I am a product of the public school system, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I have experienced public school as a student, as a classroom teacher, as a substitute teacher, and now as a parent and volunteer. I believe in public schools and the people who dedicate themselves to working in the schools. Most teachers, the really good ones, teach because it is their calling. Teaching isn't just a job for them, they love what they do, or at least what they thought they would be doing. They love seeing a student learn to read or write their name for the first time, they are excited when a student finally understands a new concept. Teachers cry when they feel that they aren't reaching a student, they spend time trying to reach all their students in some way.
I remember my first grade teacher who didn't yell at me when I jumped up and shouted because I finished reading. My second grade teacher started each day with a song played on her record player. My fourth grade teacher encouraged my class to write stories, make covers for them with construction paper, and keep them in our class library. In middle school, my language arts teacher taught me to diagram sentences and to disco dance, while my social studies teacher talked about faraway places on his globe. My high school English teacher encouraged me to write, my Home Ec teacher wanted me to be fully rounded and prepared for life, my science and math teachers were always ready to help me with homework if I didn't understand. Yes, these teachers worked for their paychecks, but they were invested in my future.
While I was teaching, I worked long hours to provide activities that would engage my class in ways that a text book couldn't. I read literature to them, we did projects based the literature. Because I taught in a rural school corporation, I taught Art to my class every other week since the teacher had to cover two elementary schools. We had no gym teacher, so I also taught gym to my students. I had very little background in these areas, just one college class for each, so I had to learn how to teach these subjects on my own, using my own resources. I spent weekends and evenings at school planning lessons, grading papers, decorating my classroom, and doing my best to make my students successful. I didn't have an instructional assistant, it was just me and my kiddos for most of the day.
As a parent, I have watched D's teachers work long hours to provide her with a good education. They make themselves available for conferences, phone calls, and emails. I have seen her teachers cry (or come close) when talking about some of the obstacles that they are facing right now. When I was in kindergarten, we did lots of playing and moving around. Now teachers are teaching these kids how to fill in a circle on a test. Teachers are losing class time so that the students can practice for a test, but the teachers keep showing up, doing what they love, just to make my child successful. They aren't doing this because they like my child the best, they are doing the exact same thing for all the children in their classroom. They are doing this because they are called to teach.
Take a minute and close your eyes. Think about your school years. Name one teacher who inspired you. Hopefully there was more than one teacher who inspired you, who showed kindness to you, who loved you. I know that there a bad teachers out there, most of us have had at least one. I also know that there are far more good teachers than bad teachers. The good teachers are tired. They are spending their own money, their time off, to become better teachers, to reach every child they encounter. Tell a teacher that you appreciate them, what they are doing, and that you support them. Name one teacher that has had a positive impact on your life...tell them if you can. It's the best gift that you could give a teacher.
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