I can probably sit here and name every one of my teachers since kindergarten if I really tried. I’ve always had a love for teachers and wanted to be the good student. School was something I worked very hard at and never took it easy. I always appreciated those teachers that had the same energy and wanted to make their classes into an experience. It’s a firm belief that our country’s teachers are some of the most creative and resilient people out there.
This is a sentiment I echo anytime there is an opportunity to speak with teachers. For as much praise as teachers do receive, they also have to deal with a plethora of other things the average worker does not. It is not an easy job and most teachers feel a calling into the profession; they have a genuine desire to love and help students. Odds are too, they had a teacher speak life into them along the way.
I know this first-hand because I recently had two speaking engagements this month with teachers. I asked the groups point-blank ‘how many of you are here because of a teacher’ and more than half of all the hands in the room went up. Teachers have an impact because they decide to be intentional about relationships and actions with their students. Just knowing the genetic make-up of our teachers gives me great amounts of hope for the upcoming school year which will be the most challenging to date.
Individual school districts have dealt with a lot over the years from active shooters, weather crises, and student protests but nothing like this climate which affects everyone. However, I am extremely inspired by the teachers I spoke with this month who seemed to have their minds in the right place. They told me they missed their students and wanted to be back in some shape or form. While they know the virtual environment and social distance regulations will be a huge challenge, they welcome it because that’s what they do. Teachers are our front-line problem solvers, creative geniuses, and shepherds of students. They have my trust in the new year, and collectively, they need all the support we can offer them.
