Teachers are our role models.
Teachers inspire and fill us with hope.
Teachers ensure our kids learn what they need to learn.
Teachers nurture kids with compassion from varying economic backgrounds.
Teachers have brief moments when they must be the Momma, Daddy, or mentor we never had.
Teachers get all their students on the same page to learn the same curriculum and good behavior.
Teachers care about children who haven’t slept or eaten well or who are physically or mentally abused.
Teachers seek to understand each child’s personality and way of learning.
Teachers manage parents who think their child can do no wrong.
Teachers comply with school, state, and district rules on testing.
Teachers comply with school, state and districts rules on what and how to teach.
Teachers track student performance and uphold grading standards.
Teachers maintain lesson plans and go to training workshops.
Teachers accept what they don’t have and use what they do have.
Teachers love kids and love teaching
Teachers keep our kids safe
Teachers take on so many roles.
Teaching is a gift.
Each time I go to a school to substitute teach what grounds me is to know that my day as a temporary teacher represents a snapshot of what teachers do. Substitute teaching is a great opportunity for me push myself outside my box, to be around younger imaginative minds and work in the community. I’ve experienced some really tough days and had some really exciting days, and I’ll do it over again for the kids.
Teaching is a way we interact and learn from each other. It’s how we as humans learn to be human. It seems we’d rather text than look into each others eyes and talk/communicate. We’ve created a false sense of communication when using social media and probably exposes kids to more than they probably should be exposed to when they really need, human face-to-face interaction.
August is back to school month. The school supply lines at Wal-Mart and Target will be packed as parents last-minute shop. The department stores will be crowded with bored teens and young high energy kids who’d rather not shop for new school clothes. The school car rider lines will be extremely long until new student parents learn the routine. On the first day the goal at every school will be to get kids inside, fed and home safely.
When the chaos settles or when you go to a school open house, or orientation stop to say, “Hello!” or “Have a good day!” to a teacher. Sometimes a simple hello and thank you can change the course of the day for a teacher.
Copyright © 2018 by Allura Eshmun