Written by Shayla Rooks
In a speech to the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, Secretary Arne Duncan said, “Money is never the reason why people enter teaching, but it is the reason why some people do not enter teaching, or leave as they start to think about beginning a family or buying a home.”
As a child, whenever I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I happily replied, “A preschool teacher.” To my surprise, the response to my dream career was never welcoming. My mother, for example, looked at me and said, “Oh honey, a teacher? But they don’t make enough money. Maybe you should try and find something else.” Being told this as a second-grader instantly crushed me, and I began to wonder what was wrong with being a teacher and why money mattered.
In the U.S., everything has to do with money. So, of course, when people think about educators, they associate them with low pay. Apparently, the significant impact professors have on their students is not evidence enough for higher pay. In fact, according to The Washington Post, the average professor made $50,032 in 2015, and, although the pay rate is on the rise, the professors’ salaries are less than the salaries of senior administrators. But professors should be given a higher salary because they not only have to teach students, but they also have other duties such as conducting research and serving their college or university.
College professors are not only educators but also contributors to the institution and the community as a whole. According to the National Education Association, college professors are called upon to perform four roles: teaching, scholarly or creative activities, service to community and institution and administration. Whether that is doing research within the area to help find a treatment for a disease or completing community service, professors do more than people think and way more than they receive credit for.
Professors also help guide and support students throughout their often stressful college careers. They also assist by connecting students to people who could further those students’ current and future academic goals. Professors can influence a student’s career choice by exposing the student to many different career-affiliated experiences. Many times, students are not sure what they are passionate about, and having the mentorship of a professor can lead to a student deciding his or her ultimate career.
Moreover, professors are also there to increase students’ self-confidence by helping them realize their potential. Having a college professor’s assistance and guidance can, and often does, help improve students’ performances. Whether it is their study techniques, career choices or just general life decisions, professors definitely have a huge impact on students’ successes in college. This is important because a student’s success in college, whether students realize it or not, can set the tone for the rest of their lives.
Professors deserve more recognition and higher pay because of the impact they have on the individual lives of their students. As much as students may hate having a professor who never seems to stop talking or seems too “nosey,” they should always remember that professors genuinely care about their success and want to assist in any way possible. Students have to remember that their professors are more than just educators — they are motivators, mentors and so much more.
