teachers do beyond their obligations.

Something really interesting in these times is the virtual learning from pandemic created a network where some teachers made sure kids were getting education even if they were moved around a lot via poor family situations.

Just like my graduating decades ago, most were good teachers and each year one or a few were downright life changing. My boys were amazing for all the hard work they have done but I thank their teachers for some times and motivation that made all the difference.

Thank you teachers and parents. I see a fantastic crop of kids beyond my own who are moving on.

Thank you for your post and please thank your wife for her service to humanity.

Unfortunately in our country, teachers aren't given the respect, status, honor, and yes the compensation they deserve.

 

[P Thought]

Aack, gaak...urkkk

 

[boris bubbanov]

Paying them poorly--particularly if they teach people who don't look like us--is a matter of identity for about half of us, so it's a bit of a pickle.

I hear you, but I see examples in Middle America where everyone still looks the same, and they choose for whatever reason to radically underpay these people, and I wonder what motivates a community to treat this crucial commodity (teachers) like they worked at WalMart or something.

+

Some places provide teachers with serious pension benefits, but this is IMO a bad substitute for high salary because here and now, today, the students see the educators struggling to make ends meet and by the time a student realizes that teacher might be set if they can ever make it to retirement, that student's opinion of the teacher (as a loser or something) is already baked in.

 

[imwjl]

I hear you, but I see examples in Middle America where everyone still looks the same, and they choose for whatever reason to radically underpay these people, and I wonder what motivates a community to treat this crucial commodity (teachers) like they worked at WalMart or something.

+

Some places provide teachers with serious pension benefits, but this is IMO a bad substitute for high salary because here and now, today, the students see the educators struggling to make ends meet and by the time a student realizes that teacher might be set if they can ever make it to retirement, that student's opinion of the teacher (as a loser or something) is already baked in.

There's a whole lot of envy and jealousy including being envious of others' success that's complicated. I say complicated because some look down on achievable success and skills that education facilitates yet they look up to celebrities as if they could make it too.

It goes beyond teachers where you see elements in society critical of wage and benefits. Again beyond teaching but for sure there, people with reasonably strong skills and intelligence need decent compensation to stick with it overall.

I finished watching the 4 years compilation video one of my twins' homeroom teachers did and just that helped explain why the guys worked so hard and how much better their time was than likely some of us. I say that because the teacher clearly give all those kids time and not just the stars.

 

[WRHB]

High school was the best 6 years of my life.

 

[smoothrecluse]

We just closed out another year. At graduation, former students I haven’t seen in years came up and introduced me to their spouses, and current students dragged me over to meet their families. The kids aren’t always the most appreciative brats during the year, but Thursday made up for it. As for the pay and benefits, well, this IS the first job where I don’t have to take out the trash, so I’ve got that going for me.

 

[Swirling Snow]

High school was the best 6 years of my life.

You must be smart. It took me 7 years.

Thanks to, uh, 'recent reasons', my partner and I home schooled our kids for a year. Most folks have no idea how underpaid teachers are! This year, the kids went back and we started participating a lot more, helping with science projects, dances, and Marina has chaperoned a couple of field trips. She has also donated veggies and fruits to the cafeteria and in the fall we donate pens, paper, markers, tape, colored pencils and crayons, etc. The school has no money for these things, and of course, neither do some of the kids in town.

I'm not bragging here - the point is, after walking in our teachers' shoes for a year, we realised how much help they need. I'm hoping this will inspire a few people to join us (wherever you are).

 

[brookdalebill]

Angels among us, IMO.

 

[WRHB]

You must be smart. It took me 7 years.

Thanks to, uh, 'recent reasons', my partner and I home schooled our kids for a year. Most folks have no idea how underpaid teachers are! This year, the kids went back and we started participating a lot more, helping with science projects, dances, and Marina has chaperoned a couple of field trips. She has also donated veggies and fruits to the cafeteria and in the fall we donate pens, paper, markers, tape, colored pencils and crayons, etc. The school has no money for these things, and of course, neither do some of the kids in town.

I'm not bragging here - the point is, after walking in our teachers' shoes for a year, we realised how much help they need. I'm hoping this will inspire a few people to join us (wherever you are).

Around here teachers are frustrated and tired. My daughter worked her way through college as a teachers aid the last few years. When the teachers started teaching through Zoom my daughter and her coworkers were the ones doing the teaching while the teachers were allowed to sit it out. Good for them. They needed it. But my daughter said getting kids to pay attention when they’re not inside a real classroom is like herding hummingbirds. From her computer screen she could see kids playing with their phones, eating, napping, or some were just plain missing while their devices were on. And they knew you couldn’t discipline them because it’s not like you’re going to keep them in a virtual classroom after school.

 

[rand z]

Educating our children may be the most important job in the country. You sure wouldn’t know it by how we treat our teachers. Just my opinion, but 99.999999% of us wouldn’t last until lunchtime if we had to spend a single day teaching. Thank you teachers, know that some of us appreciate you.

I agree.

A lot of my close friends are teachers... most of them are now retired.

Many retired early due to issues between students, parents and administration.

I won't go into details, but we are losing good teachers to these issues.

It seems that our educational system is under some assault.

imo.

 

[Greenmachine]

I'm a teacher. It's the hardest job I've ever had.

 

[P-Nutz]

Retired this year at 61 after 28 years in the profession, the last nine as a middle school administrator. Done with it. LOVE the students and my staff, but treated like chit by parents, our district, the general public and our state legislature. Off to a full-time gig at a private university doing some teaching, academic advising and career counseling.

This year over 500 teachers have so far resigned in our metro; it is only going to get worse …

 

[Burlington Dave]

My twins are graduating high school and I had a few recent reminders of how much just a few good teachers do for kids but also how most of them are good.

My teacher wife has the van today bringing a whole lot of stuff home in essence reminding me what the teachers do beyond their obligations.

Something really interesting in these times is the virtual learning from pandemic created a network where some teachers made sure kids were getting education even if they were moved around a lot via poor family situations.

Just like my graduating decades ago, most were good teachers and each year one or a few were downright life changing. My boys were amazing for all the hard work they have done but I thank their teachers for some times and motivation that made all the difference.

Thank you teachers and parents. I see a fantastic crop of kids beyond my own who are moving on.

You’re welcome