| Is teaching a decent job in your country? | |
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| Sep 11, 2008 21:38 | #11   |
 | Teaching is a respectable career in China. Teachers are compared to "gardeners" who take good care of "the flowers and seedlings". |
| Sep 11, 2008 22:17 | #12 |
| GUEST7531 | "Those that can- do. Those that can't - teach." It's a surprise and shame that Americans and Britons who are rich enough to pay the teachers well, but they are unwilling to pay the teachers fair. Worse and worse, they despise teachers at primary schools and high schools. Don’t forget these primary school teachers teach your kid the basics which are the key to their future success. Without their contributions, could you have the galaxy of scientists who claim the Nobel Prize every year? The engine of the American growth of science, technology and economy is fueled by the pool of talents. Who fostered the talents for your country? TEACHERS! While you are drinking the water, should you forget where the water comes from? You tease the teachers who taught your kids how to be a good citizen, a filial child, and a responsible spouse in the future. It’s so pathetic that Americans categorized their teachers into “The Incompetent”. Britain is such a well-off country. Why is Mr Gordon Brown so mean to the teachers? Where does the British Government’s money go？You didn’t pay the teachers fair. They didn’t teacher your kids well. The walkout was a tiny warning for you, Mr Gordon Brown. A small tip for Britons and Americans: show respect for your teachers, pay them fair! |
| Sep 13, 2008 08:14 | #13 |
| In the time I spent in Korea I observed a completely different set of family priorities toward childrens' education. Here is make a comparison between American parents' education expenses and those in the newly developed country of south Korea where I taught last year. The differences are astonishing. In South Korea, parents pay tuition for ( public) school, they pay for textbooks, uniforms, lunch and dinner at the school; they pay for transportation to school, they pay extra tuition for after school classes and tutoring, and the students clean the schools. In America parents do not pay any tuition, transportation and books are provided, breakfast and lunch is provided for all lower income students ( 80% in urban schools), after school tutoring and summer school are given for free, and janitorial staff provide cleaning services. This year collections are being taken up in America for lower and middle income families so that parents can receive free school supplies because people are complaining that their fuel bills and other household expenses have risen. People in America complain bitterly about having to pay any taxes toward education. Yet many pay no attention whatsoever to what their child does in school, nor what are the homework or requirements are for the child's classes, and parent conferences in some areas are completely deserted. Parents in Korea and other countries would do anything to see that their children have a chance at more education, yet they only make a third to a half as much money as an American. (average income in So Korea is 16,000 dollars a year) So the significance of education is completely different for these two countries. |
| Sep 14, 2008 21:22 | #14 |
| continued: Budgets for education in America have been cut for many years. This year, the cuts are so deep, and layoffs are so severe that some school districts are letting go tenured teachers, or all teachers with less than 10 years seniority, and other schools are finally going to a four day week to save on building expenses. Last year a vote was taken in my area not to take heating fuel costs for school buildings from the budget for teacher salaries. Yet students are being bussed across town for free because they have chosen an optional advanced public school program offered. (such as Magnet, advanced placement or International Baccalaureate) As for teaching conditions: A beginning teacher in America makes the same as an assistant manager in a Subway sandwich shop. A young IT professional makes as much at the beginning of his career as the highest paid public school teacher with a doctorate degree. Those summers "off" are spent in meetings, teaching and taking University courses at their own expense. ( 2-$4,000. a class) Teachers frequently work 50-70 hour weeks and do not have assistants to help with the paperwork. The level of professionalism, particularly where I come from in Minnesota, is very high, and the competition keen to get a teaching job. When I taught in Korea, my pay was about the same as a beginning teacher here in America. Although I have a teaching specialist degree in English, only a simple college diploma is required to teach as a foreign teacher in Korea. Knowing that the beginning Korean teachers there were only paid half what I received, I was impressed by the pay. The 22 year old college grads with no experience that came to Korea to teach were thrilled with their pay. The class load was lighter too, and the class sizes smaller in Korea. This whole issue is highly political in America. The everyday language used toward teachers is vicious, and there is no arguing with these arrogant people. All I can say is, as a substitute teacher who sees many schools, I see some fantastic staff and students every day, and some excellent teaching and learning going on. I dare those complaining parents to get involved and actually do something to contribute of themselves to their local schools. |
| Sep 14, 2008 21:40 | #15 |
| Who said we don't pay our teachers well? It is a matter of opinion. Public school teachers think they are underpaid and the people who pay their salaries (taxpayers) think they are getting quite enough. Colleges are another matter and they are run like businesses (which they are) who hire and fire teachers like employees. They pay high salaries to teachers who do well or have a good reputation and also give benefits like free or reduced tuition to family members. In public school grades 1 through 7 the teachers are probably 98% women with more men in higher grades where they may teach a specialty like Mathematics or chemistry. Another aspect is that teachers tend to be of the extreme liberal persuasion and not in tune with the families of the children they teach. When their kid comes home after a day of lectures on the benefits of gay marriage or how their using electricity to watch TV is destroying the planet through global warming the parents would like to have a word with the teacher. |
