Here at Pahrump Valley High School, from the 27th of January through the 29th, students and teachers were asked the question, “Are Teachers Appreciated Enough?” Because the well-being of our teachers matters and should be appreciated for what they do here at our high school.
Mr. Curtis is a well-known teacher here at PVHS, got here by complete accident. At Curtis’s college, there was a teacher fair and he had accidentally gone to the Nye Country booth, which ended up here as a beloved teacher at PVHS, which he believes that teachers are appreciated. “I think there are, I think teachers get a lot of discounts at places, I think I feel appreciated.” In Curtis’ words, some positive aspects of working here as a teacher are the students, who are unique and fun to teach. “On a scale of 1/10, how likely are you to recommend our school as a place to work. Curtis: I think, 10/10 would recommend, but note you create your own happiness.”
Well, whether teachers are appreciated or not, are there at least some pros that teachers get from teaching? There are many great pros of being a teacher, but almost the same amount of cons with it. To start off with the pros, teachers get to experience the joy of teaching a younger generation to become successful and hopefully live their dreams they wished for. Summer, winter, and spring breaks provide consistent, built-in breaks to help them not overwork themselves. And the most obvious, their job is rarely boring, with every day presenting new challenges and interactions.
That all seems great, but there are always cons with pros. The big issue is the pay; their salary often does not keep up with the cost of living, and if that wasn’t bad enough already, they have to buy many of their own supplies! Yes, the students are unique, but it doesn’t mean it’s always a good thing; teachers unintentionally struggle with students’ behavior all the way up to high school. But even with the cons, our teachers stay here and support us on a daily basis, with half the time not being rewarded.
So we know that a major number of teachers feel appreciated, but what do students think about this question? Jonash Alboraz and Isaiah Campuzano are both freshmen who have adapted to this new school, with both being close friends, also having similar feelings about teachers being appreciated. Campuzano lived most of his life in Las Vegas and moved to Pahrump when he was 10 years old. He believes that teachers aren’t appreciated enough, “not really cause… they aren’t like thanked or anything for what they do.” But Campuzano does appreciate a certain teacher that he cares about: “Mr Baker, because he is considerate, kind and respectful, and I believe he cares about his students.”
Albornoz, on the other hand, is a Filipino who grew up in the Philippines with his family, and has moved here to Pahrump to look for better jobs and education, and now lives a sustained life. Albornoz is more in the middle of the question: “I do not have that much knowledge about it, but I do know that a lot of my fellow students disrespect teachers behind their backs.” Even though he isn’t very sure, he does appreciate a special teacher who helps students when they need it most. “Ms. Thompson, because she always tries her best and only wants the best for her students.”
So are teachers appreciated enough? People will always have opinions about teachers, whether they are really necessary or if they really help, and not all will appreciate teachers. But as long as you’re not disrespecting your teacher, you should appreciate your teachers because they do try their best for you.
