So when asking friends at school what career path they want to go into, an astounding majority tend to tell me they want to go into teaching some sort. But for economic reasons, is this the best idea?
Amidst the new Chicago Teacher's Strike, some attention has been paid to the conditions a regular primary or second school teacher has to go through. Not only, when compared to other developed countries, do they tend to have the lower salaries, but they also tend to have higher amounts of hours worked annually. So not only is it stressful, but you don't have much of a paycheck to show for it!
Teachers are what educate the next generation. Personally, I believe they should be given more economic benefits. It's a tough profession, having to work 5 days a week with all kinds of students, and not all of them are the little-miss-goody-two-shoes. It's consistent flexibility, empathy, and of course an understanding of the field they teach! And, as shown by the article read in class, (We're #1! We're...Uh...Not?) other countries that give more respect to teachers tend to have better performing education systems. Teachers are what help the next generation work for jobs, make a living, keep our country going. To not have them is to dramatically hurt the future.
So what's your opinion? Do you feel teachers deserve higher pays? Why or why not? Also, do you think it is good or bad that the Chicago public school teachers are on strike? Post in the comments below.
For more information, check out http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/does-it-pay-to-become-a-teacher/?smid=tw-nytimes
What about how teachers are trained and the expectations put on them? I think this is very relevant! Does the current teacher preparation system demand higher pay for the professionals it produces? What advantages come from the right to strike, if any? This would be key to answering one of your questions!
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