Growing up as a teacher's kid, you would think I would have wanted nothing more than to follow in my mother's footsteps. I even remember people saying, "Aw, you could just be a teacher like your mom!" You may be surprised to know....I honestly did NOT want to be a teacher from the beginning. Of course growing up with three sisters, we played school A LOT. But as soon as I saw the day-to-day life of my mom, an elementary school teacher, I quickly learned that being a teacher wasn't exactly as glamorous as our young minds had imagined. Being a teacher was much more than making red checkmarks on a page and giving directions to my willing, well-behaved sisters.
I would frequent my mom's classroom after school. She was always working long after the last bell and always had a full bag flung over her shoulder as she left school each night. She would travel to one of our many school events, then come home and open her school bag to begin her work again, even into the wee hours of the night. There were always phone calls to make, notes to write, lessons to plan, games to make, things to cut, new things to try....her work just never seemed done. And at that time I remember thinking..."wheeeewwww, I don't think that's for me. I don't think I want to be a teacher."
My senior year of high school, I had a free period in my schedule. After some serious coaxing, my mother convinced me to spend time volunteering in her classroom. This is when I REALLY saw this teacher gig for what it really was. In one breath my mother was teaching curriculum and in the next teaching a lesson in kindness. She would float from student to student around the classroom meeting each of their individual needs like some sort of learning fairy. Not only was she guiding learning, but she was constantly multi-tasking..... supplying a tissue as an alternative to a finger just in time, calming an anxious heart, celebrating successes big and small....so on, so on. This is probably one of the moments in my life that I realized, my mom is seriously a super hero. She is not just a teacher.
After working alongside my mom I began to wonder, could this possibly be the exact work I am being called to do for many of my days?!?! Ughhhh but it's going to be SO much work.....my bag is going to be heavy at the end of a long day and some days my heart is gonna be even heavier. Some days I will probably wonder if I am even making a difference or doing all this extra work for nothing? Should I really just be a teacher like my mom? I love working with children and seeing them grow and find their own strengths and gifts. But is it worth it?
Yes.
Many dedicated, amazing instructors later, I am beginning my 11th year as a classroom teacher. This time of year I am always reminded of the impact my own mother had on me choosing this profession. She showed me that it WAS worth it and she showed me that it DOES make a difference in the lives of these little people.
In a few short weeks, many will be sending their kiddos off to school or begin their schooling in their own homes. Children and families are all abuzz with the excitement of a new school year. And teachers everywhere are strategically preparing their classrooms, curriculum, etc to maximize the school year set before them. This is no small task for teachers and comes with many sleepless nights making To-Do lists. So please take time to thank a teacher in your life today or one that impacted where you are today. Send them an email. Send a card. Remind them that they are not just a teacher......they are difference makers. The extra work they did was worth it. Worth it to you.
Thanks mom❤️ You are a super hero.
I would frequent my mom's classroom after school. She was always working long after the last bell and always had a full bag flung over her shoulder as she left school each night. She would travel to one of our many school events, then come home and open her school bag to begin her work again, even into the wee hours of the night. There were always phone calls to make, notes to write, lessons to plan, games to make, things to cut, new things to try....her work just never seemed done. And at that time I remember thinking..."wheeeewwww, I don't think that's for me. I don't think I want to be a teacher."
My senior year of high school, I had a free period in my schedule. After some serious coaxing, my mother convinced me to spend time volunteering in her classroom. This is when I REALLY saw this teacher gig for what it really was. In one breath my mother was teaching curriculum and in the next teaching a lesson in kindness. She would float from student to student around the classroom meeting each of their individual needs like some sort of learning fairy. Not only was she guiding learning, but she was constantly multi-tasking..... supplying a tissue as an alternative to a finger just in time, calming an anxious heart, celebrating successes big and small....so on, so on. This is probably one of the moments in my life that I realized, my mom is seriously a super hero. She is not just a teacher.
After working alongside my mom I began to wonder, could this possibly be the exact work I am being called to do for many of my days?!?! Ughhhh but it's going to be SO much work.....my bag is going to be heavy at the end of a long day and some days my heart is gonna be even heavier. Some days I will probably wonder if I am even making a difference or doing all this extra work for nothing? Should I really just be a teacher like my mom? I love working with children and seeing them grow and find their own strengths and gifts. But is it worth it?
Yes.
Many dedicated, amazing instructors later, I am beginning my 11th year as a classroom teacher. This time of year I am always reminded of the impact my own mother had on me choosing this profession. She showed me that it WAS worth it and she showed me that it DOES make a difference in the lives of these little people.
In a few short weeks, many will be sending their kiddos off to school or begin their schooling in their own homes. Children and families are all abuzz with the excitement of a new school year. And teachers everywhere are strategically preparing their classrooms, curriculum, etc to maximize the school year set before them. This is no small task for teachers and comes with many sleepless nights making To-Do lists. So please take time to thank a teacher in your life today or one that impacted where you are today. Send them an email. Send a card. Remind them that they are not just a teacher......they are difference makers. The extra work they did was worth it. Worth it to you.
Thanks mom❤️ You are a super hero.
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