LETTER: You are either meant to be a teacher or not

Having taught for 32 years in an inner city in Connecticut, I think I am able to make some comment on teacher pay. If you computed my hourly wage, I would have been paid less per hour than other teachers, the same as some and more than others — not considering extra degrees, experience or special assignments.

What do I mean by that statement? Some teachers did the absolute minimum. They clocked in, did what they did during the teaching day and clocked out. The majority (my opinion, but an inside one) arrived early, stayed late or left on time but spent a lot of time at home researching lessons and making, planning, buying, designing and creating things for the children and classroom.

Now, it is true that some of those doing the minimum were excellent teachers, and that children would be lucky to have them. But most of those were just doing a job.

And that, folks, has always been and will always be the problem with government/union determined teacher pay. It cannot be a “per hour” job. A teacher such as myself — who loved the job and was always on the clock — is always thinking things such as,”How can I present that concept better?” Or, “What can I do to reach that troubled student?”

Lastly, I know many people, my son being one of them, who quit teaching. I know many others who have said they could never do that job. And that is what elevates teaching. Because (and the majority of teachers know this) you were meant to be a teacher.