RateItAll: The Opinion Network

I love teaching and I'm good with kids!

it seems like the only want to teach the kids who are easy to teach!!

From a teacher: "If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, I'll promise not to believe everything he says happens at home."

okayy. as long as i was a kewl teacher.

i feel sorry for teachers, they ain't paid enough

another honorable profession right up there with policemen and firemen

i can't teach other people well

Totally awesome!! Teacher's are great - hopefully I'll be one :P!

i love to learn

luv it already!

underpaid, underappreciated, but good work

Kids can be so mean.

i love kids and i have a lot of patience too

A formerly honorable profession, but not anymore. Society has abandoned the teaching profession.

I would hate to be a teacher because all the kids would drive me stupid!

If I was a cool one, then sure.

only if I could teach V's (V is for Vendetta)message in a civil way...no violence >_>

I had a teacher one time say that if you weren't in her class to learn, to get the --- out. Might have sounded a little harsh, but she took her teaching job very seriously. I admire a good teacher.

Yet another underappreciated, underpaid profession. You need patience, compassion, and a true desire to help others in order to make a good teacher. It's a great profession, and we need more of them!

I think this is tough to rate. I wouldn't put up with the job for a New York minute, and I have some admiration for the dedicated folks who love the job.

There are, however a lot of folks who took the job on because it pays ok, and you get 2 months holidays every year.

Some of the latter type have taught my kids. Fortunately, some of the former type have too.

I think a teacher is a noble profession. It's very hard yet very rewarding. The idea that you can educate, help, and inspire is priceless!

I wouldn't want to be a teacher.... Save us all from Numbah, the Super History Teacher!

Great teachers are going to be back soon. Why, you ask? Because I'm gonna teach. That's right, say hello to Mr Numbah, your history teacher. Think of all the young minds I'll corrupt!

Another underpaid profession. They sometimes spend more time with kids than thier own parents so a good teacher is very important to shaping an individual throughout the most important yeasr of development.

The k-12 teaching profession has to have become the most over-sanctified over paid position in our society. Yes, there are good teachers and they deserve the salaries they get. But give me a freaking break... teachers work 190 days a year with 10 sick days and 5 personals thanks to the strongest union lobby in America. Their days start at what? 7am and end at 3ish? with periods off and lunch breaks. Not to mention the requisite major of education is easily the easiest of all degrees to attain. I personally know many teachers and am literally floored by how inadequate their knowledge of simple history is. In NYC and NJ the average teachers are making 45k per plus obnoxious pensions and early retirements. I have all the respect in the world for good teachers but the profession has been progressively watered down with nimrods seeking tenure who bilk the system while students pass along learning little of what is needed to succeed in society. The American education system is a complete failure and the teachers deserve most of the blame.

I've had some wonderful teachers in my time.I went to a public school and the best of them have been a guiding light throughout my life.Of course,there are some who NEVER should have been allowed to teach.We need to take a bigger interest in our society in rewarding excellent teachers-our children are the most important part of the future.

Teaching is a profession of the utmost importance. Yes, there are some really great teachers out there, without a doubt, but there are also many teachers out there who are completely worthless. The worthless teachers are those that got into the profession for the wrong reasons.

It is one of the most important jobs in any form of civilization and if you base the rating on that then it deserves a 5 stars. That being said it is the one of the most thankless jobs I can think of with a very high rate of burn out. I admire any one who trys to or does this job but it does not get the respect or support that it should.

Are we kidding ourselves? This is the highest rated occupation, yet the nation generally seems to have a problem finding people to do it. Hmmmm...could it be the fact that the money isn't generally there, the prestige? Sure, people says it's fulfilling. Maybe. However, have you ever tried to get a child who really doesn't understand a concept to understand it? Not how I really want to spend my days.

I work as a teacher's aide right now and I really love it. I work with kids who are in Elementary Special Education and I really enjoy teaching them and watching their personal accomplishments. It may not pay too much, but it feels like a very rewarding job to me.

