The biggest question that any student has been asked since they were young is, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” A variety of answers come out; maybe these occupations are based on following in a parent’s footsteps, perhaps personal joy, or an ultimate factor of compensation. Money influences many people in their direction toward their career paths, which ultimately can take away joy in their work. Others, however, follow what their heart desires, and sometimes by doing so do not receive the necessary pay for the work they do. The best example of these kinds of people are teachers.

Think about it, teachers have to do a lot more than they are required of. Teachers usually work past the typical work day grading papers, creating assignments, along with dealing with students that are not always respectful of them, nor obey the rules of the teacher’s classroom. Juggling these aspects can be exhausting, and for the majority, they are not properly compensated for the work and people they deal with. According to the Missouri National Education Association, Missouri ranks 45th in the nation for average teacher salary, at around $50,000. They association also stated the starting salary for a first-year teacher is $25,000 and the minimum for a teacher being $33,000. For context, CNBC reported that teachers make around 20 percent less compared to other professionals with similar education and experience. How crazy is that difference? The Talon believes it is, and regards the following below as reasons to support.

Teachers are not only responsible for educating students on certain material, but they also carry the responsibility of teaching students work ethic, communication, and basic strategies for being successful post-high school. Not only are these educators teaching the next generation of journalists, doctors, or lawyers for example. But, they could also be potentially educating the next scientist that could make a ground-breaking discovery in something like cancer research. In addition, teachers also provide a source of comfort for students. Many students have a teacher they can go to when they need help with issues beyond the classroom, and these teachers make sure students have an adult they can turn to if needed. By doing so, they further establish themselves as an influential figure where students can turn to them and recognize their behaviors and actions, and ideally follow similar suit in order to gain success in the classroom.

From the statements above, it can be known that teachers carry more responsibility and significance than they are given credit for. Therefore, teachers should be given credit for their actions by being properly compensated for all their actions and responsibilities they carry. And if that means making efforts toward government level figures to raise the average pay, then so be it.