Every professional has gone through a teacher several times in their lifetime. Therefore, it is safe to say that teaching is one of the most important professions we have. Nevertheless, teachers are sometimes underappreciated and misunderstood. What we fail to recognize is that teachers are some of the hardest-working individuals we have.

To the ordinary person, the job of a teacher is simply to teach. However, teachers perform mentoring, guidance, counseling, coaching, and even nursing roles alongside their conventional roles. To better understand educators, here is a list of what educators wish you knew about teaching.

• It is not easy to become a teacher

In the US, teacher certification varies from one state to another. In most states, however, you have to go through a robust teacher preparation program that often involves a comprehensive curriculum and several teacher certification exams, which you have to pass to become certified. What follows is learner practice, where you have to demonstrate that you can teach and manage an actual classroom. The entire teacher preparation process takes a lot of dedication, passion, and strong will.

• It Is Not Just About Teaching A Subject

Teaching some concept in Science or Geography of often half the job. The other half involves getting to know your students and how to make the best out of the lesson. Sometimes it involves giving lessons to help them become better and well-rounded individuals that go beyond just the curriculum.

• Teachers are not compensated enough

Oftentimes the work that teachers do does not match their pay. In any case, they get half of what they deserve. Teachers work hard to create an enabling and learner-friendly environment for their students and even go the extra mile to tailor the learning experience to meet individual student needs. 

Teachers even fill the gaps left by some parents, and this is mostly not given the appreciation it deserves. It is bad enough that teachers, in some cases, have to take up extra jobs to make ends meet or rely on state welfare initiatives for survival. Despite these challenges, these professionals still have to deliver 100% excellence in the classroom. 

• Motivating learners

A lot of people think that the best way that learners can be motivated is by giving rewards whenever one does a good job or performs well. It may be the easiest way but may not yield the desired outcome in the long term. Extrinsic motivation will only make learners work hard only because of the promise of a reward as opposed to the satisfaction it brings. 

The best way is to ensure that the child finds joy in learning and is self-driven in the pursuit of excellence. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, may cause some students to lack motivation toward schoolwork in the absence of a reward.

• Parent-teacher cooperation is important

For a student’s outcomes in school, a parent’s input is as important as that of the teacher. Parents should therefore find time to get involved in their child’s education regardless of how busy they are.