According to a recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center, over half of American teachers want the public to understand that teaching is a challenging and demanding profession.
The survey, which involved 2,531 public K-12 teachers surveyed in October and November, shed light on the ongoing impact of the pandemic on academic life and how it continues to affect the nation's educators.
One elementary school teacher emphasized, "Teachers play multiple roles beyond just delivering curriculum. We also act as counselors, behavioral specialists, and even parental figures for students who rely on us to fulfill those responsibilities."
Another high school teacher highlighted the significant amount of extra hours that teachers dedicate to their jobs, stating, "The additional time we put in beyond our contractual hours is overwhelming. Coming in early and staying late is just the beginning of the workload."
Another significant portion of respondents, 22%, wanted the public to know that they care about their students and persevere through the job's hardships so that their students succeed.
But 17% of respondents said they fel undervalued and disrespected despite being well-educated professionals. Those teachers wanted more support from the public.
"The public attitudes toward teachers have been degrading, and it is making it impossible for well-qualified teachers to be found," a high school teacher said. "People are simply not wanting to go into the profession because of public sentiments."
Fifteen percent of teachers wanted the public to know that teachers are underpaid and that their salaries don't reflect the effort and care they put into students' education.
"Most teachers can't afford health insurance or eyeglasses," one elementary school teacher responded. "Do you know how many teachers NEED eyeglasses?!"
Pew also surveyed U.S. adults about their perceptions of American teachers. The center found that the majority of respondents already believed teaching at a public K-12 school is harder than most jobs, with 33% believing it's a lot harder.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Americans surveyed said teachers should be paid more than they currently are, with 39% saying they should be paid a lot more.
Public Perception of Teachers
According to a recent survey, 32% of respondents felt the public looks up to teachers, while 30% felt the public looks down on teachers and 37% felt the public neither admired nor disapproved of them.
The issue that most divided teachers and the public was the question of trust. Nearly half of teachers (47%) felt most Americans don't trust teachers, while 57% of U.S. adults said they do trust teachers to do their jobs well.
The public's views differed considerably along party lines. Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents were more likely than Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents to say they trusted teachers to do their jobs well (70% vs. 44%) and that teachers should be paid more (86% vs. 63%).
"It is getting harder and harder. Teachers aren't paid enough and can hardly make a fair living," a high school teacher said to Pew.
"We love your kids and we want the best for them," an elementary school teacher wrote. "We spend more time with your kids than with our own kids, so just give us some trust to do right by them."
