--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Teachers are sort of faced with a…" description: "\"Teachers are sort of faced with a thankless task, because no matter how good they are, unless they find a way to personally rationalize the rewards of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/julius-erving-10131_basketball_teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankl_1027312.jpg" --- # Teachers are sort of faced with a thankless task, because… ![“Teachers are sort of faced with a thankless task, because no matter how good they are, unless they find a way to personally rationalize the rewards of their effort, nobody else is really going to do it for them en masse.” quote by Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/julius-erving-10131_basketball_teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankl_1027312.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/julius-erving-10131_basketball_teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankl_1027312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/julius-erving-10131_basketball_teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankl_1027312.jpg) > “Teachers are sort of faced with a thankless task, because no matter how good they are, unless they find a way to personally rationalize the rewards of their effort, nobody else is really going to do it for them en masse.” [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teachers often lack external recognition, so they must find personal meaning to stay motivated. **In simple terms:** Teachers need inner reward because others may not appreciate them. Key Takeaway Cultivate personal purpose in teaching. Themes education motivation recognition Mood reflective empathetic Type advice educational When to use this quote - classroom teaching - curriculum design - teacher training - policy advocacy Key Concepts psychology educational theory Questions to Reflect On - How do teachers sustain motivation? - What personal rewards can they create? A Different Perspective External validation can still be crucial for morale. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Rationalize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalize/) [Rationalize Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalize-rewards-2325378/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) [Rewards Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards-effort-2325377/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers/) [Teachers Sort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers-sort-2325376/) [Thankless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thankless/) [Thankless Task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thankless-task-884763/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [It's not so much a thankless task, it's more a job with no thanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-baker/it-s-not-so-much-a-thankless-task-it-s-more-a-job-with-no-thanks/) [Colin Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-baker/) > [Writing a novel about feminism can be a thankless task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dean/writing-a-novel-about-feminism-can-be-a-thankless-task/) [Michelle Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dean/) > [People choose the paths that grant them the greatest rewards for the least amount of effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shore/people-choose-the-paths-that-grant-them-the-greatest-rewards-for-the-2/) [David Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shore/) > [“Distributing unsolicited You’re Welcomes, it’s a thankless task. It’s almost as if people don’t want to see me at 4 AM as I knock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/distributing-unsolicited-you-re-welcomes-it-s-a-thankless-task-it-s/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [You know, we always tried to rationalize by saying you take the good, you take the upside, you got to deal with the downside,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/you-know-we-always-tried-to-rationalize-by-saying-you-take-the-good/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [Never try to convey your idea to the audience - it is a thankless and senseless task. Show them life, and they’ll find within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/never-try-to-convey-your-idea-to-the-audience-it-is-a-thankless-and/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [I started volunteering at an animal shelter, and little by little, my life started getting better. I think that is the secret. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcnamara/i-started-volunteering-at-an-animal-shelter-and-little-by-little-my/) [William McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcnamara/) > [“it’s a thankless job, telling people it’s a hard, hard Universe they’re in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-s-a-thankless-job-telling-people-it-s-a-hard-hard-universe-they-re/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Scarlett O'Hara is going to be a thankless and difficult role. The part I'd like to play is Rhett Butler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-shearer/scarlett-o-hara-is-going-to-be-a-thankless-and-difficult-role-the/) [Norma Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-shearer/) > [Computer programmers tend, by and large, to be quirky and highly individualistic. Trying to organize or manage such awkward characters is normally as thankless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-naughton/computer-programmers-tend-by-and-large-to-be-quirky-and-highly/) [John Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-naughton/) > [In spite of its romantic frisson, the position of muse is very vague and largely thankless for the muse herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-roiphe/in-spite-of-its-romantic-frisson-the-position-of-muse-is-very-vague/) [Katie Roiphe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-roiphe/) > [Meddling with another man's folly is always thankless work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/meddling-with-another-man-s-folly-is-always-thankless-work/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [We need to reward the 'thankless job' of substitute teaching with better pay and chances for permanent positions. I look forward to the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/we-need-to-reward-the-thankless-job-of-substitute-teaching-with/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I have some friends who are actors. I've watched them work. And I would say that of all the arts, acting is the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/i-have-some-friends-who-are-actors-i-ve-watched-them-work-and-i-would/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [We are surrounded every day by people who do thankless but important work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kilmeade/we-are-surrounded-every-day-by-people-who-do-thankless-but-important/) [Brian Kilmeade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kilmeade/) ## More by Julius Erving > [I liked the game, I enjoyed the game, and