Teaching Not Romantic, Lucrative, Even in Hallowed Halls of Universities

When I think about college professors, I think about:
Professor power couples; professor power couples’ houses; professor power couples’ houses’ bookshelves; sabbaticals in Tuscany; research projects in Crete ; potluck dinners and living room readings; affairs with students; tweed jackets; long black skirts and turtlenecks and blunt haircuts; worn leather briefcases; legal pads; fountain pens; Indiana Jones; walking to work in the fall with leaves circling your feet; pipes, perhaps; maybe an old dog.

When I think about high school teachers, I think about:
High school, which is terrible.

BUT! The thesis of this piece from The Millions is that I’m wrong as hell, and what’s actually terrible is trying to become a professor and what’s actually not that terrible is having a steady job teaching teenagers at a formative moment of their life and also everyday during regular school hours and earning a median salary of $53,230.

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.