The epic fantasy books "The Belgariad" and "The Malloreon" are among the well-known works by renowned author David Eddings. In addition to being a prolific writer, he also served as a college professor for a while after being born in Spokane, Washington, in 1931. He gained insights into the academic world from his teaching experience that many readers may find fascinating.

There is one particular aspect of his time at a small teacher's college that jumps out. Eddings observed a disparity between the administration's and faculty members' pay for their labor. In this context, administrative staff benefited from significant pay increases, while those who worked as teachers and mentors to young people frequently saw little change in their pay. This observation draws attention to the occasionally obvious distinctions between management positions in educational institutions and academic labor.

To demonstrate his point, consider a garden in which different people have different responsibilities. For example, some people plant seeds, care for plants, and water them daily to make sure every flower blooms. These people, who put forth a lot of effort without much appreciation or compensation, are representatives of the teaching faculty. The manager of the office, on the other hand, is in charge of running this garden but does not personally tend to the flowers. But while the planters and tenderers see no appreciable change in their pay, this individual gets a sizable raise.

This situation is representative of the reality that Eddings experienced at his college, where faculty members frequently feel underappreciated in spite of making substantial contributions to the education and development of their students. His story serves as a reminder of how crucial it is to treat individuals who work directly in the educational process with the same respect and gratitude that administrative positions do.