Students And The Teachers example essay topic

Underpaid Teachers in Ohio High school teachers' average salary varies across the world. The United States is said to be one of the richest countries in the world, yet our teachers are being paid one of the lowest amounts. The Education Intelligence Agency, author of the article "Ohio Teacher Overcomes Union's Tolerance" published an International Teacher Salary Report ranking the fifty states by "how much the average salary exceeded per capita personal income". According to the Education Intelligence Agency Ohio's percentage rate is only fifty- five point one percent. According to the Education Intelligence Agency the lowest state percentage is in South Dakota at twenty- three point six percent and the highest state percentage is Alaska at one hundred and one point five percent. Teachers are a very important part of our society.

Teachers' jobs consist of more than just sitting behind a desk for nine months and having paid summers off. There are many extra tasks that teachers have that most people don not consider. Teachers in public schools work hard for a low salary and should be more appreciated; public school teachers shape the world's young people, serve as role models, and work long hours. Ruth E. Sternberg is the reporter for the Columbus [Ohio] Dispatch Schools and has completed a survey on the issue of Ohio's teacher's salaries. According to Sternberg, the public high schools that have high salaries do not have enough money for new technologies. This is a disadvantage for the students.

The students do not have the advantage of computers, digital cameras, and other new technologies that make learning more fun. The students who do not have these technologies may lose interest in learning. Sternberg also points out that higher salaries also causes businesses to decide not to open their stores in that district because of the higher taxes. The stores do not want to pay out more money than what they have to, even if it is for a good cause. I can understand the concern of the business owners, but they should think about where the money goes and how much it would benefit the public schools in that area.

Sternberg discusses the loss of teachers that would be forced on the district if they raised the average teacher salary. This would mean that the class sizes would be larger and the teacher to student ratio would also rise. This would be a disadvantage for the students and the teachers. The teachers would have to work harder to give each student the one on one time that they need and the students would have to wait longer for help. This would waist valuable class time for the students who were waiting for help.

All good things must have some bad side effects. There is not enough money in the school systems to have the best of both worlds. Our teacher's shape our worlds young people into adults. They can teach students more than what the parents can because they have more time to spend with the students. Many parents work full time and do not have the time to teach their children how to be good adults. There are also some parents who do not know how to be good adults and can not teach their children how to be good adults.

I have seen many teachers at my school that would do anything to help a troubled student. Teachers can give the students their undivided attention. The students have to share one teacher, but the teachers usually try to make time for the students on a one on one basis. All of my high school teachers meant a lot to me. I learned more than reading, writing, history, and mathematics from my teachers. There were many hard times in my life that I would have had a rough time getting through if my teachers would not have been there for me.

My teachers were more than just educators, they are also my friends. My parents think that teachers should be just educators and not friends. They believe that your peers should be your friends. My parents think that teachers should not talk about their personal lives with students and they should not ask students about their personal lives.

My parents are very private people. They consider these actions to be unprofessional on the teachers' behalf. I disagree with my parents because there are many times in a students' life when the student has problems that they cannot ask their parents about. It is hard to spend eight hours a day with someone and not get personal with them at some time or another. It is important to have an educated adult to turn to. According to Jodi Wilgoren, a member of the "Times" staff, eighty- eight percent of Americans has their diplomas.

Although this is not perfect it is still very good. The teachers in the United States have a big effect on the citizens. We have wonderful teachers that point us in the right direction. I think that some people have to be pushed through high school. These people have little or no faith in their selves.

Teachers help to push these people and help them make it through high school. Our teachers care about the well- being of their students and they want to see them make it through school and be successful. Wilgoren also Points t that there are some countries that have a higher percentage of high school graduates than the United States. The United States is still doing very well, but the other countries are catching up with us. I think that the citizens of the United States should see this as a sign that we, as citizens, need to work harder. We should want to be the most educated country in the world.

In my opinion it is important for other countries to look up at us as being very educated. As a whole we are intelligent people and should be acknowledged for it. Teachers teach students how to interact with other students. The United States Department of Labor, author of "Compliance Assistance- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), points out that teachers are now using discussions, games, and hands on activities to teach the four basic subjects.