While I was in college, I always found it amusing when students would hold protests on behalf of their instructors. I've also seen news accounts of this occuring at the high school level. Kind of a de facto teacher strike, without the teachers ever having to leave their break room. Each side is leveraging the other: the students seem to expect a more generous grading curve, and the teachers a more generous benefits' package. At least, that's been the developing fad here in trend-setting California...

Rating being a teacher is a tough call. As another comment noted, there is a big difference between teaching small children and those in middle and high school. I do not think I would have the patience to work with elementary students, probably getting frustrated. At the higher levels, a teacher (no doubt) gets into more complex subject matter, and the interaction would be rewarding (as well as seeing young minds see the world as a larger place). Unfortunately, I believe I would have trouble teaching the less gifted students even at the post-elementary level. Moreover, the profession has gotten so bureaucratic over the years, and that would not sit well with me. As for compensation, there are so many people who are willing (and perhaps able) to teach, that the laws of supply and demand keep monetary compensation low. Nevertheless, the non-monetary compensation is substantial (eg more time off, pension and health benefits, etc).

More people would do it if they weren't under the iron fisted rule of the teachers unions. They whine and complain, and certainly don't represent the rank and file. It's a great gig, summer vacations, two weeks for Christmas, two for Easter, a dozen paid holidays and you pay virtually nothing for health care.

Underpaid babysitters from 8-3, but seriously one of the hardest professions, they deserve more money and more respect. The teacher plays so many roles to the child, and becomes one of the childs most important influences. Great teachers don't teach they let the guide and let children discover for themselves.

I'd never want this job. For one thing, You have kids disrespecting you all day and you have to deal with their parents and the majority of the time, You work and never get to relax, seemingly. And if you're a big disciplinarian, The kids will hate your guts. Not my idea of a good job.

A fine profession, although about 5 -10K underpaid. . .I feel sorry for teachers because they have no disciplinary powers over today's kids. Modern parents have raised a generation of fat, lazy kids who can't read or write and blame teachers who have to work in a system where you basically have to pass kids.

Why is it all of the history teachers I know tell completely false stories about World War! They say there was no holocaust or concentration camps! They try and tell us Franklin Delano didn't put the Japanese Americans into Internment camps! Our teachers are liars!

i have a lot of respect for teachers. look at what they have to go through everyday! dealing with kids, parents, correcting papers, etc. they deserve more respect.

Teachers make good money as it is , but they are always ready to up and strike for more cash

Our most important person in the society who is only given lip service to their true importance.This should be a min. of a 100K position in each school,then maybe we would have the best and brightest as teachers.

Not just anyone can be a teacher. You have to have patience and a love for knowledge and children. There are some teachers out there who need to consider another profession- I have had some. However, most teachers are very dedicated who need to be respected a bit more for the true effect that they have on our lives. They are the building blocks of education, and education is the building blocks of our lives. Without teachers, we would be a society of idiots. These men and women, like fireman and cops, are very, very underappreciated, and they need higher pay. Higher pay would draw more people who are qualified to teach into this profession. In the final analysis, teachers have a lot to put up with (i.e. snobby and disrespectful kids and parents), but most of them try their best and are truly unappreciated.

Once I wanted to be a teacher when I was younger. Not now. teachers put up with too much. Frankly I think it would be too much of a risk to be a teacher now. Unruly kids you do not dare try and make mind. some parents who are uninvolved and do not seem to care. I am aware there are some great teachers and some bad ones. Over the years since I have gone to school and now my kids have been in school. I can think of some wonderful teachers I will always remember and some lousy ones who should have quit years ago.I would not want to put up with what teachers go through now a days. More and more burn out and who can blame them? when I was kid, you would not have dared to talk back or act up{thats not to say there were problem kids when I went to school}.Now the attitude some kids give teachers is awful, and they usually have parents who do nothing about it. except to say "stop picking on my kid" I am glad i did not follow trough and become a teacher all the money in the world would not be worth it.

