Why are there so many lacking teachers?

This is a question which has haunted me for a long time. I have always enjoyed my teachers. I have also enjoyed teaching at College level and otherwise mentoring the younger generation. I had the priviledge to study in the private system (no funding issues) growing up with teachers who were mostly motivated and interested in making an investment in my life.While I would be presumptious to say I know all the answers, here is what I have come up with in pondering this question:It all comes down to motivation, vocation and demand.

Motivation:
We live in a capitalist nation. In a capitalist nation you are better off if you have more money. It then follows that is is less easy to live on less money. Teachers are traditionally underpaid. The result is that the nation's value of money conflict with the nation's value of education. In the end, most people feel a lot of pressure to make the best living they can with what they have (this living is not always tied to money, some frown upon the profession due to bureaucracy, red tape, lack of school funding). This makes it less likely that a person who works hard or is really smart will choose a profession where they would have a hard time financially, emotionally, be abused by parents and un-supported by their supervisrs. This is to say, there is little in the form of social motivation to become a teacher. Unless you have...

Vocation:
Everyone has a vocation. Some don't find out until later in life, and some turn their backs on it in favor of other "social valuables" such as money, positions, living means, etc. So why is it that not all teachers are lacking even if the motivation is not there? Those teachers who are excellent, go the extra mile and invest in their students life have a vocation. There is more than one vocation that is present in those really good teachers and substitutes or drowns the lack of motivation. Namely: vocation to work with kids/tweens/teenagers, vocation to help make a better world, vocation to help the needy, vocation to work their best at whatever they do, among others. When vocation is present, you can tell, the kids can tell and the parents can tell. The result of vocation is that it makes up for the lack of socially available motivators that would drive one to an underappreciated profession. So, if there is little motivation and the bad teachers have no vocation, why do they teach?...

Demand:
This is not what you expect. Yes, there is demand on the part of the Department of Education. This plays a part in that often times this entity is in a position where they cannot be as "choosy" with their teachers because, after all, they have to teach all available students. There is, however, also the family demands that drives one to take a job that one does not desire just so that one can earn a living and be able to be home when the kids are out of school. Then there is a demand for money, this is the one that drives you when you are vocationless but also jobless and hopeless into this lose-lose situation. There is demand for jobs and there is demand for teachers, the two meet and most times create an explosion. Other times however, the result of this meeting, under the right conditions and right nurturing, a good teacher is born from what seemed to be hopeless.

Points of action:

1. As a society we need to align our value in education with our value in money and give those who give their lives in this profession a fair chance to run the rat race.

2. As a parent, cut your kid's teachers some slack. While they are tending to your PTA needs, they are unable to tend to their own.

3. As a government, let's distribute the funds properly or privatize the system and give each school a true opportunity to drive each student to be their best.

4. As a civilian, volunteer. Maybe your vocation is not in teaching but you do a good job painting, paint that graffitti over. Are you a good cook with culinary school dreams? Volunteer cooking at the cafeteria. Do you dream of a big name non-profit agency? How about one for teacher benefits? Do you have mad computer skills? Volunteer to teach a couple of computer sessions for parents, teachers or kids. Are you a student? Teach for America would look great on your resume. Are you an inmigrant (legal or illegal)? Volunteer to teach your language to others. Do you play an instrument? Want to play it for kindergardeners or want to teach some kids to play? Don't want anything to do with kids with your busy life? Donate some books to your local or school library, donate clothes, tickets, computers, musical instruments, anything you have too much of, chances are that some great teacher out there can use it well.We can all benefit from a good system, but we all have to help. It is not just the governments problem or society as a whole, but don't just blame the teacher. Even bad ones, without motivation or vocation (hey, they might have been collateral from this situation) are to be respected because they are doing the work others are not and they hold the future in their hands.