Why Do Teachers Teach?

By Alyschia Conn

Why Teach?
Why do teachers teach? It is a rather simple question, however the question, what is a
teacher, must be addressed first. Merriam-Webster’s definition of a teacher is “one
whose occupation is to instruct” (Merriam-Webster, 2008, para. 1). That is a rather one-
dimensional definition of a teacher, as teachers these days, offer so much more to the
class than just the information. They offer themselves. A collective definition of a
teacher is someone who “yearns to help children learn, watch them grow, and make a
meaningful difference in the world” (Teacher Support Network, 2007, para. 2). This
definition must be the main reason as to why individuals pursue teaching as a career.
Generally, the pay is low to fair, but the overall rewards are much greater, for as a
teacher one can touch the hearts of the young and open their minds in order to tap their
thirst for knowledge.

The Long Road

Becoming a teacher is a lengthy process obtained by numerous routes, such as night

school or attending a four-year college. Regardless of the process it is important to
obtain at least a Bachelor’s degree in the desired teaching area, as well as a teacher
certification which should include clinical experience (Lewis, L., Parsad, B., Carey, N.,
Bartfai, N., Farris, E. & Smerdon, B., 1999, para. 3). The average starting salaries were
about $31,704 in the year 2003-04, whereas the average teaching salary was about
$46,597 for the year 2004-2005 (Pearson Education Inc, table). Compare this to the
average cost of living in the United States today which is continually rising (Boskey,
para. 3).

Teacher’s Salaries Across the US

Teaching is not a pocket cushioning job, but one with long hours and a flat rate of pay.
The income of course, depends on where the teacher is instructing. Private schools
generally pay their teachers less for they do not need to have proper credentials,
whereas schools located in urban areas pay more for those with proper credentials
(Vedder, 2003, Public vs. Private, para. 1). Despite the lower pay for private school
teachers, it is the students, the teacher’s individual commitment to faith, and the
freedom provided by not being governmentally run that attracts teachers (Vedder, 2003,
Public vs. Private). Considering the figures above, it is clear that teaching is not a
lucrative profession. It is the prerogative of these individuals to choose a career in
teaching, and often they have a strong motive behind their decision. Perhaps teachers
teach for personal gain, or they have the desire to spread knowledge, or to watch
children reach their full potential beneath their instruction. Regardless of the reason, the
reward must be substantial to compensate for the lack of monetary reward.

Passion

There are multiple factors in deciding to become a teacher. For one, it is a healthy
alternative to other professions as the TDA’s research has found that about twice as
many teachers truly enjoy their work, as opposed to those who have careers in
marketing, IT, and accounting (TDA, In Summary, para. 1). Although work is not truly,
work, if it is enjoyed. For example, Beth Ashfield, a math teacher, spoke of her job with
passion “I love my subject, but I know it’s not socially acceptable to say that… in school,
I can be as enthusiastic as I want to be. I’m able to convey that enthusiasm to the
students, to allow them to become confident and creative in their approach to the
subject” (TDA, Beth Ashfield, Maths teacher, para. 1). Becoming a teacher was
important for her, due to her great love of a particular subject, and the desire to share it
with others in hopes that they might discover the same for themselves. As a teacher one
is always learning, whether it is of one’s content material, or something new from a
pupil. Being a teacher requires an open mind, for the teacher is always the student. A
teacher guides his or her charges on a path to self-discovery where they learn about the
world, and ultimately, themselves.