You couldn't pay me enough to be a teacher. It's a thankless job and teachers are basically just glorified babysitters in this day and age. They don't get any backup from parents. If anything, a lot parents are an obstacle. My brother is a teacher, and so are several other relatives, and they all say they will eventually get into another career.

This is an extremely noble profession. I think teachers have one of the absolute hardest jobs out there and they should be making double what they are paid. Especially in today's public schools with apathetic parents, constant misbehavior, and a lack of much needed corporal punishment.

I sure as heck wouldn't want to be one, but I highly respect teachers. They put up with so much, for so little (in some cases, being paid a salary that is near poverty level! How screwed up is that!), and they are incredibly valuable. So many teachers get mistreated by both the students and the school system (Some systems have forced teachers to give students a passing grade when the student refused to do any homework throughout the entire year, just to avoid a lawsuit). Yes, there are some bad teachers, that happens in every field of expertise, but most of them know what they're doing. They're underpaid and underappreciated, they deserve so much more.

I have a suggestion to all those who have negative comments about teachers. Let every school close down for one year, all over the U.S.at the same time. Think about it.

Only #22 on the list? Teachers, along with police officers, firefighters, doctors, and nurses, ought to make up the top five! Teachers are the backbone of our society. Think about it: where would we be without them? Yes, there are some bad apple teachers out there. I've had quite a few. But there are also a lot of great teachers out there and they never get the respect they deserve.

Being a teacher would be fun. Yelling at kids, making your own teaching methods, etc.

Being a teacher is one of the most nobiliest professions one can take. It certainly takes a special personality to teach at any level, from kindergarten to the university level. It takes someone with a love of knowledge and people to be a teacher. Teaching could be difficult; putting up with snobby kids and parents is no doubt a pain, but ultimately this job is really important. Providing good educations for our kids will guarantee that America will remain a bright beacon to the rest of the world well into the future.

I have taught first grade for 6 years. There is no better job. At what other job are you greeted with hugs, cards, pictures and little presents? I am in charge of 25 amazing children, each with a different personality and something new to love. At recess and when school is over at the end of the day, I have to literally PEEL children off of me. At any holiday, I am loaded with presents. Parents can be a pain but they can also be absolutely wonderful. As far as the pay goes, it isn't NEARLY as bad as people say it is. Think about it: you're done by 3:00 every day, you never work weekends, you get all holidays off guarenteed (1 week at Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas, another week in the Spring), I get an hour break every day while the kids are at music, computers, art, P.E., Spanish and library and I get 3 months off! What other job has all this? PLUS 15 sick/free days. I get paid more than most of my friends and work much less (definitely work much harder but a lot less time). Most of my work I do in the comfort of my home when I please. Teaching can be great or horrible depaending on your outlook and how much work and energy you're willing to put into it.

It's too bad they have the dubious distinction of being underpaid. It is a very meticulous profession. They're molding kids of today into the world leaders and icons of tomorrow, that takes on a huge amount of responsibility.

I don't think I would have the patience required for this job - especially if you are a high school teacher. Remember what you were like as a teenager? I also think teachers have more of a harder task now as well with kids bringing guns and knives - and they aren't afraid to use them as well. I admire teachers, they really are people to look up to and respect. After all, where would we be without them?

