Teachers don’t get a very high paying salary, are often seen working past the clock, and many times have to bring school home with them in order to grade papers or plan class activities for the next day. This causes many people to find themselves asking the same question; why do they do it?

The selfless job is a passion for many. For a lot of teachers, they just simply love being able to contribute into the next generations successes and accomplishments. Some even go the extra mile and help students after school, coach sports teams, or even sponsor clubs.

“I think most teachers teach because they love working with kids and it is something that they find enjoyable,” sophomore Ryan Fowler said.

When you hear the word “job” one of the firsts things that probably come to mind is money. Although teachers are a necessity for a bright future in America, they do not get paid nearly as much as other important careers do such as lawyers, doctors, or Politicians.

It is listed on the Fairfax County website that the average salary for first year high school teachers is about $55,325, and a teacher with a PhD and over 20 years of experience can hypothetically end up earning around $114,000 or more.

Some schools and counties in other locations can also be seen to have higher pay rolls for teachers compared to Fairfax County. This goes to show that sometimes it really isn’t about the money, some teachers fall in love with the environment, students, and staff of the school and can imagine leaving.

When the clock strikes 3:30 teachers are allowed to leave, still everyday after school you can see teachers taking time out of their personal day to stay even later to help students become even more successful. Some also can be seen holding meetings for clubs, staying after to coach a game or practice for a sports team, or creating lesson plans for future class periods.

“In my opinion, I think most teachers choose to teach with the goal of impacting and contributing knowledge to the future generation,” junior Philip Barlow said.

Teaching may seem like an easy job because of the numerous amounts of days off such as winter, spring, and summer break, but if you think about all of the work teachers put in outside of school on weekdays and weekends, you might say those vacation days are deserved.

Annandale has a population of 2,219 students, along with 166 teachers and administrators who make a difference in their lives everyday.

Overall I think that it is pretty safe to say that most teachers don’t do it for the money, instead they hope to better the upcoming generation and make an impact of the future of America. The extra work and commitment they they put into not on during school, but in their personal time, can go to show just how much they care about their job, students, and staff.