8 reasons why you should appreciate teachers
Oct. 5 is World Teachers' Day. Here are some statistics that may make you appreciate your teachers even more than you already did.
Overtime
Teachers work an average of 50 hours a week, according to the National Education Association, which means either staying late or arriving early at school or bringing their own homework with them to ensure you know whether you're sitting at an A or a B.
Extra credit
Most teachers' responsibilities don't end at the ring of the bell. There are club meetings and sponsorships, as well as crossing guards and other positions that help make sure students both have fun and get home in one piece.
No summer vacation
Just because it's summer vacation for you doesn't mean it's summer vacation for your teacher. Teachers need to meet and plan for the next school year, and at least 30 percent of teachers must take on second jobs in general, let alone in the summer, according to the Texas State Teachers Association.
No rest
Reportedly, only 18 percent of teachers get eight or more hours of sleep per night. The rest manage with five to seven hours a night.
They're buying their students' supplies
In a nationwide survey conducted by Adopt A Classroom, it was found that more than 90 percent of teachers purchase supplies and other items for students who are unable to afford them. Teachers are said to spend almost $500 of their own money on supplies each school year, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics. The National School Supply and Equipment Association found that during the 2012-2013 school year, $3.2 billion was spent total on school materials and supplies. Of that $3.2 billion, $1.6 billion came straight out of teachers' pockets.
Many leave due to poor salaries
According to a report by the University of Pennsylvania, 61 percent of the teachers who do leave their profession out of dissatisfaction do so because of poor salaries.
They're not doing it for the money
The National Education Association reported that salaries for teachers typically start at $39,000 and end around $67,000, but that's only if they can survive the lower wages long enough to reach tenure and other long-term benefits. So when your teacher smuggles in the banned book "Where the Wild Things Are" for students to appreciate, know that it's not because they're rich. It's because they're passionate.
Appreciate the ones who stay
The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future found that 46 percent of teachers leave in their first five years, so you should really appreciate the ones passionate enough to stick around through the good and the bad.
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