Facts about Teaching

I need to start by saying "Thank you TikTok for being a constant inspiration for new topics on teaching that I can write for this blog." Okay, now on to the point. This is going to be a list of the top two misconceptions about the job of teaching and the facts. Consider me your resident education myth buster.

Salary

I saw a comment today that insisted teachers make "100k a year." Okay teachers, you can stop laughing now. Here's a break down:

• United States: the average salary for teachers in the US from 2018-2019 is estimated at $61,730. However, there is a significant discrepancy in teaching salaries between the states with only 15 states being above the average leaving 35 below that. New York is the highest at $85,889 while Mississippi is the lowest at $45,474. (SOURCE) And that's just the average for that state - actual salaries depend on the individual schools. For example, in North Carolina the state average is almost $54,000 but my actual salary while teaching there was barely over $40,000. Furthermore, while some states may offer a raise for length of experience, Master's Degrees, or being Board Certified, not all do and the raise often only totals to about a $5,000 increase. There's no guarantee of a raise either. Additionally, most areas don't pay you more based on the grade level you're teaching (i.e. you don't always get paid more because you teach high school).
• Canada: the average salary for teachers in Canada is $68,019, but, as with the US, there is a wide variance depending on where you are located. In areas of Ontario, the average salary is around 32% more than the national average, while in areas of British Columbia it is 33% less than the national average. Nationally, base pay is around $41,00 then can increase as a result of experience, overtime, and bonuses to a possible max of $96,000. However, the data shows a more realistic breakdown based on experience (and including bonuses): 1-4 years average salary is around $57,000; 5-9 years average salary is around $67,000, 10-19 years average salary is around $81,000, and 20+ years average salary is around $79,000. But, again, this is just the averages and can vary greatly depending on the school. (SOURCE)
• United Kingdom: finding an average for the UK was difficult because of the significant variances in pay scale for the area. The UK pays their teachers based on experience first: an Unqualified Teacher salary is between $20,000 and $40,000, a Newly Qualified Teacher salary is between $31,000 and $44,000; a Qualified Teacher salary is between $31,000 and $71,000 - but, again, the actual amounts vary greatly by location. Additionally, salaries vary as the result of Special Education allowances ($3-6,000) and Teaching and Learning Responsibility payments ($4-19,000). These amounts are for roles that are equivalent to teaching roles in Canada and the US; the stats also list data for "Headteachers" which are the equivalent of "Principals" in the US and therefore are not included in this list. (SOURCE)
• The Bottom Line: while Canada may come close to that magic 100k for teacher salaries, the reality for most teachers is far less; and with so many factors determining pay, you never truly know how much an individual teacher is making. Add to that the cost of living in their area, among the other expenses of just living life, and you start to realize that a teacher salary isn't all that great. Furthermore, with all that teachers are expected to do, it's no surprise that a widely held belief is "we don't pay teachers enough."

Summer Vacation

"It must be so nice getting 3 months off." Cue the eye rolls. Here's the reality of summer break in the US (I am not qualified to speak on this for Canada or the UK, but I'm actively seeking resources for this and will add as I discover them):

• Length: it's not 3 months. It's more like 2 1/2 months, maybe. Most schools in the US let out around the first week of June and start up again the last week of August. Other schools let out around the last week of May but start up again the first week of August. Some schools are year round schools that don't have a traditional summer break at all. Typically, a school year must be around 180 days long while accounting for the various holiday breaks that occur. In some areas, if weather results in school closures then the school has to add extra days to the end of the year (or throughout the year) to make up for that. So, just in general (and to be nit picky), there is no "3 months off" from school.
• Time Off: summer break is only a vacation for the students. Teachers are still working during that time, just maybe not as much as during the school year. Most schools have teachers still working a few days after school's out for summer - cleaning classrooms, exchanging curriculum, completing end of year data chats, etc. Throughout the summer, teachers are expected to participate in various trainings and professional development in order to keep their license current and to meet the requirements of their school. Then, teachers spend most of their summer prepping for the next school year - planning, classroom organization, reviewing standards and learning the new ones, etc. In many schools, teachers actually go back to their classrooms a week before school starts to get everything in order - and it's a requirement, not a choice. So, teachers certainly aren't chilling at the beach or going on trips all summer long. Teachers really never stop working.
• Pay: teachers receive a salary (in case you missed the first part of this post). A salary is an annual sum paid out typically bi-weekly or monthly. That means the pay is divided into equal amounts and distributed over a 10 or 12 month period. Teachers are not paid an hourly rate, so it doesn't matter how many hours a day they work and they do not get overtime. Some schools only pay out for 10 months (the school year) so teachers have to put aside money every paycheck to save for summer, when they are not paid; or they take on other jobs during the summer to have income. Some schools will pay out for 12 months, which includes the summer, but as I mentioned before, teachers are still working during the summer so they aren't getting paid to be on vacation.
• The bottom line: teachers aren't getting a lengthy paid vacation.

Final Thoughts

• Teachers work on average 12-14 hours a day. This equates to around $10.75/hour and there is no overtime pay or bonuses.
• Teachers work all summer long, usually having to forego family activities to meet the requirements of their job, school, and district.
• Teachers pay for many of their own classroom supplies due to limited funding for schools.
• Teachers often work extra jobs to supplement income because their current salary is not enough to live off of. These jobs include tutoring, summer school teacher, fast food, retail, etc.
• Teachers participate in continuing education, which can be expensive, in order to maintain their certifications while having no guarantee that doing so will result in a pay increase.

I want to leave you with something that one of my college instructors said that has stuck with me all these years: "If you're getting into teaching for the money, you're in the wrong place."

Teachers are teachers because they love teaching. We want to make a difference in children's lives and help them achieve their goals. We knew going into it that we weren't going to make much money but that was okay because we love teaching. However, just because we know we aren't going to get paid much doesn't make it okay. Teachers are incredibly undervalued and deserve to be paid a fair amount for all that they do - regardless of how much they love their job.

This is an article I wrote for my education blog, Eagerly Engaged.