| Sep 15, 2008 20:54 | #16 |
| "Budgets for education in America have been cut for many years." On the contrary, budgets for education in China has been increasing. This year, the student at primary school and junior high school in rurual areas don't pay the tuition and the textbook fees. |
| Sep 16, 2008 22:43 | #17 |
| So, yinduffy, what do you base your generalizations on? How would you take people telling you that YOU do not deserve to be paid?? Do you WANT your child to be in classes of 40 or more students??? That is what is going on now, class sizes of upper 30s to 40s, and even in the 50s. The teachers I know are very much in tune with their students, thankyou, and very devoted. They are definately NOT doing the job for the money. When is the last time YOU volunteered at a school? |
| Sep 17, 2008 05:14 | #18 |
| Cloudhands, My sister is an assistant teacher on Long Island, NY, I have given history lectures at public and private schools. I attended both public and Catholic schools. I have a class photo from 5th grade and we had 50 kids in the class ( one teacher-Catholic school)Our public schools were UFSD ( Union Free School District) but Unionized schools were in the next district ( When they went on strike it was embarassing to see the teachers behavior). As an after school activity in high school I was a Stage Technician for three years and saw the running of the school and knew many teachers outside their classrooms. My wife was a teacher in middle school in China before she was selected for Government work.Our adopted daughter is in a local Catholic school. I am very familiar with the issues involved. As an aside, I believe that my job should be paying me more too. I am quite familiar with the issues of today. |
| Sep 18, 2008 04:07 | #19 |
| I can’t comment on the education system in the USA as I have no first hand knowledge of it but in Britain and Australia their respective unions are both extremely left leaning. They have in many instances sort to spread their political dogma to their students. It’s called indoctrination. Encouraging children to march at strike rallies and protest on behalf of Teachers is not in my opinion part of the job spec. Their very unions hold much of the blame as to why they have fallen on the social ladder. They have undermined them self’s and wonder why they are not held in a higher regard. I voted with my feet. Both of my sons attended a private school in Australia. All parents were expected to take an active roll in the school on a weekly basis. The teachers there worked six day a week. Those that lived on campus are on call seven days a week. They are also expected to take part in activities during school holidays. Many of them earned double the salary of a public sector teacher. The pastoral care that they give is quite remarkable. I speak from personal experience on that issue. There is a vast difference between the two systems not only in terms of remuneration but of status. Dodger. |
| Feb 23, 2009 13:06 | #20 |
| GUEST10286 | I'm from the U.S. and I have alot of respect for my professors. Most of my professors have been downright brilliant. My only suggestion would be to leave the community college. Of course, it could just be the fields as well. Being in a scientific field, all of my professors are expected to do research, etc. If they weren't capable they would fail to get grants and would quickly be let go. Those that do research for decades can get tenure and stop research but they have to be extremely knowledgeable and experienced to get it. It would be unfair to say they are stupid based upon fields that are not their own. I don't go to college to learn how the world works, I don't take advanced mathematics courses to discuss Chaucer, I go to learn about my field and in that field I want my teachers to be as knowledgeable as possible. So far, I'm extremely impressed with those that teach here. Maybe it's different for the arts? The "Those that can - do, those that can't - teach" definitely doesn't apply to the engineering research fields. Those that can do, those that can't switch to business. High school, and the community college, was a different matter. Waste of time and money. Some professors were teaching things they haven't even studied. I was completely let down by their lack of enthusiasm and knowledge. Some were good; my math and physics professors at the community college were particularly enthusiastic about the subjects and had alot of experience in the field. In high school, my best teachers tended to be in literature, band, and science. They were very enthusiastic. The rest were pretty horrid, particularly history teachers and those that get roped into teaching exciting subjects like accounting and social science. I think they hated teaching more than we hated going. If I had to choose one word to describe my high school teachers it would be apathy. Also, professors and teachers should be paid more. Unfortunately, their wages are determined by supply and demand and state politics. I can't think of a successful alternative. Until then, make sure you (or your children) go to a university where the professors work in their field (not just teach). That's the only advice I can give. Spending for education has gone up every year. It has doubled since 1990. http://www.ed.gov/ Only Norway and Switzerland spend more, per student, than the U.S. does. The problem is, they're spending it in the wrong places. The schools are "cutting budgets", laying off teachers, cutting programs, but still spending more. It's amazingly inefficient. There are also cultural problems. Countries that spend less have "smarter" students than the U.S. 99% of the time, problems can be fixed by throwing money at them... but not this one. |
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