Earlier in this episode of the Daily Show, Jon Stewart plays a news clip in which a analyst claimed that teachers should be paid minimum wage because they have such an "easy job" where they get out of work at 3 everyday and don't have to work summers. All of this, in case you are unaware, is due to the controversy regarding the teachers' union in Wisconsin.
I'm having a really difficult time trying to form an opinion on this issue. I don't agree in the slightest that teachers don't have a difficult job. I honestly believe that teachers do the most important job on Earth, let's be real where would we be without an education? However, one of the hot-button issues of this controversy is the idea of all teachers being paid the same amount and seniority being the main reason that teachers keep their jobs.
I bet everyone has horror stories about teachers they had in elementary, middle and high school. I know for sure that I do. Take for instance my fifth grade teacher, Mr. Schultz. This man was evil. Not only did he make me cry multiple times during school by calling me dumb, but he also made me cry at my parent-teacher conference. Yeah, right in front of my parents my teacher says how dumb and lazy I am. That man definitely does not deserve to get the same salary as my fourth grade math teacher, Mrs. Allen who connected with everyone on a personal level and was incredibly helpful. You could tell she genuinely loved her job, whereas Mr. Schultz acted like he hated children. Teachers should get pay raises based on merit as opposed to seniority.
But what do you think?
I love the teachers who act like they hate students. You get to the point where you just want to raise your hand and ask "Why are you even in the teaching profession?" My sister is going to school to become a teacher and she's in the process of getting ready to graduate. 40 something kindergartners. She's always stressing over lesson plans, and she's really just being mentored by a teacher, like a teaching assistant! She's going crazy, you can't say that teacher jobs are not difficult. I'm having a difficult time forming an opinion too, so no worries!
ReplyDeleteFirst, my jaw drops that you were criticized and belittled by your teacher... I'm so sorry to learn that.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up interesting points. I think it's worth considering whether just years of experience, or whether level of performance, constitutes what a teacher's salary should be.