So, when I was starting out at uni I thought I was entering
a highly respected and noble field. Now, I feel as though society barely views
teaching as a ‘profession’. My nephew is currently finishing high school and when telling
his Dad (my brother) that he wanted to study Education, his Dad said, “Why
would you want to be just a lowly teacher?”
Here I am wondering if society respects my work; If my own
family doesn’t, what hope do I have that the rest of the world does? 
Well, I’m clearly biased, but I believe that teachers can
change the world. We shape lives and make a
goddamn difference. Teaching is a profession.
We hear criticisms of education systems and educations in
the media constantly, and closer to home, the contempt with which some
(certainly not all) of my student’s parents interact with me always astounds
me. Shockingly though, it doesn’t upset me, because teachers have come to
accept that there are many people in this world that do not treat us the
honour, respect or dignity that we deserve.
-TeachlingTeachling’s Wordpress, Teachling's Tumblr
More on this from Teachling:
A
teacher's take on respecting teacher, pt1... A teacher's take on earning respect from students...
More about respecting teachers:
What Teachers Make (Taylor Mali, TED Talk)
Supporting Our Teachers (Government of South Australia)
Do Teachers Get Enough Respect From Society? (voxxi.com)
Why Do Some Countries Respect Their Teachers More Than Others? (theguardian.com)
No Society Can Succeed Without Respecting Teachers (thefrontierpost.com)
