it's all about the money -- or not

One of the monthly columns of the blog is dedicated to present to you what kind of career paths strong English language skills can bring you. So far we have focused on teaching jobs, from high school positions to university professorship, and from private employment to public institutions. We have not dealt with teaching in general, though. After half a year of interviews, I thought to dedicate this article to a more general consideration of being a teacher.

 

Today I brought you some short excerpts from interviews with (public school) teachers, who reflect not only on what they feel about their job but also on what materialistic matters like finances mean for them. I have picked professionals from a wide variety of countries, so to give you a more objective and extensive picture about what it really means to work in education. You will see that many of them address the issue of money, not only because capitalism made money our god but also because the profession of teaching is often linked, typically negatively, to capital. Let us see whether and how much they support the general claim that teachers are underpaid.

 

 

“I am happy with my income and think I earn a fair wage. I am unhappy with the public’s perception in Canada that teachers are overpaid. I’ve never met anyone that teaches for money. It’s never about the paycheck; it’s about loving the work we do. However, I do feel that our politicians, media, and therefore the general public feel that we are overpaid and lazy because we get more vacation time than many other professionals.” (Canada)

 

 

“I feel like I am providing a valuable service — and I do love my job at times. But teaching also has unfortunate downsides such as the money and administrative load, which can significantly detract from my core job as a teacher. While my income could be worse, I would argue it still is not fair for the qualifications I hold and my job performance. Often it’s hard work with little thanks.” (South Africa)

 

 

“I’m content with my income, but that’s because I don’t have a family to support or bills to pay. As a teacher, I do more administrative work than teaching. Sometimes the children are unsatisfied with our performance, but there’s only so much I can do with all the administrative work I have.” (Macedonia)

 

 

“Sometimes I wonder if the stress I put myself through is worth it, but then one of the kids or parents will tell me a story about how I’ve made a difference and it all seems worthwhile.” (England)

 

 

“I’m worried my income won’t be enough as my daughter gets older. I really like being a teacher — I just wish I was recognized for it every now and then, whether in pay or just a pat on the back. But it beats being a lawyer.” (US) 

 

 

“I am happy but financially strapped. I don’t eat at restaurants; I can’t afford it. I am not a demanding guy, so my income seems sufficient for now, but I can’t sustain my life on it.” (Nepal)

 

 

“Teaching is like volunteer work that nobody recognizes as such. I’m deeply dissatisfied, and I think the great victims of our system of education are the pupils.” (Romania)

 

In short, teachers consider their job as a profession and a calling, to which they dedicate their entire body and mind. But the dreadful financial issues the majority has to live with make it godd@mn difficult to persist. It is not for the faint-hearted..

Read the whole article on TED's page.

 

the path of a TFA teacher

In the last couple of months, the interview series on English-related professions was focusing on high school teaching. We started with Edit, a veteran private school teacher in Buda, then came beginner Orsi from an elitist public school, and last month it was Bogi, a teacher assistant from a Hungary-based American private school, who gave us an overview to her educational experiences. This month it is my pleasure to introduce to you Sirena from New Orleans, who will talk about the American school system and her experiences in low performing schools.

Hey, Sirena. Nice to have you here. Could you tell us where you work and for how long you have been there? 

Thanks for having me Anna! I work at J. E. High School in Louisiana on the West Bank of New Orleans. I just wrapped up my first year of teaching (woo!) and was teaching Spanish I. 

What is an American high school like? Previously we got some insight into the Hungarian system and last month into a special institution, an American school near Budapest, Hungary. How is an American school in New Orleans? 

One thing I certainly know about American high schools is that no two are alike! I attended a large public school in a very rural small town in Kentucky with very little racial or ideological diversity and my experience was vastly different than most of my collegiate peers. All of the schools I’ve worked in thus far have all been public schools, so that’s what I’m most familiar with, but within the US there are also charter and magnet schools, which differ from public and private schools as well.