Love

Beyond passion, another reason that teachers teach is simply for the love of teaching.
As stated by (Liston & Garrison, 2003) Love is a “creative, critical, and disruptive force
in teaching and learning.” A teacher who loves his or her job will be a better teacher and
have a greater impact on the students he or she influences. Classroom efforts to
manage, instruct, and direct groups of twenty to thirty students frequently requires a
feeling for others and an intuition that connects teacher to student and to subject matter.
(Liston & Garrison, 2003) For the new teacher that multiple tasks entailed in this activity
can be overwhelming. (Liston & Garrison, 2003) For the experienced teacher they can
seem almost unconscious. (Liston & Garrison, 2003) This connection between students
and teachers can sometimes be a form of love and concern for the well-being of other
human beings. A teacher must have a strong desire to see the well-being of young
students is advanced and know that at the end of the day they have played a small part
in the bettering of these students. Most teachers truly have passion for what they do,
but they also have a love for it as well.
The Challenge
There are points when teaching becomes a challenge, but it is those that thrive on the
challenge of reaching kids who are truly the most effective. Though they may seem
under-appreciated, the individuals who instruct in our country’s challenge-schools, or
schools located in poor urban areas, are very important. Laura Hendrickson conducted
a study that looked into high-challenge urban schools, and how good teachers affect the
students’ education. It was obvious that with three years of quality teaching the students
performed almost nearly as well as those who were not situated in a high challenge
school. Often teachers leave such places due to their struggles with reaching the
children in those areas, however those that stayed had the following reasons:
“relationships with students, rewards, instructional focus, collegiality, feeling needed and
a desire to help others, challenges and parents” (Morris, 2007, Abstract para. 4). The
teachers took their responsibility to not merely be educators, but also to provide
different avenues of understanding so that all students could “master basic learning
objectives” (Cotton, 2001, para. 3). These objectives were acquired through the
encouragement and support of the teachers who established the connection between
the student’s effort and his or her outcome, as opposed to luck or good fortune. The
effort of these teachers was remarkable as they faced the challenges of the student’s
unstable and sometimes uneducated backgrounds and found ways to reach the
children by being flexible with their teaching style and creative with rewards (Cotton,
2001, para. 5).

Creativity Is Key
Beth Anders, once a physical education teacher, now heads the coaching faculty of the
field hockey team at Old Dominion University. Her view on teaching was similar to that
of Beth Ashfield, for she loves to teach and develop people. “Life is learning and to be
part of people developing and acquiring knowledge. Every person is unique, and the
challenge is to find fun ways to guide individuals to learn and understand what they are
interested in learning” (B. Anders, personal communication, February 2, 2008). There
are many ways to be creative in the classroom, whether it is using projects, videos, and
presentations, but what if the creativity stemmed from the teacher?

Being creative is important in teaching, for the students are the audience. No one knows
this better than entertainers, who are creative and use their ingenuity to bring to life
rather dull aspects of education. This in and of itself is talent, and there are those who
devote themselves to that. Paul Keogh, a Modern Languages teacher had always
aspired to be an entertainer, however, he chose teaching as his profession instead. He
does not regret this choice for, he’s always got someone to perform for. He equated
teaching to entertainment, but more importantly he remarks, “I love to see them growing
personally, socially and academically” (TDA, Paul Keogh, Modern Languages teacher,
para. 3). This statement itself encompasses the point of education, for there cannot be
growth without learning, and learning stems from observing from someone of an
educated status higher than one’s-self.
The Rewards
The rewards received by being a teacher are different than those received by someone
like a salesman for example. If a salesman is doing well, he makes his quota, and he
then earns his monetary bonus. It is possible that he receives a plaque to hang behind
his desk stating that he was the number one salesman for this period in time. Teacher’s
rewards are not so tangible, but rather, “they are rewarded more by witnessing their
students succeed and follow their dreams than by any plaque” (Daily Egyptian, 2005,
para. 7). A group of schoolteachers who had participated in a study that looked into why
teachers taught in high challenge schools, jointly agreed that what their students
achieve under their instruction was reward enough for all the time that they devote to
their students. “Student achievement was another reward the teachers discussed as a
reason for staying. When their students were successful, the teachers felt incredibly
rewarded.” (Morris, 2007, pg 58). The reward teachers receive is a feeling, and feelings
are more special and memorable than gold and silver plaques hung on a wall
proclaiming an individual’s success. For teaching, it is not about what the teachers can
achieve, but what they can get their students to achieve, and through their students,
reflects a teacher’s greatest achievement.

In Conclusion
Ten Reasons to Become a Teacher

Review Questions
To address the opening question, why do teachers teach? The answer is simple, “they
teach for the love of children and to contribute to the well-being of all of us” (Teachers
are Important, 1998, para. 4). It is something inside them. It is a drive, a force, a
passion, a talent that they wish to dispel upon his or her students in order to watch them
succeed. Choosing to be at teacher is not for the money, as a teacher’s monetary
compensation is hardly adequate given all that they give to their students. Becoming a
teacher is almost like heading a calling. It is not for the light at heart, but rather, for
those who love children and people, who have a passion for education, and who love to
share in that passion. Teachers yearn to see the burning desire to learn, and love to
see the excitement of discovery, and that, is why teachers teach.

