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Originally posted by SecretMethod70
I'm not a teacher (sorry) but JadziaDax is - if she doesn't end up seeing this I suggest sending her a courteous PM asking her your concerns. I'll let her do the describing of what she actually does as far as teaching though - obviously she knows that best 
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Gee, thanks for that lovely intro. I finally got a chance to respond to this thread (and redravin had pointed it out to me, too). I'm going to start by addressing some of what has already been said.
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Originally posted by sexymama
...we are underpaid, overworked and underappreciated.
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This, unfortunately, is completely true. There is no glamour in becoming a teacher. There is no glory. We, the ones who make it through the odds and make a career of it, stick with it because of the personal rewards. The feeling I get when that lightbulb goes on over their heads... it's better than any drug you can take.
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Originally posted by JoenOcoee
PS-note that in many states you do not have to have a degree in education to teach. You can apply for a provisional teaching certificate that is good for one year. If you like it, then it is very easy to take the handful of education courses that you need to get the certification. Of the 26 people I took my last 3 education courses with at University of Georgia about 5 are still teaching.
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With this "No Child Left Behind" Act and the Highly Qualified Teacher crap going on, this will no longer be the case. Emergency certifications will be a thing of the past, and you MUST be completely qualified before a school district (a public one, that is) will consider you. Of course, anyone can teach in a private school. Let me rephrase that... any one who is qualified by the standards of that particular school can teach in a private school.
Teaching is not for everyone. I have seen many people say, "I really want to be a teacher." Ok, so you want to be one. But can you be one? There is more than the want and desire to be a teacher needed to turn it into your career. It's a lifestyle. Your day does not end with the last school bell, you don't have summers off (you're always preparing for the next year or working), you spend most of your hard earned money on supplies for your classroom and for your students... These are the realities of it all.
More reality: Students DO NOT listen to a word you say. You have to repeat yourself about 5 or 6 times before something gets done (and that is with the adults as well). You come into the profession with all these ideals and dreams... within the first few months you get hit with reality.
But, once you realize what it's really all about, you know you've touched lives in a way only a teacher can. And the only respect you need is that of your students. And you can swim in a wealth of that respect if you are a good teacher.
side note: It's Monday morning... a Monday of a short week (Thanksgiving in Thursday)... and I'm about to leave for work...