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What is the portrait of today's teacher in the United States? The National Education Association has outlined the characteristics and issues facing the profession.
Yesterday
Teaching has had dramatic changes over the past 40 years. Between 1950 and 1970, it was common to find teachers in classrooms with two-year degrees, no behavior management training, and little knowledge of learning disabilities. There were often no televisions in the classrooms. No one even dreamed of computers, copiers, portable calculators, or telephones in the classroom. A classroom consisted of desks, black chalk board, chalk, books and a record player. One-fifth of teachers held an advanced degree.
Fast-Forward To The Present
Today, teachers can send a message to print their worksheet written on a portable laptop to the office printer 500 feet away by wireless message. Students are presenting reports at the middle school level by Power Point. These changes happened in 25 years and teachers have had to keep pace in this world of changing technology. There is more added to their already full plate every year.
What Is A Typical Teacher?
According to NEA's research, today's teacher is
- White
- Female
- Married
- Religious
- 43 years old
- Over half hold a Master's Degree
Interesting Facts
Teachers of the 21st Century:
- spend an average of 50+ hours per week on teaching duties, including noncompensated school-related activities such as grading papers, bus duty, club advising, fund raisers, phone calls at home, and evening activity supervision.
- teach an average of 21 pupils at the elementary and 28 at the high school level.
- spend an average of $443 per year of their own money to meet the needs of their students. Elementary teachers spend about $498 per year. Secondary teachers spend about $386.
- make an average starting salary of $31,704 per year.
- 73% enter the teaching profession because of their desire to work with young people.
What Are The Trends Of Today?
- America's public school teachers are the most educated, most experienced ever. Half of the teachers have 15 years of experience or more. The majority of teachers hold one or more advanced degrees. Public school teachers are highly skilled in the subjects they teach.
- The work of teachers is being transformed. Teachers are learning new skills and sharpening the ones they've already developed. Teachers are enriching their lessons with technology.
- The number of teachers leaving the profession is increasing. Working conditions and low salaries are by far the primary reasons cited by individuals who do not plan to continue teaching until retirement. Nation-wide, more than 3.9 million teachers will be needed because of attrition, retirement and increased student enrollment. Many new teachers leave after five years. Teacher shortages appear in some subjects more than others (math, science, counseling, special education).
- The teaching corps in public schools does not reflect the diversity of the student population. More teachers of color are needed. The percentage of African-American teachers is the lowest since 1971. Classroom success depends on cultural diversity.
- Just 25% of the nation's 3 million teachers are men. Male numbers are gradually dwindling. States that have high salaries have more male teachers.
While there is a trend, it is not going in a direction that will be good for the country. The teacher shortage is looming closer every year. Three things are quite evident:
- We need more minority teachers.
- We need more male teachers.
- We need to keep the teachers we have.
If education for our children is important, we as a country will need to prioritize needs and put more funding into teacher salaries. Children are our future and the U.S. is already falling behind other nations of the world in education. A teacher shortage is not going to improve that situation.
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2006 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
The copyright of the article NEA: Today's Teacher Issues in Educational Issues is owned by Barbara Pytel. Permission to republish NEA: Today's Teacher Issues in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Comments
Apr 30, 2008 4:57 AM
Guest :
I want to be a teacher when i grow up,,, i am a boy, and love to help kids
learn life lessons
Oct 6, 2008 8:14 PM
Guest :
yeah i agree, the country itself should prioritize the needs of the
students and put more funding into teacher salaries...
-venus in
the philippines-
Nov 21, 2008 7:56 AM
Guest :
If you're thinking about becoming a teacher, think twice. Make sure this is
the career for you, because once you dedicate yourself to earning the
degrees and experience, it's very difficult to change careers. Teaching
does not have many "transferable" skills. Once your degree says
"education" on it, you're pretty limited. I'm teaching currently,
in my third year, and I am miserable. Kids are not what you expect.
Dec 21, 2008 5:47 PM
Guest :
"Public school teachers are highly skilled in the subjects they
teach." I'm not sure about middle and high school, but in elementary
school teachers are definitely not skilled. I think "skilled"
would include knowing elementary school math, the 7 continents, where
Russia is on the map, and other basic facts that even the students they're
teaching know. That would mean that there are quite a few teachers that are
not skilled, even in the public elementary school I went to, that was
considered very good. (only 13 students in my class with 3 teachers at one
point!!)
Apr 27, 2009 11:58 AM
Guest :
Teaching is a great rewarding profession if you can remember not to take
things personally. You have to to be able to spend your extra time
"off" (ie, weekends/holidays/summer) to either create meaningful
lessons to your students or possibly go back and get more education. I
have a bachelors and a Master's degree. Even after ten years, I still know
I have more to learn. Kids in this generation are much different than when
I attended school, which wasn't that long ago. Kids have parents who are
divorced, work at night, can't read or do math at their grade level,
substance abusers, in the prison system, don't get feed every day, have no
home, etc. The government needs to start allocating more funds and money to
the school districts to help alleviate the amount of personal money
teachers spend so their students can be successful since we require them to
color the poster or make the diorama etc. I believe in the education
system, but it hasn't changed in over a hundred years. I work with highly
qualified teachers who do nothing but worry about their students success.
If you want to be a teacher, my advice is to get into the school systems as
early as possible in your education in college. The sooner you know it is
the right field for you, the more confident you are - and if you are a
sophomore in college after spending 72 hours in a classroom field
experience, and it is not for you- you still have time to change majors.
Teaching IS NOT a 8-4 job M-F. GREAT teachers know this.
May 5, 2009 8:05 PM
Guest :
I wish there were teaching jobs during this economic recession! Graduating
from a teaching program right now is not the most encouraging thing to
do.
