Nobody Wants To Teach High School

I'm saddened by a comment made by my step-son last night. He's a senior in high school and is trying to figure out what he wants to major in. One of his comments was that he wanted to teach history, but needed to figure out how he could spend as little time teaching high school as possible.

As a high school teacher, I know I have the hardest job in the world and make very little pay for my efforts. I also have the most rewarding job in the world and my students are a little bit better off because someone of intelligence, commitment and passion decided to help educate them. You have to love teaching. You have to believe you can make a difference in their lives. You are greatly rewarded knowing that perhaps you did make a difference. More than anything, that's what teaching high school is all about. Making the difference.

If I can turn one student towards college, where they saw no future.... If I can help one student learn what their passion is, where they had no direction before.... If I can take one student who believes he can't go to college and will not amount to anything, and give him or her the hope that it's possible and that they are a valuable human being who can make a difference in our society.... then my job is done. It's not so simple, but with commitment to a better "human race" I see how I can make more of an impact in high school, than in college teaching.