YY,
Recognition is something all together different from opportunities. To me, it is definitely more difficult to obtain recognition. Simply because there are too many factors at work. First of all, you may have done well with an opportunity or otherwise but that does not mean that you will gain recognition (especially monetary form). In the line of education, I find this especially true. If you look closer, how many "higher ups" are good teachers? In fact, the higher you go, the further you are from education. Few VPs would teach classes, while very good teachers tend to remain teachers because they love what they are good at and will not move away from it. They are recognised for their work but not necessary in the monetary sense. Sometimes, these good teachers are only appreciated by their peers and the few students who knows.
There are also many forms of recognition. From peers, from superiors, from "clients". Each may be independent of another. Take for example, you may be recognised as a good PBL faciliator by your colleagues but your students(especially year ones) may think you are not a good faci because you worked their brain too hard whereas another faci spoonfeed them somewhat. You may have been very good at spotting mistakes and knowing the right thing to do for problem crafting but your superiors (who crafted the problem) may feel that you are just whiny and non-compliant. There are also just some people who are just able to impress others without doing much. It is bizzare. There are some who are shoddy in their work but still get the thumbs up. Luck is a factor in recognition I guess.
But one thing I always tell myself, work is not my life. No matter what, I rather gain recognition by my friends and families then from work. And somehow, it is so much more difficult to gain the recognition from your close ones because you are expected to do a lot of things. Like I've never appreciated or even praise my mom for all the hardship she put in for me until I'm a mom myself and even then, I still couldn't find it in myself to tell her that she's has been great. So yar, if one day YT tell me or someone else that I'm a great mom, that is good enough for me.
