Since completing my teaching degree five years ago, I have found it very interesting to hear a lot of different opinions about my chosen career. When people have asked me what I do and I’ve told them I’m a teacher, I’ve received a mixture of responses. Some of the most common replies to “I’m a primary college teacher” have been as follows:
“Ohhh, isn’t that nice.” *Insert look of pity here*
“Oh – It must be nice to get 12 weeks of holidays a year!”
“Oh, another teacher! My sister, cousin, friend and brother are all teachers too. Everyone’s a teacher these days.”
“That’s a smart idea. That will be a great job to have if you have children one day.”
It’s been bemusing to see that many people seem to perceive teaching as the job that people must opt into if they are looking for a career of “convenience” or have “no other options”. There is a well-known quote that states:
And it seems that many people may believe this saying to be true. Whilst I obviously cannot speak for every individual who has entered into the teaching profession, I know that for the vast majority of us, this isn’t the case at all.
For myself and so many of the teachers I have worked with, teaching was our chosen career path. After leaving high college, I actually began my studies in a Bachelor of Psychology. While the content of the degree did interest me, I quickly realised that this was not the career for me and then chose to enrol in a double teaching degree the following year. I have never looked back.
I can honestly say that I love my job and it is definitely the profession I was supposed to undertake. That’s right – it is a profession. Teachers are professionals with professional knowledge and professional skill sets. We engage in professional development on a regular basis and are always learning new ways of making our professional practice the best that it can be for the ever-changing needs of our students. The vast majority of teachers don’t go to work for the “holidays” (and I use the term loosely!) They don’t teach because “everyone else is doing it” or for the “convenience” of family schedules. So, why do they?
A question I have been asked a few times about my career choice is “Oh… But there’s not much money in teaching … Why didn’t you do something else?”
That one’s easy. For most of us it is not about the money and it never will be. It’s about the moments when a student improves, understands or does something new for the very first time. It’s about teaching children to believe in themselves. It’s about equipping our students with a social, emotional and academic skill set that may someday help them to enter into the profession that they most want to be a part of. It’s about the opportunity to make a positive influence on the lives and futures of individuals and society as a whole.
Teachers and coaches alike at CCSC make a whole lot more than just a living. I could explain to you what it is that we “make” myself, but no one sums it up better than Taylor Mali in the following YouTube clip. This video is aimed at an adult audience and as some of its content may be rated a little on the “PG” side, you may like to watch it yourself before sharing it with children.
This is what a teacher makes…
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