Teachers have moved away from the note taking and standing at a chalkboard for hours. Teachers show movies or slides to help Students' understand different concepts. Many students remember things better if they use visuals to learn them. I think that it is very important for students to work with hands on activities. Students should learn to work with other students.

Students should have the chance to get to know their peers and to share ideas with them. According to the United States Department of Labor teachers are using computers, cameras, and other technologies to teach the students the things that they need to know. I think that this is a good idea. Technology is always improving and it is important for students to learn about the new technologies. Technology makes school work easier. The internet has made it easier to access information about anything that you want with just a click of the mouse.

This makes it easier for students to get information for reports. The students will need to know information about the latest technologies when they join the workforce. I think that it is a good idea for students to learn about technology while they are still in school. If students learn about technology while they are still in school then they have a better understanding of it as an adult. Evan Keliher, the author of "Guerrilla Warfare for Teachers: A Survival Guide", says "Every minute teachers spend on misguided strategies is time they could spend on academics" (18).

I disagree with Keliher on this because if teachers do not try new strategies of teaching then they will not learn how to improve their classes. The education system is only trying to help the students. Keliher points out that millions of dollars are spent every year to modernize teaching and public school quality is still down (18). Schools are given money to purchase new technologies for their students. I think that the schools should use that money however they see fit. Keliher raises the idea that no program has helped the public school system more than the one before the twentieth century (18).

Teachers are forced to go to workshops to learn the latest methods of teaching. Keliher thinks that the hours that teachers spend in workshops is time that they could have been spent teaching the four basic subjects (18). This may be true, but from my experiences as a high school student I have learned that teachers learn fun, hands on activities for their students to try from these workshops. Teachers also learn about new technologies from these workshops. I think that everyone should keep up with the latest technologies for their own benefit. The world will continue to develop new technologies and if people do not acknowledge some of these technologies then in a few years they will be completely lost.

I think that new technologies make learning more fun for the students. Teachers teach students to speak only when spoken to and to raise their hands before they speak. The United States Department of Labor points out that teaching Students' to only speak when spoken to and to raise their hands before they speak helps to prepare students for the workforce. Students learn to listen to other peoples ideas. I think students will learn to not interrupt other people while they are speaking.

Students will learn to listen to the whole story and all the facts before jumping to conclusions. All these points will make students more open- minded individuals. I think that it is important for students to learn how to control their talking. I have many friends that have never completed high school and most of them are loud and outspoken. They do not know how to control their talking.

They cannot wait to say the first thing that they think of, which in a lot of cases is not always good. There are often times when these people say foolish things because they do not think before they speak. I think that if those people would have finished high school they would have learned a lot about manners and when to speak. Some parents think that their child can learn manners, dealing when to speak and when to respond to other people, at home. This may be true for some children.

Other children may not see their parents long enough to learn anything from them. Almost all parents have to work. Some parents are single and this forces even more time of work either at home or at the office. I commend the single parents for their hard work, but they should give their selves a break. These parents do not care any less about their children they just do not have a choice because they have to work. I think that parents should relieve themselves of some responsibility and let the teachers help them raise a proper young adult.

The United States Department of Labor points out that teachers include many different cultural lessons to help teach students about other students ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds. I think that it is a good idea for students to learn about other peoples cultures. They will have more respect for people who are different from them. The United States Department of Labor also points out that the population is growing and so is the minority all over the country and that is the reason why to teachers are offered to take classes to learn about other cultures. Teachers should know about the different cultures so none of their students will feel left out or out of place. If the students felt left out they would not be as interested in class as they should be.

Some parents believe that it is not important for their child to know about other peoples cultural backgrounds. Many students do not even know facts about their own culture. Their parents probably do not know enough about their culture to teach their children. I feel bad for these parents and their children because they are missing out on some interesting education. These parents should be more open- minded. They should want their children to receive all the education that they can get.

There are many interesting facts about all the different cultures. The United States Department of Labor points out that teachers teach students how to handle a heavy workload. I think that students learn how to have good priorities from their teachers. The students learn the importance of getting things done in an orderly fashion and in an appropriate amount of time. Students learn that things that have to be done should be done before the things that they want to do. I think that it is very important to learn about priorities at a young age.