New Orleans actually has a very unique educational system since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The hurricane devastated the New Orleans area with over $100 billion in estimated damages and over 300,000 homes destroyed. Before the storm nearly 30% of people in New Orleans lived in poverty and Katrina left many of the city’s poorest citizen even more vulnerable than before. With over 2,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of evacuees Katrina certainly forced some big changes within the city. Education reformers came into the area and essentially (what can best be described as) swept away what remained of traditional public schools, replacing them with charter schools controlled by the Recovery School District. 

My school, being across the Mississippi river, remained relatively untouched by the push to charter schools, and in fact many schools on the West Bank of New Orleans remain public. My school was actually one of the first schools to reopen after Katrina and opened its doors to any student in the area who wished to immediately return to school. 

Indeed, New Orleans sounds quite unique. Is this your first school? How did you get here?

I graduated from the University of Louisville in 2013 as a political science major actually, so teaching wasn’t really on my radar until my junior year of college. During the time I became interested in education and education policy I had just begun mentoring at a local middle school and working in an after school program at a high school as well. Both schools were of very low socioeconomic status and categorized as “low performing” schools in the state of Kentucky. I quickly became very curious as to how these schools were falling so far behind other schools in the exact same city – one being the number one school in the state. This led me to the program I’m currently in, Teach For America (TFA). The vision of TFA is that “one day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.”

Teach For America yearly recruits a diverse group of leaders with a record of achievement to work towards expanding educational opportunity, starting by teaching for two years in a low-income community. We often speak of the “achievement gap” in the United States, examining the disparity in educational achievement of students based on grouping by race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Since as early as 1966, studies from the US Department of Education consistently showcase a gap in achievement between low income minority students and middle to upper class white students. After studying all of this and learning more about TFA I just overall got fired up about education and wanted to dive right in! TFA places teachers all around the United States and it’s also through this program that I ended up in New Orleans!

TFA is a great way for people who may not have studied education during college to become impactful teachers so that’s the option I chose and was fortunate enough to be chosen for the program. There are so many other options as well, from the different types of schools in the US (public, private, charter, magnet) to adult education and English as a secondary language programs.

Great initiative! As I hear, you enjoy your teaching path. What do you exactly like about being a high school teacher?

I really love being a high school teacher because I can really talk to and get to know my students on a personal level. I feel so invested in them not only as students but as people. High school aged students are making hugely important decisions almost daily that impact the rest of their lives. Being able to serve as a mentor, cheerleader, educator, and friend all at the same time is something I find truly rewarding about teaching this age group.

Plus my students are absolutely HILARIOUS and not one day passes that I don't either laugh at something they've said or laugh with them about myself.

Can we also talk a bit about the downsides of the profession? What are the main challenges for you specifically and for teachers generally?

Well I've been told that the first year of teaching is generally the most difficult, so hopefully it only goes up from here but the biggest challenge for me was simply learning how to balance all the things that go along with being a teacher. Juggling grading, lesson planning, tutoring, forging relationships with students, disciplining, making copies and charts, connecting with my coworkers, reaching out to families, ALL while maintaining my friendships from college and forming new friendships with people in my new city was a LOT to handle all at once. I'm also very very competitive and goal-oriented, so I would find myself working a lot on weekends and in the evenings after school trying to figure out the exact ways to make my students the most successful. Overall this led to a lot of naps after school and stress. Luckily by December I had sorted a lot of the juggling out and was able to get into more of a routine for my second semester teaching!

As for teachers in general I think the systems that are used for evaluating what makes an effective or ineffective teacher are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. For example, Louisiana has recently made some changes and new developments in the way it evaluates teachers and many veteran teachers at my school were upset with its inequity and the ways in which it was proving to be an inaccurate measure of teacher success.

Education is a highly debated political topic in the US as well, so when federal measures are attempting to be taken to solve this re-occuring issue of the achievement gap with little success, one must question what can be done to address this challenge? 