May 7, 2009 9:44 AM
Guest :
The U.S pays more for education than any country in the world. Yet we rank
25th in the world . We're not exactly getting our monies worth are we.
Jun 7, 2009 12:48 PM
Guest :
We also educate the most citizens. Most other countries their
"public" systems cost money to the parents. How many of our
students would then attend, when it is a fact that children of higher
socioeconomic classes do better at school (better food, less work, more
parental support,more outside supplementary experiences, etc.)? If only
students whose parents could afford to pay went to school, our results
would look better too. Also, we spend alot of money on art, music, sports,
that other countries do not. Are they of less value?
Jun 30, 2009 8:40 PM
Guest :
I believe that the students you teach also depends on where you are
teaching. It is true that kids are not what you expect, but i believe
students will not give such a hard time if you show them some compassion.
Kids are under so much more stress now a days, with divorced parents, the
media showing how everyone is either "super model skinny &
pretty" or just ugly and fat. I have experience in both public and
private Catholic schools and found that yes, there are many wonderful kids
at public schools,but i find it much more exciting being in a private
school. Of course we need engineers and doctors, but what happens if the
next doctor with the cure for cancer is sitting in a 2nd grade classroom
with no one to teach them long division? Teachers will always play a very
important role in society.
Jul 15, 2009 5:56 AM
Guest :
There is NOT enough money put into the classrooms by any means. Teachers
are constantly criticized about being lazy or having it easy. Well I am a
special Ed teacher with inner city youth and there is nothing easy about
having students whose parents either physically are emotionally abuse them.
Student who in first grade cannot hold a crayon, never seen a book, and
cannot identify one letter in their own name. Part of the problem with
education in America is that families do not understand the expectations of
today’s student they need so many tools before they set foot into
Kindergarten and first grade and they need to find a way to get them to
their child regardless if is through them spending time going over the
information or pre school. If theses skills are not there by ages 5 and 6
that student will almost always be behind. Many of today’s students have no
liability or accountability put on them related to performance or behavior.
They still get a cell phone and go out on the weekend, Ed Hardy clothes,
and new Jordan’s, but it is my fault the did not do their paper, homework
or failed a test right. In many cases it is better to just keep them happy
and out of the way than to parent. It cannot just be the teacher’s
responsibility to help a student learn when there are so many expectations.
My daughter is 3 she can read, knows the alphabet, blends and diagraphs,
she knows her numbers and can add single digits, we are working on writing
her name now. This took a lot of time but it is my job as her mother to
make sure I give her all the basic tools to succeed. There is no way for me
to know what the future of education holds but she has a foundation.
Let’s not even start with the low pay I have to have a Masters degree in
order to teach in my state and the pay does not account for it. In private
sector my education would start me at least $100,000 dollars a year.
Jul 22, 2009 9:33 AM
Guest :
The teaching profession has become a machine run by massive orginizational
powers such as the CTA. There is no way anyone in this business--and yes,
it's big business like no other--will make changes that are good for
teachers and students. The powers that be won't allow it. Intellegence
dictates protection of its species. Those with it will keep it, and those
without it will simply muddle through while feeding it. History teaches us
the cause and effects of revolution--that to change something, one must
actually fight at times. Today, unfortunately, our enemies are
untouchable, hidden behind so many layers of beauracracy that only a
collaps of the system--which is close at hand in California--will actually
allow the recreation of our educational endevors. Looking into the eyes of
our students today, one can see that hope is dwindelling and being replaced
by apathy. "I'll let Obama take care of me. Why not? He loves the idea
that the rich take care of the poor. I'll never be rich. So let them take
care of me and I would have to REALLY do ANYTHING ever again."
This virus of thought will soon infect most young minds that we would
normally count on to take us into the future. But alas, the future, with
its stimulus packages and misplaced insentives to large corporate
conglomorates, there will be no place one can hide to find solice with the
status quo, because the status quo will be removed and replaced with the
socialist model of status class. If you don't have a hig standard of living
now, you never will. And if you do, it will be far less that you can
imagine shorty. Good luck to us all. Some might even complain about my use
of wishing for luck here. But why not use luck here--we seems to think it
would save us in the past. Remember? "The Lottery?
Aug 26, 2009 10:21 PM
Guest :
this article really touched me......but on the other hand did you have to
say of color i think the word you should've put their is minority.
Sep 16, 2009 12:59 PM
Guest :
There this very great program here at my school that is called Youth
Tutoring Youth. It offers a wonderful experience to see if you would like
to become a teacher or if teaching is a right fit for you. I really enjoy
working with first graders, that what I learn from this experience so far.
I hope my purpose of making a difference will never disappear. This is the
reason many teachers is still teaching or is a teacher. I hope many future
teachers will see that the pros of teaching out weighs the cons.
Sep 21, 2009 8:19 AM
Guest :
I always dreamed of being a teacher, I enjoy working with children and
would be pleased to take part in creating a great learning environment for
all children regardless of their diverse situation. I agree teaching is not
a 8-4 job you have to constantly be working to ensure your lesson planning
and classroom management skills will be effective.Teaching requires a lot
of planning and thinking strategies. In addition you have to understand
that every student has his or her unique individual need that must be met.
Parent teacher confernces, and lesson planning, being part of the schools
community is essential. I feels its the right field for me and hopefuly I
can find a school to work in.
Sep 23, 2009 3:39 PM
Guest :
Teaching is a wonderful profession. But if you live in the Pacific
Northwest, I would recommend you pursue other opportunities. You will NOT
find a job in either Portland, OR or Seattle, WA or anywhere near those
cities. There was a teacher glut here in Portland long before the recession
hit, and it's only worse now. If you want to live in the Portland or
Seattle area, don't expect to teach.
15 Comments
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