If you do not learn about priorities at a young age then you will set your self up for a big disappointment as an adult. I have overheard parents talking about teachers giving their students too heavy of a workload. These parents think that teachers should not give students homework because many students have extra- curricular activities to attend after school. Or they may have after school part- time jobs.

These parents do not understand that the extra- curricular activities that their children are in are a privilege for their child. Students must maintain their workload and keep their grades up to participate in these activities. If working a part- time job interferes with a child's school work then the child should quite the job or cut back on the amount of hours that they work. The parents should be making sure that their children are keeping up on their school work and keeping their grades up.

I disagree with these parents because high school students should be beginning the growing up process. I believe that growing up includes learning what is important and working hard to get what you want. Hard work is part of growing up and being an adult. The United States Department of Labor points out that teachers prepare students for the workforce. Students get to work in groups and talk openly about what they are doing. The United States Department of Labor states that, "To be prepared students must be able to interact with others, adapt to new technologies, and logically think through problems.

The public schools are allowing teachers to have this kind of environment in the classroom. The public school systems are realizing that students need these skills. The United States Department of Labor Speaks about vocational skills. Vocational schools in Ohio are two year programs that students take their junior and senior years of high school.

The teachers of these schools teach different programs to prepare students for specific jobs. I think that it is a good idea to prepare students for the workforce. Many students decide not to go to college so they go to a vocational school to learn a trait. I think that it is important to give students the opportunity to go to a vocational school. Keliher thinks that students should be taught only academics (18). This would mean that teachers would not be able to train students for the workforce.

The students who chose to go straight to work after high school would be unprepared. Those students would not know what to expect. The students would not be able to choose to go to a vocational school and learn a trait. I do not think that this is fair to all the students. Some students have a hard time with high school work and could not handle college work.

Without vocational schools some students would be left working at a fast food restaurant for the rest of their lives. Vocational schools are designed help these students have a future. The vocational school programs benefit many students in our area because there are many construction jobs in our area. Teachers serve as role models for the students. The students look up to their educators because they learn from them. Most of what children learn from ages five to eighteen is taught to them by their teachers.

This is why we need high quality teachers in our public schools. Gail Gaines, a member of the Southern Regional Education Board, points out that in order to get quality teachers in the system the pay has to improve. I agree with Gaines because if we want high quality graduates then we must increase the pay. Good educators like to feel appreciated with a larger salary. I think that it is important for students to think of their teachers as being role models so they will remember them and the things they say.

Good quality teachers make good role models because they are well trained and can teach well. I remember many things that I was taught in high school and some things that I learned in elementary school. I remember more than just the important things. There are many unimportant things that teachers put in their lessons to make the class more interesting. Students find these things interesting because they have never heard of them before. Introducing new ideas to the students make the students more interested in the class.

Some students do not think of their teachers as role models because they do not like school. These students are often labeled as trouble makers. These students hate school and everything about it. These students usually misbehave at school as well as at home.

I think that these students disrespect their teachers because they think that their teachers are not smart and they just want to try to tell them what to do. I feel sorry for these students because they are missing out on a good learning experience. These students do not realize how much fun school could be if they would just change their attitude towards it. Teachers show respect to their students.

According to the United States Department of Labor teachers show respect towards their students by spending time with them and working with each student on a one on one basis. I believe that this is important to the students. The teachers should get to know the students as a person so they can understand the student and understand how the student thinks. The United States Department of Labor also mentions that teachers listen closely to the students when the students give oral reports. I think that this makes students feel like they are important and respected. When students feel like their opinions are important then they enjoy being in the classroom and being involved in the classroom discussions.

There are some teachers who do not have respect for their students. These teachers did not choose to teach because they really like children. I have witnessed that some teachers pick on students. The students feel like no matter what they do it will never be good enough so the students quite trying.

These teachers find every little thing wrong with the students work. When teachers do this to their students the students feel hurt and ashamed in front of their peers. I do not think that teachers should disrespect students, especially in front of their peers. Teachers should not embarrass their students. I think that teachers should correct their students work, but not make them feel like they are not intelligent. The teacher should go about correcting the student in a nice way.

