May 8, 2013 Teachers!

When I think about Teacher Appreciation Week, so many beautiful faces and selfless hearts come to mind. I truly believe teaching is the hardest job one could ever pursue. It involves rising before the sun to get everyone ready to start the EARLY day, then using all the knowledge you've acquired about your age group of students to prepare lessons that will make them passionate about the subject and hungry for more. In addition, you have to be an EXPERT in your content or multiple subjects, folks-that is not easy. Subjects branch out so widely it is hard,  but rewarding to be on top of all of it. There is the race for the copy machine, the lunch devoured in one bite, the playground duty---when all you needed to make the day smoother is the 15 minutes with no talking, there is bus duty-car duty, after-school meetings. Then, at the end of that day, there is a stack of papers that come home with you to grade. You do your momma/Daddy duties and once the kids are asleep, you sit up grading and planning and grading and planning! 5:00 am comes so early by Wednesday morning! You do this 5 days a week and then as if by God's intention summer comes... But wait, there is class for teachers, and endless hours in the classroom dreaming about what could make the upcoming year THE BEST.  It never ends, the cycle goes on and on! Teachers, I have such respect for your work ethic. You brighten up the lives of your students daily. Literally, you get to be light to kids who live in darkness. You get to hug those students up and LOVE them for an entire year, maybe the year they are with you, is the year they needed extra lovings and to know they are worthy of being invested in. You get to know at the end of everyday, I made that kid feel so proud of himself, I watched her eyes light up when I complimented her! You get to hear the sincere words, "I love you," from someone who is not blood kin. More than anything, you get to be the one who has adults come back years later and say, "I remember when we did ..... You were my favorite teacher, thanks for what you did for us!" There is nothing more special than living in people's memories and Teachers-you get to do that!