As teachers it is so easy to get discouraged. I just saw a teacher that had received several high honors, from Ohio, say she was quitting. She was giving up because of a new test being required in her state. Are you kidding? That's the reason she is leaving? So many teachers are leaving the profession. But, I really don't have a lot of respect for the teachers leaving for "greener" grasses or giving up on kids. They let themselves be overcome by the outsiders that try to manage our field. They let the over testing, the long hours, and continuous change, get in the way of our real purpose. They let the bickering politicians in charge of setting policy, force them out. They let themselves be overcome by evil instead of overcoming evil with good.
I love teaching. Specifically, I love building relationships and sharing my day with teenagers. We laugh, we work, we play, we have deep discussions, we share trivial events, and we spend quality time trying to learn............from each other. I love learning about their hopes and dreams, counseling them on goals, helping them reach for the stars, and dealing with daily stress. Through it all, I actually teach them some algebra, trigonometry, statistics, and geometry. That stuff is minor compared to the life lessons we encounter every day. There is no politician, administrator, community member, or parent that can take those relationships from me. Frankly, I'll teach what ever standards, to whatever test, to what ever curriculum they want me to teach. I will figure out a way to love on my students. You can't measure it with a test. You can't set standards for it. It's better than the 3R's.
So, you see, I lose respect for people that leave this honorable profession. How could they let anyone keep them from experiencing the joy of building relationships with young adults? You can't experience that joy in any other work environment. I feel honored and privileged to be involved with the students at GHS. I could never leave them, my life would lose its purpose.
Thank you Lord for this wonderful life I've been given. I am blessed to be your servant and thank you for placing me in this community. Please continue to guide me as I help teenagers develop the skills needed to be successful in life. May I be your hands, your feet, and your mouth in their lives. Amen!
