To the teachers who work so tirelessly and ceaselessly each day. To the teachers who consistently place the needs of the students above their own. To the teachers who must respond to sometimes incessant and disturbing parent emails, and phone calls. To the teachers who spend their "free time" grading illegible papers and tests, and spend countless hours writing lesson plans. To the teachers whose day does not conclude when the bell rings.

To the teachers who wake up much too early in order to be prepared for the ambiguity of each new day. To the teachers who endure a great deal more than the students ever realize. To the teachers who are not thanked or praised nearly enough for what they do. To the teachers who manage to put a smile on their faces every day in order to mask the sometimes dreadful reality of their lives apart from school. To the teachers who are so selflessly invested in what they do: those whose passion for teaching exudes their being. To the teachers who care so deeply about each life that enters the classroom, the ones who have their fingers steadily fixed on the pulse of their students.

To the ones who are able to provide comic relief in moments of great stress and uncertainty. To the teachers who are so remarkable at what they do, that their students are excited to come to school, eager to expand their knowledge. To the teachers who have the power to brighten a student's day and make them forget about the cruelty and darkness of the world--even for just a class period. To the teachers who inspire students daily, and challenge them to realize the potential they possess deep within them. To the teachers who are able to shift the minds of the reluctant and alter the paradigms of those who have lost hope. To those who awaken the souls relentlessly seeking to find themselves.

To the teachers--current and former-- who make life a little easier to walk through, and who are able to fill hearts with genuine happiness. You are such bright lights who make extensive impacts: lasting imprints on our hearts. May you never forget your profound influence--the blessings you are to the world.

Thank you. Many, many thanks.

“What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.” ~Karl A. Menninger