1. How does the average salary of a teacher compare to that of a teacher who
is just beginning?
a. greater
b. less
c. much greater
d. much smaller
 2. Beth Ashfield speaks animatedly about why she teaches. What emotion shows
through when she speaks of her reasons?

a. Interest
b. Concern
c. Passion
d. Aggression

3. Explain what the teachers of ‘high-challenge’ urban schools provide to the

students that they teach?

a. compassion and advice

b. encouragement and direction
c. encouragement and support
d. safety and security

4. The classroom can become a platform for learning and growing for students, and
teachers can bring their own flair to the class. What flair did Paul Keogh bring to
the class, and did the students respond well to it?

a. Singing; the students loved it

b. Singing; the students hated it
c. Entertaining; the students hated it
d. Entertaining; the students loved it

5. What feedback rewards teachers the most?

a. Support from the PTA

b. Teacher Appreciation Week
c. Plaques and signs of honor
d. Witnessing students succeed

Answer Key
1) A 2) C 3) D 4) D 5) D
References
 Anders, B. (2008, Feb, 2). “Why Do Teachers Teach? ” By Alyschia Conn. Email.
 Boskey, S. Experts Confirm: The Cost of Living is Rising Faster Than
Incomes. PR Web Press Release Newswire. Retrieved January 31, 2008,
from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/1/prweb331749.htm
 Cotton, K. (August 31, 2001). Educating Urban Minority Youth: Research on
Effective Practices. School Improvement Research Series. Retrieved February
2, 2008, from http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/5/topsyn4.html
 Daily Egyptian. (2005, November 17). Appreciate the Good Teachers. Daily
Egyptian. Retrieved February 2, 2008, from
http://nwshound.de.siu.edu/online/stories/storyReader$9
 Lewis, L., Parsad, B., Carey, N., Bartfai, N., Farris, E. & Smerdon, B. “Teacher
Quality: A Report on the Preparation and Qualifications of Public School
Teachers.” Washington DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for
Education Statistics, January 1999. Retrieved January 31, 2008, from
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs99/1999080.pdf
 Merriam-Webster. Teacher. Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved January 30,
2008, from http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/teacher
 Morris, L. (2007). Joy, passion and tenacity: A phenomenological study of why
quality teachers continue to teach in high-challenge urban elementary schools.
(AAT 3263427),102. Retrieved May 1, 2020, from
https://shareok.org/handle/11244/1200
 Pearson Education Inc. Beginning Teacher Salaries (Actual Average)
TeacherVision. Retrieved January 31, 2008, from
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/Beginning_Teacher_Salary.pdf
 Teachers are Important. (1998, May). Gainesville Sun. Retrieved February 1,
2008, from http://www.afn.org/~alilaw/Published/teachers.html
 Teachers Support Network. Why Become a Teacher? Retrieved January 31,
2008, from http://www.teacherssuportnetwork.com/corporate/
KnowledgeCenterArticle.do?id=5
 Training and Developing Agency For Schools. Beth Ashfield, Maths Teacher.
TDA. Retrieved January 30, 2008, from
https://web.archive.org/web/20081121023044/http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/
lifeasateacher/teachersstories/
 Training and Developing Agency for Schools. How Does Your Job Make You
Feel? TDA. Retrieved January 30, 2008, from
http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/lifeasateacher/howdoesyourjobmakeyoufeel.aspx
 Training and Developing Agency For Schools. Paul Keogh, Modern Languages
teacher. TDA. Retrieved February 2, 2008, from
 https://web.archive.org/web/20081121023044/http://www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/
lifeasateacher/teachersstories/
 Vedder, R. (2003). Comparable Worth. Education Next, 3. Retrieved May 1,
2020, from https://www.educationnext.org/comparable-worth/
 Liston, D. P., & Garrison, J. W. (2003). Teaching, Learning, and Loving:
Reclaiming Passion in Educational Practice. Routledge.

LICENSES AND ATTRIBUTIONS

CC LICENSED CONTENT, SHARED PREVIOUSLY

• Foundations of Education and Instructional Assessment. Authored by: Jennifer Kidd,

Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, and the students of
Old Dominion University's ECI301. Provided by: Old Dominion University.
Located at:
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_of_Education_and_Instructional_
Assessment. License: CC BY-SA