the game fed me enough, and gave me enough rewards to reinforce that this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/i-liked-the-game-i-enjoyed-the-game-and-the-game-fed-me-enough-and/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [You know, just in terms of having to have a life on the road, you know, having the celebrity aspect be a burden for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/you-know-just-in-terms-of-having-to-have-a-life-on-the-road-you-know/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [But you know, we have a very normal family. We've had our ups and downs. You know, we've had our issues, but we've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/but-you-know-we-have-a-very-normal-family-we-ve-had-our-ups-and-downs/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [LA Clippers should come to Louisville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/la-clippers-should-come-to-louisville/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don't feel like doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/being-a-professional-is-doing-the-things-you-love-to-do-on-the-days/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [I think I was chosen by basketball, although I never really physically got drafted to any team that I played for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/i-think-i-was-chosen-by-basketball-although-i-never-really-physically/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [As a kid, I played a lot of one-on-none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/as-a-kid-i-played-a-lot-of-one-on-none/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [Goals determine what you are going to be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/goals-determine-what-you-are-going-to-be/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [I demand more from myself than anybody could ever expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/i-demand-more-from-myself-than-anybody-could-ever-expect/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [I think that my God-given physical attributes, big hands, and big feet, the way that I'm built, proportion-wise, just made basketball the most inviting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/i-think-that-my-god-given-physical-attributes-big-hands-and-big-feet/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [I've always tried to tell myself that the work itself is the thing, that win, lose, or draw, the work is really what counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/i-ve-always-tried-to-tell-myself-that-the-work-itself-is-the-thing/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [When I went to Philadelphia I was 26 years old and really sitting on top of the world. Family life, a professional career, plenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/when-i-went-to-philadelphia-i-was-26-years-old-and-really-sitting-on/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [When I played, the owners had the power. The prisoners are running the prison now, not the warden. The warden is strong and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/when-i-played-the-owners-had-the-power-the-prisoners-are-running-the/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/if-you-don-t-do-what-s-best-for-your-body-you-re-the-one-who-comes-up/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) > [I always try to keep a pretty conservative demeanor on the court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/i-always-try-to-keep-a-pretty-conservative-demeanor-on-the-court/) [Julius Erving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) [Explore all 67 Julius Erving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/) ## More Basketball quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [I learned so much from Sue about the Xs and Os of the game of basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/i-learned-so-much-from-sue-about-the-xs-and-os-of-the-game-of/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [It's not how big you are, it's how big you play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-how-big-you-are-it-s-how-big-you-play/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Basketball isn't just a sport to me ; it's my ecstasy !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamira-robinson/basketball-isn-t-just-a-sport-to-me-it-s-my-ecstasy/) [Jamira Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamira-robinson/) > [It's similar to basketball: when you go to different gyms and win or lose, you learn something new. So when kids get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/it-s-similar-to-basketball-when-you-go-to-different-gyms-and-win-or/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I'm a competitive person. I love the game of basketball. I'm a gym rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-m-a-competitive-person-i-love-the-game-of-basketball-i-m-a-gym-rat/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-am-both-humbled-and-honored-to-receive-the-honda-sports-award-for/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [What I've talked about the entire series and throughout this playoffs is about intensity and effort, desire and will of our players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-laimbeer/what-i-ve-talked-about-the-entire-series-and-throughout-this-playoffs/) [Bill Laimbeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-laimbeer/) [Browse all 5,387 Basketball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Teachers are sort of faced with a thankless task, because no matter how good they are, unless they find a way to personally rationalize the rewards of their effort, nobody else is really going to do it for them en masse.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Julius Erving" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankless-task-because-no-matter/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Basketball" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankless-task-because-no-matter/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/julius-erving-10131_basketball_teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankl_1027312.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/julius-erving-10131_basketball_teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankl_1027312.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/julius-erving-10131_basketball_teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankl_1027312.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Teachers are sort of faced with a thankless task, because no matter how good they are, unless they find a…” — Julius Erving", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Julius Erving", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-erving/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Teachers are sort of faced with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankless-task-because-no-matter/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-erving/teachers-are-sort-of-faced-with-a-thankless-task-because-no-matter/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```