This morning, while many of us were snoozing peacefully, teachers across the country rolled out of bed, put on a pot of coffee, and readied themselves for another Monday. Throughout the day, they taught English and Biology, Algebra and Art and attempted to incorporate life lessons into their lesson plans—even though the call for "teaching to the test" is strong and makes life lessons near impossible to teach.
After hours, they retire home to grade papers and work on lesson plans in order to prepare for the next day, all while simultaneously giving their all to their own children, spouses, and family. The next day will begin in this fashion, but each day will bring new challenges and hold new triumphs.
There is no higher calling than teaching. I have the utmost respect for educators and school faculty members who make learning possible. After all, a teacher tucked me into bed every night. My mom has been an educator for twenty-eight years, so I had the opportunity to see firsthand the triumphs and trials teachers experience on a daily basis. Looking back, I have to ask the question—how the heck did she do it? Mama was around children all day, and she came home to three very loud, very rambunctious kids. Her dedication to her both her job and her family is unmatched and, quite frankly, astounds me. However, this is the reality for all teachers. They put in their time at school, come home to their families and must expend energy that they seldom have. Yet, they do it because teachers don't take teaching lightly. If you have never considered the huge tasks that teachers undertake in their profession, let me enlighten you.
Teachers adapt their lesson plans to best fit every student in their classroom. They look to make learning accessible for every student they teach, no matter what it takes to reach their students.
Teachers don't get the luxury of having a bad day because they have students who look to them to be the positive light in a classroom. A teacher's smile may be the only one that a child will see from an adult all day.
Teachers put the building blocks in place for the rest of a student's career as a student. They trust in next year's teacher to build on this foundation.
Teachers play every role known to man; teacher, coach, mother, father, therapist, nurse, disciplinarian, motivator and artist (just to name a few!).
Teachers are charged with the task of not only bettering children and teenagers as students but also as human beings in hopes that they will one day be a credit to society.
Teachers are called to be the calm before the storm, a safe place in the midst of utter chaos. They create routine in their classroom with the knowledge that this may be the only routine some of their students will have.
Teachers dedicate their lives to pushing and challenging their students in order for those students to one day have a successful career. Behind every president, every Nobel Peace Prize winner, every doctor, every lawyer and every CEO is a teacher who gave them the education and power they needed to attain success.
Teachers come face to face with children who are suffering from poverty, learning disabilities, hunger, and abuse. These educators deal and stress over these problems like they are their own.
Teachers are loving yet stern, creative yet disciplined, and education-geared yet understanding that all of their students may not be on the same learning level.
Teachers not only understand the material they are teaching, but also the psychology of those whom they teach.
Teachers never shut their door; they don't have the luxury of leaving their work at school. Rather, they go home and worry about those students they teach. There is no separating work from their home life.
Teachers do their job while lawmakers who have never taught a day in their lives decide their fates. They give their all to their profession while the threats of merit-based pay, furlough days, and standardized testing loom over their heads.
Teachers go to bat for their students. They are the first to realize if a child is falling behind. They are the first to respond if they notice a student is in the midst of a crisis. And you can bet that they are willing to aid this student and protect them, no matter the cost.
Teachers leave their mark; their legacy will live on through stories and lessons that they have instilled in their students that will extend far beyond the classroom.
Teachers don't work to make a fat paycheck; they work to make a difference in society through every student they come into contact with.
This is a very small view of what teachers do each and every day. Numerous books could be filled with how amazing our educators truly are. To all educators, thank you. Thank you for taking every bit of time and energy you have to teach and, more importantly, love your students. To those who will enter this profession, thank you as well.
Thank you for wanting to make your mark on students, even though the pay grade may not be that of a lawyer or a doctor. You will instead form and cultivate the minds of those who will one day enter these professions. You are following your passion and answering the call to the highest profession there is. For those of you who may not exactly fit into either category, I challenge you to thank those who do. After all, they are the ones who make this society one worth living in.
