It’s genuinely understood by most people that teachers are underpaid and underappreciated. That makes you think, “Why would a person decide to go to college for at least 4 years and get themselves into all that debt?” I decided to go around and ask teachers in Oakmont what drives them. Is it out of ignorance? Or out of passion?
My first conversation was with Beth Campagna, A Spanish teacher at Oakmont, she responded to my question with “I had great teachers and I knew I wanted to do that. I had it written down in my yearbook under future ambitions. ‘I wrote, study in Spain and become a teacher.’”
For some, the decision to become can start at a young age much like Paula Stefanakos, an English teacher at Oakmont. It can spark from having good teachers or inherently having that teaching gene. As Mrs. Stef said, “I was a bossy kid and I love to tell people what to do.”
But, not every teacher finds their calling so early, for example, Dylan Billings, A math teacher. When asked what made him become a teacher he told me he found out in college while pursuing an engineering degree. “My dad was a coach for a teens football team and I thought I should give it a try.” he said, “I enjoyed it and it was very nice to nurture and watch the kids grow and get better.”
All the teachers were talking about how amazing that feeling is but what about the financial side? I had to know did the teachers, understand what they were getting into by sacrificing luxuries just to teach children.
The last teacher I talked to hopefully, answer my question was Peter Jones, a Tech Ed teacher, on why he would do a job that he knew he would be underpaid in. He simply replied, “I knew I was gonna take a financial hit, but it’s worth it. much more rewarding working with kids.” He also added, “I don’t regret my decision at all I love it.”
At the core of most teachers’ motivation is a deep passion for learning. Many educators enter the profession because they have an innate desire to share their love of learning with others. They want to pass on that enthusiasm to their students. The joy of helping someone or watching students achieve their goals. It provides a sense of fulfillment that no paycheck can fully replicate.
