"Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them." -Aristotle

I may be a bit biased, considering I am going in to school for teaching, but I can honestly say it is one of the most noble professions I know. What most people know of teachers is that they have a classroom full of kids and talk at them for a while about something they care nothing about. And a lot of students only view them as someone who wants to ruin their lives. This is so far from the truth. Teachers do so much more than teach. They are councilors, mediators, friends, napkins, tissues, trash cans, and punching bags.

There are a lot of things that teachers don't tell you about their job. They don't tell you that they are spit on, sneezed on, hit, and have chunks of hair yanked from their head. They don't tell you that they wash the clothes of a student who came in with dirty clothes because their parents can't afford to fix their dryer. They don't tell you that they are up all hours of the night trying to mold their lessons and curriculum to the needs of each of their students. They don't tell you they cry when they feel like they cannot do it any more. Teachers do not just teach.

God has given teachers a gift to work with kids and teach them about the world around them that they are so curious about. God has given them a gift of patience when their class refuses to listen or tries to press all the buttons they can in order to get their way. They are able to stay on their toes and go with the flow of their classroom. Most can handle a tough situation at the drop of a hat; because God gave them a gift.

Then they have the moments where they see a child's face light up because they learned that 2+2=4 and it just opened up a whole new world for them. Then they finally have a breakthrough with a student who was unable to focus and apply himself all year. Then they get letters from parents of students that tell them they are doing a great job and how much they appreciate them. All of that makes everything they go through worth it because they know they are doing the best they can with the resources that they are given.

If you ever think that you want to be a teach just because you think it's easy and you want summers off - think again. According to The Guardian, 4 out of 10 teachers quit after the first year. It is not an easy job and it requires a lot of training to do. Teachers do much more than they are given credit (or paid) for. They work extra hours (much more than 8 hours a day) in order to be the best they can be for their students. Teachers have one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, professions and I can't wait to be one of them.