Why aren’t teachers as respected as other professionals? It’s too bad that the field is lower paid and less respected than other professional fields, because the quality of the teachers (probably) suffers in consequence. There’s a vicious cycle: teachers aren’t highly respected --> parents and others don’t respect their experience -->no one wants to go into teaching and teachers aren’t motivated to excel --> teachers aren’t highly respected.
It’s almost surprising that I had so many excellent teachers through the years. The personal connection between teachers and their students must be particularly strong, because the environment doesn’t seem to be very motivating for teachers to want to be excellent at what they do.
Based on anecdotal evidence. I just think it’s too bad.
I think that’s a little vague. My impression is the following (in the US):
Many people will claim to respect teachers in the abstract. Charitably I think this is based on fond memories of their favorite teacher, less charitably based on a sense that respecting teachers is something people feel like they ought to be seen doing.
However, actually being a teacher (e.g. on a date) is not likely to garner a great deal of status relative to other professions.
Also, students generally don’t seem to respect their teachers (but this is also vague).
Agree with the OP that the basic problem seems to be a vicious cycle (again, in the US).
It´s probably something like Linus’s “I love humanity … It’s people I can’t stand”.
I wonder if there isn’t the opposite effect for some group, like CEOs, where people may have somewhat negative feelings about the abstract concept, but show a great deal of respect in person.
Another question would be whether people who interact with teachers qua teachers — for instance, parents of students; coaches, principals, or other school employees — treat them as moral and social equals, or as inferiors. It seems to be a common complaint from schoolteachers that some parents, for instance, consistently treat their children’s teachers as inferiors.
I just realized I generalized too much. In Canada, you require a four-year Bachelor’s of Education specifically (same as for being an engineer, and more than most trades). The average salary seems to be about the same as in the US.
Here, have a summary. Until fairly recently, teaching was something you did until you got a real job, and that perception lingers. Add to that some peoples’ resentment of teachers-as-authority or teachers-as-experts. Add to that the suspicious fact that male teachers are more well-respected than female teachers, but the profession is mostly women and is seen by a scary number of people as “women’s work.”
As a quick answer, I would say people appreciate what they pay for, and do not care about what they may have for free. Professors are respected, and even teachers at private schools, as are professional tutors. But when teachers are used, it usually mean public school teachers, who are essentially free (taxes notwithstanding). To spread science, keep it secret extends to education and educators as well. If educators were rare, expensive keepers of knowledge, then they would be coveted.
And of course, since the government is the largest employer of teachers, they are able to keep their salaries low, leading to a decrease of prestige and quality of teachers. Which leads to a vicious cycle downwards.
people appreciate what they pay for, and do not care about what they may have for free.
The relation is there, but I think the causality is the other way round. You are more willing to pay to people for their service if you respect them.
Evidence: 1) People also pay for public schools, by paying their taxes. But even if the law required them to pay a fixed amount of money to the public school directly, situation would remain the same. Paying is not essential here, paying voluntarily is. 2) Sometimes people pay for a product or service simply because they need it and they can’t obtain it otherwise. For example, people pay to prostitutes, but typically don’t respect them. 3) If you respect your friend as an expert, and your friend explains you something for free, you don’t stop respecting them. -- This is why I think respect comes before payment.
In my opinion (which is supported by my first-hand experience as a teacher), the most direct impact on teachers’ status had the removing of almost everything that our ape brains perceive as status-related. Teachers are not allowed to punish students physically. (I am not saying this is a bad thing. I am just saying it removes a part of what would be obviously status-related in the ancient environment, and our brains notice that.) Students are allowed to disobey and even offend teachers (within some limits they carefully explore and share with each other) with virtually no consequences. This is responsible for maybe 80% of the change. -- Note: Some people even consider teachers’ status lowering a good thing! They usually describe a (strawman?) tyrrant, and explain a need to make people more equal. In reality, in many schools the teachers are already at the bottom of the status ladder, and the most agressive students are at the top, bullying their classmates and teachers.
The remaining 20% is related to the fact that lower degrees of education are no longer a status symbol (because almost everyone has them), and even the higher degrees become a weaker evidence (as countries participate in a pissing contest about who has more % of population with a university degree by lowering the standards); many employers care about having a diploma but don’t care about specific knowledge (especially the government is guilty of this; may be different in your country), which makes teachers and schools replaceable commodities, so most customers only care about the price. Having better education (assuming the same diploma) seems to have absolutely no consequences; people underestimate the inferential distances and say everything is online anyway. And then we have the vicious cycle of lower respect driving some good teachers away, which reinforces lower respect for those who stayed, who are suspect that they didn’t have a better choice.
