http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_pGiUeVFEU
I stumbled across this video today after looking for a pick me up from a particularly frustrating day at work. My job is frustrating from time to time, and there are days (few though they may be) where I want to just throw in the towel and give it all up. But today it wasn't my day that was frustrating me, it wasn't my students or my coworkers that I felt frustration with, it was empathy for a colleague.
You see, this person faces the wrath of senior high students daily and around this time of year, that wrath can begin to wear on a person. No one is more self righteous, self centered and self important than 16 - 18 year olds. I mean, really, look back on your high school days and tell me you didn't believe you were right, almost everyone else was wrong, and nobody, I mean nobody, understood how hard it was to be you. And then you go out in the world and realize, oops - boy did I have that wrong.
It's easy to look back with that perfect hindsight and realize that our teachers were just trying to educate us; prepare us to not only be good students, but good citizens and people at the same time. Some of us took those lessons to heart and others, well others had to learn the hard way. I know I can't thank my teachers enough for having faith in me and believing in me. I was lucky enough to have strong family support, but for some young people, those teachers are the only people who truly care about them.
Have you ever sat around with old high school friends and talked about teachers? Or maybe with your own children, told stories about the teachers you had? Good and bad, I'm sure - we all have both types of stories. My sixth grade teacher was a carbon copy of the headmistress on Matilda. Youtube that one if you want a scary story. But I also had amazing stories. Stories of people that inspired me, celebrated with me, taught me tough lessons and were there for me when I didn't have anyone else to listen.
As teachers we hear all the complaints, must be nice to get paid for your summer's off (we don't - but try to convince Joe Public of that). Must be nice to have holidays and weekends off. (Many of us work second jobs or work on school work over holidays and weekend - but okay) Teachers don't care, teachers don't work hard, or even that teachers don't matter. I tell you what teachers do - they grow thick skins or they don't last long. After 16 years of teaching I've given up fighting that fight - you're not going to change people's minds. But when they start in, I ask them - you mean you never had even ONE teacher who made a difference in your life? Wow, that's really sad. Somehow I feel like you missed an important lesson along the way.
I know I could be better at it, but I try to do it as often as possible, thank a teacher today. With the ease of communication tools we have today, there isn't any reason to take 5 minutes out of your day to text, email, facebook message or even fill out a card and pop it in the mail. It may seem like a small thing to you, but I can tell you how very important it is to every teacher out there to hear from you! You are the reason we teach and we love to hear from you!
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