The problem you raised is a very important one and actually not country-specific. But are there any specificities of being a teacher exactly where you are? How do you think it's different to be a teacher in Louisiana, or in the US, than anywhere else?

Teaching in Louisiana has certainly been an experience! Having worked in schools in Kentucky, and taught summer school in Atlanta, Georgia - I, again, must emphasize that every state and school has such a unique identity. From the students, families, communities and faculty, each place I've worked has its own charms and struggles.

One thing that’s unique to public schools in the New Orleans area is the intensity that comes with athletics. In general American football is a huge fulcrum for schools in the southern region of the US and our school is no exception. Myself and another teacher began a spirit club this past year to harness all the schools energy and enthusiasm for our amazing student athletes! It’s just incredible to see the way something as small as a football or basketball victory can boost school pride!

I’ll be teaching abroad for the first time at a summer program at the American University of Bulgaria during July and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to experience the similarities and differences of teaching in the United States vs abroad.

Well, then, soon I will get back to you on this. :-) As a closing question, who would you recommend to be a high school teacher for?

I’d recommend anyone who is patient, willing to connect with students and truly passionate about impacting kids lives to be a high school teacher.  It doesn’t hurt to be strong willed and not offended easily along with that patience because high school students are moody and emotional at times ... haha!

Thanks a lot, and good luck in Bulgaria!

the path of an international school teacher

This is already the 5th piece of our monthly interview series which offers us to gain insight into the diverse career paths one can pursue with a sound English knowledge (and most often, a degree in English studies). First we took a look at university jobs, from the perspective  of an experienced instructor and a beginner lecturer, then we turned to high education, through the lenses of an older teacher in a religious school and a younger educator in a state school. This time it is my pleasure to introduce Bogi, a high school teacher assistant, and her peculiar institution, which is a private American school. Let us see what she has to tell us. 

Hello, Bogi. Thank you for your time. As a short introduction, could you tell us where you work and for how long you have been there? 

Hello, Anna! Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I feel honored that you chose to write about me in your blog. To answer your question, I currently work at a Budapest-based international school as a High School Teacher Assistant. I have been working here for almost two years now, and I really enjoy being part of such a great community that my school has.

What is special about your institution? What is the difference between your school and a regular state school?

As ours is an international school, as opposed to a regular Hungarian one, the list of differences between the two would be pretty long. First of all, the language of instruction at our school is English only, and most teachers and students do not even speak Hungarian. Our students are usually used to traveling and moving from one country to another because of their parents' job, so they are very flexible and open-minded. These families rarely stay in the country for too long, so our school always have a lot of students coming and going each year. 

That must be pretty challenging for the teacher as well. Before this school, have you taught in any other environment?

I have started my career at this school right after I graduated from university at the age of 23, and I have immediately fallen in love with international teaching and the atmosphere that it comes with it. For this reason, I'm sure I would enjoy teaching abroad at an international school, and it doesn't really matter in which country. But I know it has to be an international school, as I really appreciate the diversity and open-mindedness international schools offer. 

Sounds great indeed! How is the education of an international school  structured as opposed to a local, let's say, regular, school? 

As far as I can see, education at our school is all about emphasizing critical thinking skills, inquiry-based learning, and creativity. We think developing the whole child is really important, and we encourage tolerance and cross-cultural understanding. All these values that we share make our education system unique in its own way, and I think this is how our form of education differs from others -- in its vision and values. 

What do you like about being a teacher here? 

I love the fact that students here are all global citizens, they love traveling, they are very open and curious about other cultures, and most of them speak multiple languages. Also, I feel like I've become a member of a very caring community since I got here, which is yet another reason to like the school. The cherry on the cake for me is that people here always thank you for everything you do. I find it a very nice custom, as it makes you feel appreciated at your workplace. I have to tell you, it was kind of new for me. I had to get used to being thanked for doing my job all the time. I like it! :)

No wonder! :-) But let's be realistic and talk about the tough cookies as well. What are the main challenges for you, and what do you think are the main challenges of state school teachers? 

