A Teacher's Life

Plenty of critics look at a school teacher's schedule and conclude that they too would love to have a two week winter break and summers off.  Well, fair enough.  But until you've spent your days in a classroom and seen how the time plays out, I just don't want to hear from you.  A good teacher; an effective teacher, is ON from the moment she steps out of her car onto the campus.   Her entire day is devoted to the needs of others and these others are kids, so they don't always recognize a boundary to their demands.  A successful teacher gently moves her students to a place where they understand that the world doesn't revolve around them.  In the process, the teacher is always aware that for all their bluster and seeming confidence, they are still kids, sometimes far more sensitive than anyone realizes. 

And, yes, it's an often-uttered platitude that kids are our future…..but it's also true.  They must be encouraged to be creative and confident problem-solvers for life.  For that to happen, they must enjoy learning.  They must see the complexity of the world as well as the inter-connectedness.  No amount of any subject matter will ever be enough, so we must expose them to everything and teach them to be lifelong learners who continue to thirst for knowledge.  Our children need art and algebra; gym and science; some music and foreign languages to go with their english and history class.   They need it all.

Then we must take a break and allow our children and their teachers to enjoy some lazy days of quiet and rest.  In our house today, we'll be availing ourselves of some well-earned relaxation.  I highly recommend it.