托福獨立寫作題目：

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People today do not respect teachers as much as they did in the past. Use specific examples to support your answer.
托福獨立寫作范文：
　　In recent history, one of the greatest advances of society has been the development of universal education. While education has become more important to society, I do not believe the social status of a teacher has advanced as much. I do not believe that people today respect teachers as much as they did in the past.
　　Many years before, scholars were basically celebrities and they were duly given credit for their contribution to society. Scholars from ancient times like Socrates and Confucius were not only famous for their theories and works, but they also established a permanent place in history by sharing and passing on their ideas to their students. In history, men of knowledge held a special place in society and were honored by their students. Yes today there are still many leading scholars, but how many of these teachers are household names? I don't even think I can name the most recent Nobel Prize laureates.
　　To examine the level of respect given to many teachers in the past, we must broaden the definition of what qualifies as a teacher. Previously many occupations in society were based on a strict guild system where people learned their occupation through a strict training system. First you began as an apprentice and then you would become a journeyman. After years of work perfecting your skill you would become a master. The master served as a teacher to the other apprentices and journeymen. A particular degree of respect was paid to the masters of each trade. Nowadays machines have replaced skilled laborers and the role of master teachers is obsolete. To some extent technology has degraded the necessity and therefore the value of a teacher in society.
　　In today's society there is also an overarching stigma that degrades the general status of the teaching profession. Many people in society believe that those who cannot be successful in any other profession become teachers. If you love playing the piano but are not accomplished enough to become a concert pianist, then you become a piano teacher. Teaching is also seen as a mediocre career, because the average salary of a teacher is much lower than many other professions. This is not to say that there are not many intelligent and successful teachers. I know many teachers who gave up a better career because they found teaching to be much more rewarding of a career. However, this does not change the opinion of society as a whole towards the teaching profession.
　　When compared to the elite status many teachers held in history, there is no doubt that teachers today are not as respected as teachers in the past. In today's society, being a teacher is not considered the most successful or respected career. (457 words)