Teaching so students will want to learn

To Students,

You forfeit your chance for life at its fullest when you withhold your best effort in learning. When you give only the minimum to learning, you receive only the minimum in return. Even with your parents' best example and your teachers' best efforts, in the end it is your  work that determines how much and how well you learn. When you work to your full capacity, you can hope to attain the knowledge and skills that will enable you to create your future and control your destiny. If you do not, you will have your future thrust upon you by others. Take hold of your life, apply your gifts and talents, work with dedication and self-discipline. Have high expectations for yourself and convert every challenge into an opportunity.
From:  Nation at Risk report

Low Pay for substitute teachers

My blog today will be a rant. I am sorry for this rant but I need to vent and this will be the place for that today. I am a substitute teacher in Connecticut. In order for one to be a sub in Connecticut, one must have a college degree. For the achievement of receiving a college degree I am paid $70 a day. I work an average of 7 hours a day with a 25 minute lunch. That makes my pay $10 an hour. If I had not gone to college but I were a cashier or waitress I would make more than that in Connecticut. Why demand a substitute teacher have a college degree if you do not intend on paying him or her for education and experience.
I agree with the fact that substitute teachers should be college educated but I also believe they should be paid the wage of a college educated professional. I would think a parent would not accept any less. The sub pay should start at $20 and hour and go up from there. There are no other benefits involved so the school systems are paying us babysitter wages. Please let your boards of eds. know that you think sub pay should be increased and that you demand a high level of professionalism from the substitutes not just someone looking to fill their days with something to do.