Back when we were young, teachers didn't engaged in that occupation for MONEY.
My GOD! What a load!! Most teachers were women, and women had a very hard time making a living if they didn't come from a well-off family or have a husband making a good living. There were very few other jobs open to women: they could be teachers, or secretaries, or nurses, or domestic servants.
Read all about the retired teacher living in a chicken coop: