Real Talk
“It’s rewarding.” I often say, though the reward is barely monetary.
I was talking with a group of people and mentioned my second job, my “side hustle” as a waitress. “Aren’t you a teacher?” they asked. “Well yeah, I am, but sometimes that doesn’t exactly cover everything,” I say as I laugh nervously. Then, I quickly add, “But I love my job as a teacher, though!”
This is a conversation I know all too well.
“But I love my job.”
“But I do it for the kids.”
“But it’s all worth it.”
These are all responses I’ve made when discussing my teacher pay. I feel this need to explain myself anytime I say that I’m a teacher with a second job. People tend to look at me with a mixture of admiration and pity because while teaching is a notable career, there’s little to show for it.
“It’s rewarding.” I often say, though the reward is barely monetary. Why do we do this? Why do we offer an exemption from fair pay simply because we work with kids? We KNOW how much work we do, making sure our kids’ expectations are met. We know the time we put in, before our job even begins, making sure our classrooms are perfect. We know how many days we stay late, and how many nights are spent grading. We know the emotional toll it takes on our health, yet we are so afraid when it comes to speaking up for ourselves.
We shouldn’t have to speak up for ourselves, but sadly, this is our harsh reality—if we want to be heard, we have to be honest and stop pretending everything is “okay”. Teaching is only “enough” of a salary for one person, or a couple, if that; teaching is not a suitable career, financially, for someone with a family. However, it’s marketed as just that!
“Become a teacher and have the summers off with your family.” That “time-off” can often be cluttered with professional development. You’ll also only make ten months’ mediocre pay while you have more mouths to feed.
“Become a teacher, the insurance and retirement are great.” You’ll pay for it with your low take-home pay.
I believe the real issue here is that we believe somehow our work is charity. We WANT to help, so we collectively believe that money is our due sacrifice. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Just take a look at other career paths that are essential to a functioning society, with a similar amount of higher education: those who work in healthcare, transportation, IT, etc. Though we shouldn’t compare careers, I think it’s fair to look around at others and wonder, “why are THEY making a living wage?”
I feel as if I’ve been unfairly brainwashed. Here’s what I know to be true:
- It’s okay for a job to be emotionally AND financially rewarding. It’s only FAIR, actually.
- It’s okay to raise questions on WHY we aren’t being paid properly—and challenge those too-small numbers written on our checks.
- It’s okay to be ticked off that we hold such an essential title, yet we collect pennies for doing a job that’s world-changing.
It’s no wonder that schools are literally begging for teachers this school year. Who wants to deal with an ever-increasing list of responsibilities and risks when there’s never-changing pay? Who wants to be overworked each week with little recognition and no overtime compensation? Who wants to enter a field of work where the employees are warning you to look elsewhere?
Next time, my answer will simply be: “I don’t get paid enough.” Point blank. No ‘but’s. Period.
I’m tired of putting my heart and soul into a career that I earned two degrees for, just to be met with unappreciation.