Why aren’t teachers as respected as other professionals? It’s too bad that the field is lower paid and less respected than other professional fields, because the quality of the teachers (probably) suffers in consequence. There’s a vicious cycle: teachers aren’t highly respected --> parents and others don’t respect their experience -->no one wants to go into teaching and teachers aren’t motivated to excel --> teachers aren’t highly respected.
It’s almost surprising that I had so many excellent teachers through the years. The personal connection between teachers and their students must be particularly strong, because the environment doesn’t seem to be very motivating for teachers to want to be excellent at what they do.
Based on anecdotal evidence. I just think it’s too bad.
Really? The BBC thinks they’re the second highest status profession, just after professor (and before CEO).
They’re significantly better paid than you would expect given the qualifications required to be a teacher (none).
I’ve gotten the impression that the respect of teachers in the US is way below what it is in the UK (or Finland, for that matter).
To all three of you: respected by whom?
People in general?
I think that’s a little vague. My impression is the following (in the US):
Many people will claim to respect teachers in the abstract. Charitably I think this is based on fond memories of their favorite teacher, less charitably based on a sense that respecting teachers is something people feel like they ought to be seen doing.
However, actually being a teacher (e.g. on a date) is not likely to garner a great deal of status relative to other professions.
Also, students generally don’t seem to respect their teachers (but this is also vague).
Agree with the OP that the basic problem seems to be a vicious cycle (again, in the US).
It´s probably something like Linus’s “I love humanity … It’s people I can’t stand”.
I wonder if there isn’t the opposite effect for some group, like CEOs, where people may have somewhat negative feelings about the abstract concept, but show a great deal of respect in person.
It’s even worse in here Italy—ISTM that most people would agree that most teachers these days are incompetent.
Another question would be whether people who interact with teachers qua teachers — for instance, parents of students; coaches, principals, or other school employees — treat them as moral and social equals, or as inferiors. It seems to be a common complaint from schoolteachers that some parents, for instance, consistently treat their children’s teachers as inferiors.
I just realized I generalized too much. In Canada, you require a four-year Bachelor’s of Education specifically (same as for being an engineer, and more than most trades). The average salary seems to be about the same as in the US.
Here, have a summary. Until fairly recently, teaching was something you did until you got a real job, and that perception lingers. Add to that some peoples’ resentment of teachers-as-authority or teachers-as-experts. Add to that the suspicious fact that male teachers are more well-respected than female teachers, but the profession is mostly women and is seen by a scary number of people as “women’s work.”
As a quick answer, I would say people appreciate what they pay for, and do not care about what they may have for free. Professors are respected, and even teachers at private schools, as are professional tutors. But when teachers are used, it usually mean public school teachers, who are essentially free (taxes notwithstanding). To spread science, keep it secret extends to education and educators as well. If educators were rare, expensive keepers of knowledge, then they would be coveted.
And of course, since the government is the largest employer of teachers, they are able to keep their salaries low, leading to a decrease of prestige and quality of teachers. Which leads to a vicious cycle downwards.
The relation is there, but I think the causality is the other way round. You are more willing to pay to people for their service if you respect them.
Evidence: 1) People also pay for public schools, by paying their taxes. But even if the law required them to pay a fixed amount of money to the public school directly, situation would remain the same. Paying is not essential here, paying voluntarily is. 2) Sometimes people pay for a product or service simply because they need it and they can’t obtain it otherwise. For example, people pay to prostitutes, but typically don’t respect them. 3) If you respect your friend as an expert, and your friend explains you something for free, you don’t stop respecting them. -- This is why I think respect comes before payment.
In my opinion (which is supported by my first-hand experience as a teacher), the most direct impact on teachers’ status had the removing of almost everything that our ape brains perceive as status-related. Teachers are not allowed to punish students physically. (I am not saying this is a bad thing. I am just saying it removes a part of what would be obviously status-related in the ancient environment, and our brains notice that.) Students are allowed to disobey and even offend teachers (within some limits they carefully explore and share with each other) with virtually no consequences. This is responsible for maybe 80% of the change. -- Note: Some people even consider teachers’ status lowering a good thing! They usually describe a (strawman?) tyrrant, and explain a need to make people more equal. In reality, in many schools the teachers are already at the bottom of the status ladder, and the most agressive students are at the top, bullying their classmates and teachers.
The remaining 20% is related to the fact that lower degrees of education are no longer a status symbol (because almost everyone has them), and even the higher degrees become a weaker evidence (as countries participate in a pissing contest about who has more % of population with a university degree by lowering the standards); many employers care about having a diploma but don’t care about specific knowledge (especially the government is guilty of this; may be different in your country), which makes teachers and schools replaceable commodities, so most customers only care about the price. Having better education (assuming the same diploma) seems to have absolutely no consequences; people underestimate the inferential distances and say everything is online anyway. And then we have the vicious cycle of lower respect driving some good teachers away, which reinforces lower respect for those who stayed, who are suspect that they didn’t have a better choice.