Those who can't do teach?

Teaching is the preparation of young people who are expected to excel in some field. The sad fact is that whether a child is taught carpentry, biology or economics, there is a good chance that he or she turns the subject into a profession and might even become an expert on the matter, while his/her high school teacher continues teaching the basics to the next generation.

Teachers are the ones that stay behind, that don't go chasing glory or the money bag. Sure, they can advance as well. They can make it as principals or maybe even professors, but they still haven't got the slightest opportunity to change the world. They can publish books of fiction and non-fiction, but then it's in their capacity as authors or writers, not as teachers, that they instigate change.

And yet teaching is probably one of the most important professions in the world, alongside health-care, engineering and public administration, because education is a prerequisite to gaining a position. Thus the impact of teaching any single student has the potential to indirectly change the world. Herein lies the job satisfaction for many teachers; the knowledge that one kid might make it big and make a difference.

I have personally long harbored a desire to go into teaching myself. Of course, like everyone else, I would prefer the fame and money, or at least the recognition and self-realization of a rock star, author or film director. But if I am to be realistic about my future, there really is no other path; teaching means indoor work with no heavy lifting, working with academics and theoretical subjects and, of course, it is work that does some good in the world. A child needs guidance, carrots and whips, and to be able to supply that to just one of the saviors of the future, would truly be an honor.