A Teacher's Earnings
Sitting scowl-faced on the playground, a child aged nine:
“I hate it! I hate school! Don’t look so surprised-
The teacher’s lack passion, they don’t even care,
They always teach the lessons like we’re not even there.”
An underrated profession, it’s all just games and fun-
a job for the slackers, the failures; a job for anyone.
This stigma is pervasive, but it’s time we take a stand-
The future of these bright eyed children lies in their teacher’s hand.
Burdened with the stereotype of lethargic underachievers,
It’s difficult for teachers themselves to try and not believe it.
Media portrays them as the bottom of the economy-
Pink slips, budget cuts, and let’s not forget that salary.
Our silence enforces this reputation,
Continuing the cycle of an apathetic teaching nation.
A society which places paychecks over passion,
The great teachers have dwindled- we’ve almost lost the very last of them.
The drive to teach still lies within a few courageous “fools”,
Those who know these kids can move mountains, if given the right tools.
It’s up to us to change this- to promise a future bright,
I want to show there are still teachers with kids’ best interests in sight.
“What will you even make?” is a question asked often,
To which I have a few answers that will never be forgotten:
I will make kids love school and show them it’s not such a bad place,
they will always leave my classroom with a smile on their face.
I will make kids work their hardest for an average letter grade,
To push them past their limits as they strive to get that A.
I will make kids see the satisfaction in closing the cover on a finished book-
Something that you just don’t get with an iPad or a Nook.
I will make kids realize that no matter how broken their home life is compared to all the rest,
They’ve got a teacher at school who cares about them and knows they are capable of success.
In the minds of my generation, a living comes from dollars and cents,
But that’s not what I want to make; I want to make a difference.