economics teachers

Aimee Norman
November 4, 2007
Brad Joseph
ENC 1101-001
“Economic Teachers are Heroes of the Modern World!”
What is the most boring profession on earth?  “Anyone? Anyone?”  (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) When asked, an average of forty six percent of movie goers (Personal Poll) say something along the lines of, “Oh, what was that one movie… with the clear eyes guy…?  Well, probably his job!”  ‘That guy’, Ben Stein, was an economics teacher for the high school students of Ferris Bueller’s high School (www.Youtube.com).  Economics is largely looked upon, propelled by this movie, as a dull, monotonous subject that only the most boring, monotonous people teach, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth!  Those who teach Economics have a deep love of the way the American Economy functions, they are those who want the students of today to go away from high school with something they will actually use, they are those that love to take on a challenge!  The stereotype that economics is dull and monotonous, perpetuated by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, will steer many away from the subject, but my goal is to eliminate that stereotype with irrefutable evidence. 
One of the most complex systems in the world today is that of the American Economy.  From the stock exchange, to the seemingly endless ways to make change for a dollar, the economy is interesting all the way down to the dreaded taxes they take out of every pay check!  To think that only dull people would want to share the sheer wonders of such a system is preposterous!  Indeed those who choose to enrich young minds of such mysteries are really heroes, when you break it down!  Now, don’t think that they go flying around in silly spandex costumes at night, but in every other aspect of the word, they are heroes!  They save people every single day, in ways you couldn’t even imagine!  Perhaps there is a person in front of you in line at the convenience store who does not know how to write a check?  If they would have taken economics in school, you’d already be in your car driving to work, avoiding the risk of getting fired for being late!  Ever played the game called the stock exchange?  Proven by the 1920’s stock crash, this isn’t a risk free game, many still lose everything to this day!  Wouldn’t it make your life a little bit easier if you knew how this system worked, and how to get the most of your dollar?  Who are you gonna call?  The economics teacher!  That’s right, if you would have taken this enthralling class you could quite possibly be a millionaire!  Those who teach economics to children are so excited by this system that they can’t wait to share it with others, whether to help improve the daily lives of everyone, or just to help that child understand how to get the most out of their dollar.  It takes a real passion to teach any subject, and math, history, and English aren’t going to be changing too much any time soon.
Picture it now, you are in the mosh pit at the coolest concert of your life, when all of a sudden the singer onstage stops, looks directly at you, and says, “Quick, what is the square root of three hundred sixty five?”  It’s just not likely to happen.  Economics teachers know that their subject will be carried on throughout most of the lives of the students that they teach. 
“Economics isn’t just about counting dollars, it’s about making choices.  People have to make choices every day, and my class teaches them the reasoning skills that they need to make the right choice… most of the time.” (Interview Mike Ripplinger)
Mr. Ripplinger got it right; it’s not just about the money.  In economics you learn how to put things together in a logical way, which is a skill that comes in very useful quite often in everyday life.  Economics teachers really care about the futures of their students, they don’t merely drill the same thing into these students heads like a math teacher, or a grammar teacher would do, they give them life lessons via activities and projects. 
Now is my time, as an aspiring economics teacher, to say thank you to the producers of the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.  They have successfully made economics one of the most challenging subjects to teach.  Before the students ever set foot into the class room, they have a prejudiced opinion of exactly how boring the course will be.  Those who choose to teach economics know exactly what they are getting into and love the challenge of getting the class involved.  What a wonderful feat for economics to be the anticipated class of the day for a high school student.  Never has it been documented that a dull person would go to any great lengths to provoke enjoyment in another being!  Economics teachers have to stretch their sights and broaden their horizons daily, because that is what it is going to take to get the students interests continually peaked. 
Economics teachers aren’t dull people of a dull subjects, they are heroes of the American Economy!  Ferris Bueller’s Day off was a movie that successfully propelled a stereotype about teachers of the economy, but not to the point of no return.  It is obvious to those who look beyond a superficial stereotype and into the heart of the matter that economics teachers have a real passion for the economy, they really do care what happens to their students in the future, and absolutely love a challenge!  Next time your being