For the most part, teachers are conservative and well rounded people. Teachers dress nicely and are usually on time. Teachers tend not to take sides on subjects. My teachers always gave their opinions, but they also discussed the opposing views. This gives the students a chance to choose a side without being persuaded by an adult. This is very important because students should make decisions for their selves and be their own person.

From my experiences conservative teachers set a good example for students. Some students' need these kinds of teachers in there lives because they do not have a stable parent at home. These students learn about what kind of person they should be and how to be that. Some teachers are not conservative. There have been many cases of teacher- student's sexual relations throughout history. These teachers are disrespectful to their selves, their students, their school, and even their districts.

In my opinion these teachers have chosen the wrong profession to go into. They are not setting good examples for their students and they should be punished. Teachers are also patient most of the time. According to the United States Department of Labor teachers have to deal with disrespectful students who do not want to learn. This would be the hardest part of keeping your patients. Some students like to see their educators upset.

I think that these students think that it is funny to disrupt class. These students do not have respect for their selves or anyone else. I think that these students were probably not raised properly. They my not know how to behave. Teachers must keep their patients with these students. Teachers have to put up with these kinds of students for as long as possible or until the student does something serious.

There have been cases of teachers assaulting their students. Teachers should never assault a student. In my opinion these teachers should probably seek help in anger management. I think that a lot of teachers probably feel like assaulting a student at least once in their careers.

Some students disrupt until the teachers cannot stand it, but the teacher must set a good example and keep control. Teachers work long hours. They have to work many hours of overtime. According to the United States Department of Labor, teachers work more than forty hours a week. The teacher's job does not end when they get home. There are many other preparations that have to be made for the following day.

Katy Mintz, a reader of the "Desert Sun", points out that teachers spend a lot of time on paperwork and preparation for class and should make more money. I agree with Mintz because teachers do an unreal amount of work outside of the classroom and they deserve to be paid more. Unlike other jobs teachers do not get paid more for the overtime that they work. Teachers probably work more overtime then anyone else. This is not fair to the teachers.

Teachers are required to follow guidelines and make all the plans for the class. According to the United States Department of Labor, teachers also have to come up with classroom presentations to accommodate the students' needs. In my opinion, presentations are a good learning experience, but they take up a lot of time in planning them and carrying them out. These plans have to be made and checked by the principal of the school. I think that making plans for class ahead of time is a good idea, but sometimes plans can change. I also think that there should be guidelines for these plans.

This helps to keep all students on the same level. It is important for students to be on the same level when or if they go to college. The colleges know where the students are, education wise, by what classes they have had in high school. Planning classroom activity makes it easier for the teachers to keep class flowing. Teachers can look back at their plans and see what they have taught their students and what they need to teach their students. Planning is good for everyone.

Teachers also spend a lot of time grading papers. According to the United States Department of Labor, teachers are required to grade papers. It is difficult to grade everyone's papers. Some teachers may teach up to there class a day and have up to ninety students or more. Teachers must read through all the students' responses and give the students a grade that they think the student deserves. Most teachers correct the student's papers as they read through them so that the students will know what they made a mistake on and what they need to work on.

This takes up even more time. This is part of the reason why many teachers give multiple choice tests. When the teachers give multiple choice tests they only have to look at the letter and correct it. This makes the papers easier to grade and it takes up less time.

Teachers expect to have their papers graded and back to them in a reasonable amount of time because they are curious to see their grades. The students do not think about how much time and effort that has to be put in to grading each paper. Sometimes teachers have student helpers to help them grade papers. We are seeing less of this every year in the Adams County School District, according to Sandina Alexander, a high school English teacher at Manchester High School (1).

Having student helpers for teachers is a good idea. As long as the students helpers are responsible. Student's helpers should keep the other students grades confidential. The teachers should pick the students that they know they can trust to be their student helpers. Everyone needs help sometimes when they have a heavy workload. According to the United States Department of Labor, teachers also have to prepare report cards for the students.

