Desirest thou the teacher's work? Ask wisdom from above. It is a work of toil and care Of patience and of love. - Iphigenia Efunjoke Coker

I am not really sure about the word decline, because there are areas in which education has improved.

I am sorry for those who take up teaching as a stopgap. Whoever wants to be a teacher must be ready to put everything into it. And the rewards are plentiful, in heaven and also here on earth.

Your pupils appreciate you, not when you are training and correcting them, but when they are older and understand better. They will then know that you were acting in their best interest.