I don’t cry but I’m not that tough. I’m well over 6 feet but I am not a giant and I am around 200 pounds but I’m not that large. Most people would see me and think “wow he must be one tough guy.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. I am no warrior, I am no soldier, and I am certainly no hero. I will never be that guy. I wasn’t cut out for it. I’ve thought about it before and that’s all it will ever be. Just a thought that once floated in and out on of my mind. I have many ideas on who I want to be, how I want to be viewed by society. I have all these dreams and aspirations. My dream was to be that hero but now a days I’m just dreaming of being an elementary school teacher. Simple, boring, and uneventful. These were my thoughts but I have started to realize a few things about this life I strive for.

I always wanted to be that Marine that was so badass and could do all the cool army things. Do all the fighting and shooting with fear never crossing my mind. Now I am realizing that teaching is my calling. Spending my days not covered in mud but in pencil sharpenings and marker. Speaking softly to young children on how to pronounce their vowels instead of screaming commands to my fellow gunmen. Both professions crucial to our country yet one is just a little more of a rush.

My heart beat gets racing once a student reaches that “ah-ha” moment. After spending either minutes, hours, or even days explaining a concept in many different ways for them to finally reach an understanding. Jumping out of a plane into foreign lands is a rush but so is teaching a 1st grader how to read. Taking that risk on switching the whole curriculum just to accommodate for one student. Those are the types of jumps I will be making. Except they won’t have a safety mechanism, I will not have something to save me. Teachers make choices everyday that could explode in their face. That could do harm to the young minds of their students, that could reroute their whole entire lives based off of one educational decision.

Going to fight for something you believe in takes passion, desire, and heart. Dedicating your entire adult life to young children requires just about the same. Waking up early to prep for each child, skipping lunch to grade papers, and staying late with students who haven’t quite figured out how to find x, all take a tremendous amount of passion. There are will be days where I don’t feel like getting out of bed, there will be days where my passion will be questioned. When soldiers here that shot off in the distance sometimes they might feel like rolling back over and pretending like they didn't hear it. Teachers feel the same way, when the same kid week after week can’t figure out the same problem. We all hear the cries for help and they all take an immense amount of dedication to comfort.

A few weeks ago a parent wrote me a thank you card for everything I had done for their child. It was unexpected to say the least. Their child was just your average student who was very well behaved and listened to all his teachers. As one of his teachers I didn’t really think I was doing anything special for him when I entered his classroom. I thought I was just another adult in this child’s eyes. Well I found out I wasn’t, I was much more than that. I “brightened” his day, I allowed him to smile for no reason. I provided him with laughter and most of all confidence. He was a shy kid but I guess I gave him confidence he had never had before.

I was really taken back when I read this card. I didn’t know what to think. I was just a summer employee at a preschool. I was really nobody, to be honest. I guess I was somebody to this child and to his family. I teared up, but how could I not? When a 4 year old learns how to smile and be confident in himself because of you it’s only natural to get emotional. I will never forget what that family wrote to me. Certain kids stick with you throughout your career he will definitely be one of them. I didn’t realize it till now but he was the one who let me smile for no reason, he was the one who gave me confidence. I didn’t think I was good enough to be someone this little boy looked up just because I didn’t carry a gun but now I realize heroes can carry a stack of papers, a red pen, and an agenda too. All teachers are more than teachers and I think it’s time we start to recognize it.