Teaching overrated?

Via the weekly Carnival of Education, I came upon a post from Teacher in a Strange Land describing a recent US News and World Report special report on the most overrated careers. Including teaching.

According to US News, here are some of the reasons people choose teaching:

Helping the next generation flower sounds like a great vocation. Plus you get summers off. Teachers have good job security, too, with benefits that are often more generous than those in the private sector. And...you get summers off. If you stick with the career, salaries can approach six figures. On top of that, you get summers off!

Why is it so “overrated”?  Well, according to the piece, it’s because classes are heterogeneously grouped and it’s hard to teach all the kids well, the government forces you to teach material that’s too hard for your kids, and sometimes they make you work in the summer.

Alternative careers he suggests are teaching at a private school “aimed at students of a particular ability level” or working as a private tutor or corporate trainer.

Well, huh.  I don’t know what group of teachers he’s been talking to. I can’t think of many teachers who chose teaching on a whim, who thought it would be easy, who aren’t willing to shoulder the challenges it brings.  Is teaching difficult and frustrating sometimes?  Yes!  But overrated?  I’m baffled.

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