Why good teachers should command higher pay

What is the value of a teacher that is Montessori certified, speaks three languages and employed at a language immersion preschool?

Teachers compare to none other than the parent in a kids life. Teachers have been able to mold so many lives, through their classes and other forums in which they have been able to influence the lives of their students. The number of students that go through them and whose lives are shaped today by what the teacher had to say is just overwhelming. They have made some peoples’ lives gain meaning. Otherwise such persons would have ended in some not so good places or businesses or employment. The value of a good teacher’s influence on a student cannot be over emphasized. With all the good things being said about the teacher, their story seems to end just there! Is this the forgotten profession?

Motivation is the underlying force that ought to be provided for any employee. Basically motivation drives results from employees; it propels them to good outcomes. Every employee needs to be motivated so that they can give their best. Even the owners i.e. the employers need to be motivated. The employers derive their motivation from;

Seeing that everything is running smoothly. An employer feels good whenever operations in his organization are being run without any hitches. When this happens they concentrate on improving their operations rather than being stuck in trying to solve one problem after the other.

Getting good returns on their investments. The intention of getting into business for the employers is to get returns. When the owners get good returns in terms of the profitability and dividend yields then they are propelled to put in more effort to get better returns in the next financial year.

Achievement of their targets. When the organizations achieve what had been set out for them to achieve. For example if an organization had set to achieve say 20% increase in their level of productivity in the financial year and they achieve that, then the owner will be happy of the realization.

The owners of the schools are employers, be it individuals, companies or the government and the fore mentioned motivators will definitely have a positive influence on them. Likewise the teachers in the schools need to be motivated.  Good teachers are hard to come by.  When a school owner finds a good teacher they must try as much as possible to retain such a teacher’s services. A good teacher basically displays the following characteristics;

Dedicated to their work. They give their all without seeking for alternative jobs on the side to earn more. They are in school when they are supposed to be and even volunteer additional hours to their students.

Delivers good students’ results. The teacher is able to impart the necessary skills and knowledge on the students thus students’ results reflect what has been taught.

Meets the requisite qualifications for the profession. They possess the required professional qualifications which equip them with the skills required for them to deliver in class.

Enjoys want s/he does. A good teacher enjoys the career path that s/he has chosen such that when doing their work one can see the energy that radiates in them.

Has a positive influence on students. The teacher is a role model for his/her students; s/he is able to influence the students to uphold good virtues i.e. discipline, patience and perseverance.

Teachers who posses these qualities need to be sort after and retained in schools. Research has shown that teachers’ influence starts right from preschool all the way to the person’s adult life. A student whose life has been impacted in a positive way by his/her teacher will more often go ahead in life to earn much more than the teacher. This is an imbalance that demotivates most teachers and has forced most people to shun the profession. Very few people are willing to get into this noble profession because of the remuneration.

A good teacher is a motivated teacher. Motivation can come from varies sources. In our world today people seek financial freedom and stability. Every person’s wish is to be rich, if not, then it is to be able to afford a comfortable life. This is relative from individual to individual but the underlying fact being financial freedom and stability. A teacher who commands a good pay will be able to deliver what he is meant to. A good pay shields the teacher from the distractions that come with little pay.

The teacher’s pay determines whether the teacher delivers quality educational material to the students or not. Like any other citizen a teacher has financial obligations which he has to meet, these influence his workmanship and lead others into having other businesses apart from the employment of a teacher. They may even accept a lower paying part-time job to supplement on their salaries. This should not be the case in any career. A career should be fulfilling in individual development, achievement and reward.

A lowly paid teacher will always be on the lookout trying to find a better employer who will be able to meet their financial goals. The teacher’s attention in class is never hundred percent. This means that the teacher will not be able to deliver to the students well enough. Student’s performance will be adversely affected.

And for the teacher who is well paid but he feels like he is being paid well below his worth, chances are that he will very soon his current employer. The departure of a good teacher has a very big impact on the students such that some students start demanding for transfers immediately the teacher leaves. This is not a good sign for any school. The impact of this could so huge if a mass exodus of students takes place. Although even without the exodus the reputation of the school could be dented badly.

So it is paramount to employ and retain good teachers by offering pay packages that are commensurate of their qualifications and experience. A good teacher should receive a good pay package that removes all the other worries in his mind and clears him to give his best towards his work.