This job is getting easier as technology advances. The teachers do not have to average all the students' grades with a pen and paper anymore. All grades are kept on disks for the computer and the computer averages the grades as you type them in. This improves the quality of the grading system and allows for little errors.

Even though this method is easier it is still time consuming. The teachers must go through and type all the grades in for every student. It is a good idea for the teachers to prepare the report cards because they have worked with the students and the teachers can curve the grades if they see it fit. Teachers must have conferences with the students' parents and the school staff, according to the United States Department of Labor. Many of these meetings take place in the evening so the teachers have to stay later at school. Alexander thinks that these meetings are a good idea, but can sometimes be inconvenient (2).

The parents and teachers of each student's should meet on a regular basis to discuss the student's progress even if the students' are not having any problems. The parents of these students may have concerns that they would like to discuss. This keeps the teacher caught up with the students' home life and the parent caught up with the students's chool life. Everyone who is closely involved with the students should know what is going on in the students lives. The teacher staff meetings are also a good idea. The teachers can share teaching tips and ideas.

This would help to keep teachers on the same teaching level. They can also discuss the concerns that they have for the students. They can work together on issues that would make their school function better. At these meetings teachers are informed about other things going on in their school district.

It is important for teachers to know what is going on around them and what could happen to them. Some teachers choose to teach extra curricular activities, according to the United States Department of Labor. Some teachers coach basketball. soccer, cheer leading, and many other sports. This requires many extra hours of time spent at school.

These teachers who choose to do this gets paid extra for their trouble. Some teachers oversee BETA Club, Family Career and Community Leader of America (FCC LA), Future Farmers of America (FFA), Academic Team, or many other clubs. Both students and teachers enjoy these activities. These activities and many other activities would not be available for the students if teachers did not put their time into to them. These activities are a good idea for every school. They keep students out of trouble and give them something to look forward to.

Teachers give students extra help when they need it. Many teachers will stay after school to help the students if the students want them to. Some students need extra help with certain subject and it is very important that they get it. In many cases the extra help that teachers give students makes the difference in students passing or failing a class. Teachers do not get paid for this extra time that they spend helping students. They do it out of the kindness of their hearts.

According to Alexander, all teachers want to see their students succeed (2). Giving students extra help and making them understand is as rewarding for the teachers as it is for the students. All teachers must be organized. Teachers must have all their papers printed and ready for their students. Sometimes it is critical for teachers to remember things for the students.

If teachers misplace or forget things it could mess up their plans and make them as well as their classes behind. The teachers only have a certain amount of time to get their plans finished in so it is important that they keep their plans as up to date as possible. I think that being organized is a very important part of being a teacher. Teachers work very hard and have many tasks to complete. Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world. They do so much for us that sometimes we forget how much we should appreciate them.

Without teachers the world would be at a stand still. There would be no technology advances and no need for jobs that require a college education. The entire world would be stuck making minimum wage their whole life. The United States would be stuck in the primitive times. People would not be able to get an education. It is hard for me to imagine the world without teachers because there would be so many changes.

The world would be a completely different place then what it is now. These facts about how hard teachers work and how much they do for us should stand as proof that teachers are overworked and underpaid. Work Cited Alexander, Sandina. Personal Interview, 23 January 2003. Gaines, Gail. Focus on Teacher Salaries: What Teacher Salary Averages Don't Show.

Southern Regional Education Board. Atlanta, GA: ERIC Document Reproduction Service, 2000. ED 461644. Keliher, Evan.

"Forget the Fads- The Old Way Works Best" Newsweek. September 2002: 18. Mintz, Katy. "Focus Letter: Teachers Earn The Salary They Make". The Desert Sun. 2002.8 January 2003.

Sternberg, Ruth E. "Ohio Teachers Settle Salary Contracts For Less Money". SACC T.V. 2002.13 February 2003. The Education Intelligence Agency. "International Teacher Salary Report". Ohio Roundtable & Ohio Freedom Forum Online Library.

1999.22 January 2003. United States Department of Labor. "Bureau of Labor Statistics". Occupational Outlook Handbook.

2002-03.13 February 2003... Wilgoren, Jodi. "Education Study Finds U.S. Falling Short" (2001): 4 pp. 22 January 2003.