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Kalinda Harris
Green
FDENG101
21 October 2016
Profile Essay
My mother patiently explains an algebra problem to me as we sit at our dining room
table. She has a piece of scratch paper in front of her as she writes the problem down so she can
visualize it. She helped me understand algebra easier and I was able to complete some of my
math homework because of her.
My mother wanted to be a teacher as far back as [she could] remember. My mother
would play school when [she] was little. Little children often model people they want to be
like, so this is an indicator that my mother wanted to be a teacher. Once my mother became a
student at school, she wanted to teach the grade that each new teacher was teaching. That became
harder once she entered junior high where she had multiple teachers. Then she had to decide
which subject [she] liked best.
Teachers have an extraordinary influence on people, as shown by the teachers who taught
my mother. As such, it is important that they are respected so that more good people will be
attracted to the teaching profession.
When she finally became a teacher, my mother loved working with her students. She
loved the moment when students would finally grasp the concept she was trying to teach. One
student she taught had a difficult time understanding algebra. She had trouble with her previous

teacher and was failing algebra. My mother worked with her one on one and she was able to pass
algebra. My mother even offered to help her with other math classes when she moved on from
her class. She never needed my [moms] help after that though, but I find it inspiring that she
was willing to work with even that girl wasnt in her class anymore. It really shows what a good,
kind, and patient teacher my mom was.
My mother hated having to discipline her students. She particularly disliked having to
explain to parents why my mother didnt give their student full credit for a late assignment.
My mother feels that teachers learn along with the students. Having to find new ways to
explain a topic so that different students with different learning strategies can understand it
takes your understanding to a higher level. My mother feels that a good teacher is someone
who is patient and never gives up until a class understands [the material]. I think my mother
exemplified this very well.
My mother has often complained that athletes get paid a ridiculous amount of money
while contributing little to society, while teachers, who provide education, which is crucial to our
system of government, get paid little in comparison. However, the actual average salary of an
athlete in the United States of America, according to salary.com, while the average teacher salary
in the United States of America is 47,165 dollars according to insidermonkey.com. Thus it seems
like those professional athletes who receive millions of dollars a year are the exception to the
rule. Teachers are still underpaid however. Although they make more money per year than the
average athlete, they are paid considerably less than others who have the same level of education
but are not in the teaching profession, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation

and Development. Although they receive less money than those with a comparable education
level, they work longer hours.
In South Korea, which has considerably less resources than the United States of America,
the average teacher salary is 48,181 dollars, also according to insidermonkey.com. Although less
people can become teachers in South Korea due to a higher standard for teachers, this just shows
how much more South Koreans respect and desire quality education for its citizens.
This is highly embarrassing for the United States of America. The United States of
America has a democratic system of government that depends highly on citizen participation and
input. Competency is an important and necessary value that is needed in order to have a free
society. If teachers are underpaid and the standards to become a teacher are low, the standard of
education drops, and individual are less equipped to competently vote and make decisions that
will greatly impact the future of the United States of America. Citizens need to have a quality
education in order to make the best choices for president and other laws in which they have
input. The Founding Fathers distrusted those without an education. The Founding Fathers
believed that the uneducated masses would make unwise and foolish decisions that could prove
the downfall of the United States of America. The Founding Fathers feared that the uneducated
masses were more likely to be swayed by a skilled and eloquent orator, whether or not he was
skilled enough to actually fulfill the required and necessary roles of the President of the United
States of America.
Their fears do not seem to be unfounded. Donald Trump, who has a personality that could
prove disastrous for diplomatic relations, has found a wide following of people. He also has a
checkered past that could weaken the United States of Americas reputation and respectability in

the eyes of the rest of the world. Steps should be taken to increase the quality of education
provided in the United States.