The main challenge for us is that our classes change a lot every year. We always have a number of newly-enrolled students, and sadly, we need to say good-bye to many of our students at the end of each year. It's quite hard to keep up with this always changing environment, and it's also not an easy job to make a bunch of students who do not know each other that well into a community. I believe teachers at my school do a very good job with this matter. 

In state schools, teachers face very different difficulties. They need to deal with a growing number of students in one classroom, they have financial issues, and the administrative work of teachers takes up a lot of their time. Of course I can only say these things based on what I hear from my colleagues, and I'm sure not everyone has the same problems, but I know for sure that we (I and my teacher friends working at state schools) almost never complain about the same issues. 

Which is a bit odd. I guess then, students -- invariables in education -- are no problem, at least not the major. :-) So, finally, tell us who you would recommend a career in your school to. What is the ideal candidate like?

If you would like to become an international teacher, you need to share certain values that all international schools base their mission and vision on (open-mindedness, tolerance, and cross-cultural understanding, to name a few). 

I recommend that you pursue your career at a school like ours if you are prepared to deal with kids from very different cultural backgrounds, having all sorts of unusual issues (stemming from their lifestyle, their family background, their financial background, their religion, and so on). It helps if you enjoy traveling, as there are many opportunities around the world that you can explore as an international teacher. Once you are in international teaching, you will probably feel like moving abroad and experience new things. If you like challenges, you are the perfect candidate! :)

Thank you, Bogi! It was a pleasure!

the path of a novice high school teacher

After observing careers in higher education, last month we turned to secondary school teaching. Edit, an experienced instructor in a religious high school, shared her stories and insights with us about what it means to work with teenagers. This time, I asked Orsi, a young professional who started her teaching career in a school in Eastern Hungary and two years later she joined the country's leading high school, in the capital city, where she has been an instructor of English and Spanish for years. Let us hear her stories and advice. 

Hello, Orsi. Thanks for accepting the invitation. As a start, could you tell us in what kind of school you work and for how long?

Since 2009 I have been working in a state school in Budapest. I feel quite lucky to teach here because it is one of the most prestigious high schools of Hungary with outstanding results (according to the national statistics of the previous year, it was ranked as the second best high school in the country). Since I finished university, I have always gotten employed as a Spanish teacher, so normally I have much more Spanish lessons than English, depending on the demand of the school and my capacity. For example, this year I have got so many Spanish lessons that I had to quit my English group. It was a pity for me but I couldn’t do more, as my working hours were completed totally. 

Have you taught or considered teaching in any other environment, may that be a private or religious school, a language school, etc.?

Yes, for two years between 2007 and 2009 I taught in a religious high school in Debrecen. This Calvinist school was my first work place. I also have experience teaching in a language school, as I worked for K… Nyelviskola in Debrecen in my first year. Besides these I always had a few private students except this school year.

What do you think to be the main differences between these forms of education? 

I think they are very different. Teaching at home is more relaxing because of the atmosphere: being at home face to face with one or two students who might be your friends and sipping your tea while teaching is just perfect. And of course, it's much more flexible because you can choose your working hours (45, 60 or 90 minutes, once or twice a week), and if something unforeseen has happened, you can easily cancel the lesson. Moreover, you can choose your students! It's a big plus! You can always say: no, I don't want to teach this person. Teaching only one or two students is more personal but more demanding, too. I think it would be ideal to work only as a private teacher, but if you have a full-time job and do it as an extra, it's just too much workload. Spending your afternoons, evenings or your weekends teaching is not worth.

I also enjoyed teaching in a language school because of its small groups, well-equipped language rooms, and friendly atmosphere. However, it was a nightmare if I got sick and we had to make up for the cancelled lessons. And probably you don't have the liberty to choose your students and their age. I think it's easier to teach young learners than adults.

