That was a burning question for me for the past 3 months. The book “Chicken soup for the soul” has a whole chapter dedicating to the teaching profession,which is the most noblest profession in the world. To spread, share knowledge, enlightening minds is the duty of all teachers. A teacher not only teaches academic fields, he guides and motivates too. He is a father/ mother figure too for those who have none. A very noble profession indeed.
So why the burning question? It has been a known fact that a teachers will never be millionaires but the only job where chances to commit a sin is minimal, unless you “slept” with your students! Being a teacher also means helping to fulfill dreams, which at times I wonder why I never walk the talk myself. “Sir, you crap so much today…why are you still stuck in the teaching profession?”
Well, apart from really obnoxious students who think tormenting teachers are their ideal “fun”, it is a real rewarding experience to hear that how certain word have inspired them to be a better man. Seriously, I don’t even know what I have spoken to inspire them. But the feeling that I was responsible for their personal growth and academic success is indeed a reward that no amount of money can substitute. So, being a teacher is not a matter of dollar signs, or is it?
Being the man of the house, one needs to put food on the table. “Emotional rewards” or “feel good rewards” can’t feed hungry mouths. Sad but true. The teaching profession for all its noble intentions is not a job that pays well, not even enough for a substantive living. If one is single, it would just be a substantive wage to live by, but with kids growing up, its mission impossible. Across the region, the trend is almost similar.
To teach undergrads, one need to invest in a Master ’s degree, which sadly the cost of pursuing one will never, be recoup. Then again if one views Master’s degree as a personal academic growth, then it’s a different story. Then again, with a Master’s degree working in MNC, one can recoup the cost in less than 5 years. The crux of it all, the pay difference between a newly graduated students and a lecturer is only a mere few hundred dollars. If he is in the sales profession, the difference will be huge. So, the next question that lingers on the mind, “what am I doing here?”
I guess the decision to leave the teaching profession came because of the hypocrisy of the Key Performance Index set for all teachers. For starters, I have to ensure 75% passing rate. So when half of the class is made up of really “talented” students, you can kiss your bonus goodbye. Then we have the student survey score card, where we need to have a min rating of 3.5/5. Yup, students rating determine my performance too. So if half the population of the class is “obnoxious”, it’s time to kiss the bonus goodbye too. On top of a busy and hectic teaching schedule, I have to take charge of at least one school project, to show that I contribute positively to the college. Not to mention attending trainings conducted by trainers who themselves needed the training badly themselves in the first place.
A part of me still misses the teaching job. When my students did well in the subjects that I taught, I couldn’t help but glow with pride for the rest of the day. Then again, it doesn’t pay the bills.
Big Papa
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