Education has to be one of the most important things an individual has and teachers have a huge impact on the way students learn.

They make sure students know the basic fundamentals and give the gift of learning, but sadly they are taken for granted.

Many people believe teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world.

But teachers are paid lower than other professionals, according to the 2017 Education at a Glance report, which said, “On average, teachers in the United States earn less than 60 percent of the salaries of similarly-educated workers, the lowest relative earnings across all OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries with data.”

In addition, according to the Detroit Metro Times, the salary of Michigan teachers continues to drop, like it has for the past five years.

The change began in 2009, when the state’s teachers’ average salary was $63,024. It now has dropped down to $61,978 on average.

Due to the drop in wages, people are not becoming teachers anymore, which could cause a problem for future generations.

Teachers have many other jobs other than teaching in the classroom.

They also have to plan out the lessons, attend meetings with administrators and other teachers, prepare students for standardized tests, counsel students, and write tests and assignments, as well as grade them.

Mr. Mike Simms, science teacher, knows there’s way more to teaching than teaching in the classroom.

“A teaching day consists of proper dress for the job, being on time to work, building relationships with all students, being a counselor at times to students (an ear to listen), a nurse at times, a peacemaker at times, a good team member (science department), someone who can offer advice, ” Mr. Simms said.

Simms also said the job requires many other things: “I am a lunch monitor, attendee on meetings during certain days, getting attendance done accurately and efficiently, taking care of grading, and yes, the teaching part during class.”

Teachers also have to have their students show improvement on their pre- and post-tests, all while being constantly evaluated by the administrators.

Their job isn’t easy when they have students that aren’t in class a lot or deal with other disturbances they experience in the classrooms.

Mr. Brian Clark, history teacher, said one of the biggest hurdles he has is due to parents.

“Lately, lack of parental support has become an issue because I can’t encourage students to do their homework if their parents don’t either,” Clark said. “I would reach out to parents for help and usually not get much of a response.”

Even though teaching can be tough job, some teachers like to look at the positives they encounter.

Mrs. Fran Trombley, English teacher, enjoys teaching and interacting with her students.

“If I won the lotto, I would still teach. I enjoy being able to make a difference in my students,” Trombley said. “But what they don’t understand is that they make a difference for me.

“I go home and share stories of how students made me smile, laugh, and reflect, and how some show me a different perspective that I otherwise would not have thought of.”

In addition, Mr. Matt Binko, math teacher, enjoys being able to be a part of nudging his students in the right direction.

“I like being a teacher not only to help students learn, but to help them reach their goals and to make sure they take their education to the next level,” Binko said.