Speaking as a past student I can say that I’ve had a few very good teachers and more than a few who should have seriously considered other professions (such as one that might continually beg the question “do you want fries with that”). They tend to be like any other group though – a mixed bag of abilities, styles, and personality types. Unlike a lot of other professions though, they are also in a position to affect people’s lives in a big way. I remember hearing (but thankfully never experiencing) horror stories about the actions of some teachers back in high school. Things like teachers making fun of kids who lived in poorer neighborhoods and favoring the ones from the wealthier areas. I’ve worked in technology and television production within educational environments for the last 10 years and I’ve seen some pretty dedicated teachers and professors who are making a positive difference. But, I’ve also seen many that have way more arrogance than ability. The thing that occasionally gives me a chuckle is when I hear people say that teachers are so pitifully underpaid. Well, maybe in some cases I might concede that this would be true. I also honestly feel for the ones who are trying hard to impart knowledge and are prevented by parents who never think their children are wrong. Based on the output of the school systems over the past several years though there appear to be many teachers who are simply over paid baby sitters and a few who are not even fit to set foot on a school campus. Pay-wise I find it very hard to feel much pity for teachers considering that they also have many aspects to their jobs that are not available to thousands of other workers – such as unions, which help regulate their working conditions and pay. Their salaries may not make them millionaires (join the club) but the money they make is far from being bad. Many people with just as much education would be willing to accept those "horrible" conditions in a heartbeat. My advice – for what it’s worth as an average citizen – is that if you want to be a teacher try to make sure you are actually suited to this profession. Once you take your place behind the big desk try to remember you are no longer a student – you don’t have to win a popularity contest or blend in with the student population. I think that it is a tendency of some teachers to forget that which may be the cause of many of the major problems within schools today.

Molding young easily corrupted impressionable minds. You have infinite power a6t your fingertips. Do you use it? Do you decay the moral fibers of your country? OR do you do the right thing.....your job. This job never ceases to amaze me.

Most teachers take their job seriously and they find satisfaction in helping kids on their way to having good careers. However, there are a few teachers that couldn't care less and are teaching because they are financially forced to or are just mean people. So overall, I know some excellent teachers and I know some horrid ones, too.

I don't know what can be attractive in teaching other than 2 month vacation. The only time I'd consider to be a teacher would be in a post-secondary education, where you're truly indepth in your subject of like, and could more likely produce interesting discussions with students who are obviouslly in the same field as you, and therefore hold similar interests.

Without teachers, where would we be?

it's an important job. but you have to meet exacting standards to handle it. your personality has to comprise entirely of patience, understanding, cleverness(for disciplining), love of fun and love of kids. qualities americans continue to increasingly lack. i must admit i myself am guilty of being such an american.

One word:SPITBALLSATTHETEACHER!!!!!! get it?

After teaching elementary school for 13 years, I have ambivalent feelings about the profession. In many ways, it's a terrific job. There's nothing more rewarding than knowing that you've inspired a young mind or provided help to a family in need. There are boundless opportunities for research, creativity, and self-expression, and teachers generally have a lot of freedom to determine what happens in their classrooms. There's no doubt that the schedule is great, too. Now that I'm working another job, I really miss the big breaks I had when I was a teacher. On the down side, teaching is ruthless in the way that it sucks you dry, physically and mentally, on a daily basis. Being "on" for eight hours a day, five days a week, is tough. I can remember days when I never sat down at all. You have to be (or pretend to be!) almost saint-like in your behavior at all times. Bathroom breaks must be planned in advance. There's very little time for adult interaction, socially or professionally, so it's easy to feel isolated. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of teaching today is the combination of increasing responsibilities with a lack of support from parents, administrators, and communities. From my experience, that's one of the most common reasons why teachers leave the profession. All in all, teaching has some very positive aspects. It has a shelf life, though, and I suggest that teachers keep an open mind about other careers when they feel the inevitable symptoms of burnout.

It's tough to rate these occupations, because I'm not sure if I should rate them on how valuable I think they are to society, or how personally appealing I think they sound as a potential job. If we're talking about value to society, I'd give "Teacher" a 5. If we're talking about personal appeal, I'd give "Teacher" a 3. I think great teachers are the foundation of our entire educational system, but I have very little desire to be one. The pay stinks, students can be a big pain in the ass, and students' parents can be an even bigger pain in the ass. I can't even teach my dog to roll over, let alone teach a room of kids to read and write.