Why Teachers Should Be Paid More: 5 Benefits of Teachers Earning Better Salaries

Do you ever wonder why teachers earn so little? This blog post discusses why teachers should be paid more and how better pay for teachers benefits us all.

Some of our society’s most valuable individuals are teachers.

In addition, they often devote extra time to developing lesson plans and creating engaging activities for students that go beyond the scope of their job descriptions. However, many teachers struggle to earn an average salary throughout their careers. 

A teacher’s job represents one of the most challenging careers in the country, and the education budget is being reduced at an unprecedented rate.

Teacher salaries range from $60,000 to $63,000 based on where they live. On average, teachers make just over $63,000 a year.

Teachers are underpaid compared to other professionals. Low salaries lead to high teacher turnover, resulting in higher student dropout rates and poor student performance. It is a general problem in most countries. 

I will explain in this article why teachers should be paid more and how well-paid teachers benefit society and the education system.

Who is a Teacher?

Teachers are responsible for imparting knowledge to students. And since the dawn of time, teachers have been admonishing pupils against bad habits, warning them of treacherous people, and encouraging them to aspire to better things.

As a teacher, you get to make a difference in the lives of young students, and each day you help shape the future of our country by doing what you do.

Not everyone can be a teacher because not everyone can make it to work when there are blizzard conditions outside or stay for after-school tutoring even when they are sick.

While a teacher is not a highly-paid professional, you are of primary importance to the proper functioning of any society. As a teacher, your students will be the ones who contribute to the development of civilization in many ways.

What Are the Reasons Why Teachers Should Be Paid More?

Teachers have a powerful impact on students and thus, deserve to earn better salaries. Below are some reasons why these heroes deserve better valuation for the services they provide. 

1. Teachers Are Not Valued

Teachers and administrators play a fundamentally important role in the education and development of young people.

Therefore, educators must be well-educated, providing students with the essential skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the workforce. However, teachers are struggling to maintain their enthusiasm for teaching in classrooms due to low salaries.

Often, teachers do not earn what they deserve for all of their hard work. Many teachers spend their holidays, weekends, and time with their families grading papers, planning lessons, and teaching classes. 

2. Teachers Tend to Pay for School Resources

Often, teachers pay for school supplies to benefit students. Some teachers can barely survive after covering the cost of groceries and rent. Yet use their money for basic school supplies because the school budget is not sufficient. 

3. They Are the Most Significant Resource in the Classroom

Teachers are the most valuable resource in a school. And, teachers who have a passion for their subject area and a desire to teach are invaluable. Every student entering the school has access to a trained teacher who possesses knowledge of their subjects. 

In addition, students have a teacher with a curriculum that includes various activities and lesson plans designed to teach them the skills they will need to succeed in society.

When teachers earn little, it can cause problems in society. Teachers must receive pay for their hard work and dedication to providing students with a quality education.

4. Teaching Degrees Are Hard to Get

A college degree in education requires a lot of hard work. The majority of teachers hope that their hard work will pay off with a sizeable salary afterward.

Unfortunately, many teachers find their salaries coming up short – even though they hold a postgraduate degree or doctorate – not to mention additional certification and years of experience.

5. Teaching Is Hard Work and Not Properly Rewarded

Hard work goes unrecognized when it comes to teaching. The chaotic nature of the classroom, uncontrollable students, and endless piles of paperwork makes it difficult for you to be effective in your job. 

As a teacher, you settle for crumbs and still do not come close to reaching your true potential.

As a teacher, you must impact each student somehow, and sometimes you are even the most important person in that student’s life. Receiving better pay is a great way to honor that hard work.

6. Administrators Tend to Make More than Teachers

Teachers are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with their salaries, which is forcing them to leave the profession.

Although media reports have focused on underpaid teachers, the attention has almost entirely been on administrators whose salaries are higher than teachers.

They, who have fewer responsibilities tend to make more than teachers, and why it is so vital for teachers to be paid more.

7. Teachers Are More Culpable than Administrators

Unlike teachers, administrators are not as accountable.

As a teacher who spends hours each day with students, you are responsible for their performance. You accept responsibility for the students learning under you and must create lesson plans for each subject area. 

As a teacher who wants to receive higher pay, you must earn it. Unlike many administrators who barely teach yet make more than the teacher.

Low salaries are one of the reasons why people leave teaching to become administrators. Teachers cannot survive on just one payment, so they work two jobs or live in another district that pays more. 