Teaching in a public or a religious school gives you frameworks and limitations. Maybe it’s the most difficult because basically you don’t have any liberty: you can’t choose your students, the number of the group, the room, your working hours, the curriculum; nearly nothing. Every new group is a pig in a poke, a big surprise, but this makes it challenging: this unexpected combination of motivated and unmotivated students. 
 

So, then, why did you choose to be a high school teacher, that is, what do you like about being such? 

I think I always wanted to be a teacher. Perhaps because my parents are teachers too, and this model influenced me a lot. But why did I choose to be a high school teacher exactly? It's a hard question; I don't know. I could have gone to primary school because I really like small children. But maybe the only reason is that I went to university and not to a college. After doing my practice in a high school (which I enjoyed!), it seemed obvious to find a job in a high school. And I like teaching there.

Although the most difficult age group is teenagers, I like teaching them. Sometimes they are exhausting and annoying, but at the same time they can be cute and charming. You have to handle and tolerate their misbehavior, tiredness, or boredom, but in the next moment they can cheer you up with a joke, a mischief or an outstanding performance or test result. You can never know what comes next and this makes it exciting. Their mind is very open, like a sponge, which is able to absorb everything. And you can see them growing up, the path they go along during those few years, which are essential, because they turn to be an adult from those little, shy children. I think this is why I prefer teaching in a high school to teaching in a language school, in spite of all the difficulties. A big school is a social place where you can face reality. Maybe it’s far from your dreams, or the ideal, but life is life (nanananana)... :-) 

Hahahahaha. :-) Can you relate to what Edit described as the main challenges of a high school teacher? What is the most demanding for you specifically as a novice teacher? 

I think the most difficult for a novice teacher is to keep discipline, mainly if you are a young woman. At the beginning of your career, when you are only a few years older than your students, they tend to think that you are their friend and they can treat you like that. However, you have to keep distance and make them take you as seriously as another teacher who has many years of experience and respect in the eyes of the students.

I agree with Edit that for a language teacher it is a must to keep your knowledge up-to-date and it's necessary to spend some time in a native environment for time to time. It's not easy to realize these goals without money and, as you all might know, teachers are not really well-paid in Hungary. Low salaries and heavy workload lead to stress, frustration, and burnout, a phenomenon quite common among teachers of the public sector.

It's also true that it's very hard to keep up with the latest changes, not just the ones affecting the language but technological innovations. You should be more interesting than a smartphone because if not, your students will end up playing on their phone during your whole lesson. And to tell you the truth, you have to be a magician to be more interesting than the latest gadgets. Solution (read it with irony): use the smartboard (if you are lucky enough to have one in your school or in your classroom) or other technical wonders and learn how to use them to be able to fascinate you students or at least to maintain their attention for a while, but don't count on the financial help of your school, as there is NO money for trainings. So use your non-existing money and non-existing free time to do so. And never stop learning (lifelong learning)!  If you are smart and clever enough, you will find the solution how to solve your problems. Good luck! :-)

Well, that seems a tough cookie. To end on a happier tone, let me ask a final question: what do you think a high school teacher is like? Who would you recommend a career in high school education to?

I think a good high school teacher is versatile and is able to fulfill many requirements. First of all, you have to be very well-trained and proficient in your subject. Maybe this is the most important, because your students won't respect you if you don't have superb knowledge. Then come the other qualities: you have to be patient and full of empathy, open-minded, sociable, easy-going, extrovert with a good sense of humor, strict enough but not cruel, fair and not biased, and it's good if you have an interesting personality. A teacher might or should serve as a model for the students. And don't forget that your job is far more complex than simply teaching your subject. You not only teach but educate them. I have the impression that nowadays we teachers have to educate more than in the past because parents are so busy with their job that they don't have enough time to the deal with their children and spend time with them. Children spend more time in school than at home. It's a big responsibility that their formation very much depends on you.

I recommend this career to those who want a challenging job and for those who consider that teaching is not just their job but their passion. (And ironically for those who have a rich husband/wife who earns enough to maintain their family).

You spoke from my heart. Thank you. :-)