I have had some very inspiring teachers in my life. Sure there were a handful of mediocre ones, but many of them were excellent. Those who inspired and motivated me, and raised the bar for me in a way that made me work harder, aim higher and hit many a mark. I’ve always felt so grateful for those teachers that made such an impact on my life, but unfortunately have rarely had the opportunity to thank them in person for making a difference in my life.
While admittedly, there are many things wrong with our education system, one of the things I really cannot understand is the lack of respect, not to admit the low salaries, of many of our teachers in this country. I was so pleasantly surprised on my first trip to Europe, what respect that continent shows its teachers and the profession as a whole. In Europe, teachers are on a pedestal, held above medical doctors and scientists, and they earn more than those in the medical or science professions. So it is hard to understand why in this country where our children are falling further and further behind children in other countries around the world, we want teachers making $50,000 a year to take a 20% paycut? Again, many things can and should be improved in our education system in this country, and holding respect and honor for the teaching profession should be at the top of the list.
Today, someone sent this video to me. It’s apparently been around for several years, but just recently has gone viral, so perhaps you’ve already seen it. Today was the first day I viewed it-and I LOVED it. In this video, Taylor Mali, teacher and slam poet does a marvelous job giving his opinion on what teachers make. See for yourself and please feel free to leave a comment.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU[/youtube]
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