8. Low Pay Impacts on Teachers’ Happiness and Self-Esteem

Low salaries often have a devastating effect on the well-being of teachers and their self-esteem. In many cases, you have to resort to expensive loans, work second jobs, or borrow money from your family. 

It is unfair that you have to pay out of your pocket for supplies for your students or buy class materials on your own time after working all day at school.

As a teacher, you should earn more to compensate for the responsibilities you perform.

9. Unmotivated Teachers Hurt the Performance of Students 

The classroom is where students obtain most of what they learn, and teachers play a much more important role than many people realize.

The salary you earn affects how you function in the classroom and affects the performance of your students.

A dispirited teacher is more of a liability than a benefit. Motivated teachers rewarded for good work make more difference to student performance and interest in their studies than teachers who are not.   

What Are the Benefits of Teachers Earning More?

Increased teacher pay serves as an enticement for young people to enter the field.

Yet, the average teacher’s salary is lower than that of many other professions that better serve society. Here are some benefits of increased teacher pay and how it affects the education system.

1. Higher Quality Teacher Candidates

Teachers are underpaid when compared to other professions that require similar levels of training. It affects the quality of candidates willing to go into teaching positions.

When people can earn much more money in other fields, it is hard to attract qualified individuals into the teaching career.

More qualified candidates will become teachers if the salary is better.

2. Teachers Being Paid More Increases Student Performance

A teacher who earns more will extend the same level of satisfaction to students, resulting in better performance on their part.

Teacher quality is one of the most vital factors for student performance, and better teachers lead to increased student achievement.

3. It Improves The Retention Rate of Teachers

Teacher retention is critical to school stability and effectiveness.

Recent research has shown that teachers must remain at the same school for effective instruction, student achievement, and school earnings potential. Yet teacher turnover rates are very high in many states due to low wages.

A salary increase is needed to prevent teachers from leaving their schools since the base salary is insufficient.

4. Improved Teaching Quality and Teaching Time

If you earn more as a teacher, it can allow you to dedicate more time to your students while improving the quality of education.

We need to offer top teachers fair salaries if we wish to attract and retain them. Better teachers will lead to higher student achievement and better-standardized test scores, college graduation rates, and first job placements.

5. You Get a Curriculum That Is More Engaging 

The likelihood of a teacher being a good teacher is higher for those who earn more. Also, I believe that students will receive a better education if their teachers are fully invested in the topics they teach and love what they do.

By increasing their salaries, teachers will be more engaged and happy about what they do. 

FAQs

How does a motivated teacher influence the classroom?

A motivated teacher can influence the classroom by giving students more attention, motivating the students to learn more about the subjects taught, and keeping the students more focused on learning.

Why is it important to you that teachers get more pay?

When teachers are paid more, they put more effort into ensuring that you learn something of value. While it may not be able to buy happiness, more pay can make a difference in the engagement and motivation of teachers.

Should teachers be rewarded based on their performance?

Yes, teachers should be rewarded based on their performance. 

For years, they have been getting paid the same minor salary regardless of whether they do a good job or not. If teachers were also rewarded based on performance, it would bring more competition to the education system and force them to work harder for better rewards.

Why are teachers underpaid?

The salary a teacher gets depends on factors such as; where they work and the level of education they have obtained.

Your salary as a teacher is also affected by state or government policies, local economic conditions, the cost of living, and wages in the local area.

How does a teacher differ from an administrator?

Administrators oversee school operations while teachers oversee classroom activities. Both positions are challenging, but they are very different. 

A teacher must handle various types of students who are at different levels of learning.

Teachers must also follow the guidelines imposed by their employers. However, administrators are responsible for overseeing all matters related to teachers, such as their salaries and funding. 

Conclusion

Teachers are still typically paid simple salaries — even in the case of tenure. According to the saying, “you get what you pay for.” That means that if you pay less, you will receive less.

An employee will rarely do better than paid. Right? According to economic theory, if teachers are underperforming, it must be because they do not earn enough.

Additionally, if teachers earn more, then educators will have a higher status in society. And as a teacher, you will have a greater desire to pursue your passion. You’d study in a field that interests you and allows you to make a difference in society. You would also be more motivated to provide a better education for your students.

Furthermore, besides setting an example for students, teachers raise awareness about relevant social problems and teach morals. Our country’s future has a lot to do with teachers and this is why teachers should be paid more. 

Finally, as a teacher, you promote the importance of education to society and contribute to the betterment of society by being more sensitive to global issues and working towards eliminating global problems.

You can also read about the qualities of a good teacher and their importance to your education.

I hope this post was helpful. Thanks for reading.