Teachers Vs. Professor (The Confusion That Seems To Be Acceptable)

 Lately, I have been thinking of my word choices and how other people use theirs. English isn't my native language and it always confuses me how people tend to use words as synonyms when the words don't really follow the same defenition. One perfect example is the Teacher vs. Professor debacle. College Freshmen tend to call their professors "teacher" because they are used to that since they just came out of high school. But as they enter classes their teaching instructors(for lack of a better word), tell them "don't call me a teacher, call me professor(insert last name here)" or even "Dr. (Insert Last Name here)." I used to think "why is that?" But now I realize why. High School, whether private or public, still is a part of the state educational system. Private high schools still have to comply with the same certain laws as public high schools. They still have to have standardized tests and/or exams. Whereas for college, it isn't really part of the state educational system. As a matter a fact, college is its own business. Students have to pay tuition, room & board, their own books, even their own matters of transportation. It becomes an environment in which students are set upon a bigger responsibility than when they are in the state educational system. So in that sense, when you go to college the person that is lecturing you the class deserves to be called "Dr." or "professor" because they are giving you, the student, the responsibility of not only looking after your grades, but your future career. Because when you finish college, no matter the amount of years taken in them, you will end up having a career with the help of mostly your college degree and, believe it or not, your professors. Why? Because most of the time the professors are actually half-time professors and working half-time in a career. For example, one of my professors teaches 3 classes a week and she works at a newspaper. And not only that, professors are given a lot more money than a teacher. They are looked upon more in even helping students individually on finding careerpaths. Whether it is being a journalist, technician, business marketer it doesn't matter, your professors/(s) become your connection to the career world. So if you are going to college soon, remember this: although they do the same job, there is still a difference between a "teacher" and a "professor."