Why We Do What We Do?

As teachers, we all enter a school somewhere in the world each morning with the belief that we are going to make a difference TODAY. We have spent hours preparing lesson plans that follow a prescribed curriculum, designed to reach all intelligences, modalities, learning styles, standards and expectations of our given country, state, district, and school. Additionally, we are to make our lesson plans creative and entertaining. (with no budget), enough to keep the attention of young people who are accustomed to a thirty second world. Their world of commercials, video games, computers and all other manner of rapid fire technology.

One would believe that our days begin when the students arrive and are over when our pupils go home, however, this is not the case, in all reality some of us arrive at school before the sun ever even thought of rising while others only leave the "institution" well after the sun as dipped past the horizon in whichever hemisphere we reside.Our joy continues as we rush home schlepping our multiple "totes" (that we have accumulated from any of the myriad of conferences and various meetings we attend), our day "at" school continues because our totes are crammed with papers to grade, essays to be read, lesson plans to adapt due to "flexing" with the unexpected assemblies, visitors, music program practices and a hundred other interruptions that "enrich" the days and weeks of a teacher.So we bolt down whatever food is handy for supper, (with or without the various members of our families), sequester ourselves in a moderately comfy, cozy seat, (usually the kitchen table), in our homes to spend the evening sorting through papers of students who can't figure out that the day's science assignment goes in the "science" file and not the "math" file, so that we can efficiently score the days offerings from our students.

One would think that this task would be simple, alas, not so, we must examine the handwriting on the current paper to attempt to determine it's author, because not only was this science paper in the math file, the student neglected to put their moniker, page number, date, assignment or any other identifying element on the paper! The fact that this student has been in school for 4-9 years is not an issue, because students not only believe that their teachers live at school they also believe that we possess psychic abilities or some sort of super smelling powers only possessed by K-nine obedience dogs, and can ferret out the name and all other necessary information needed to accurately grade and attribute credit to the correct student.

After a fun filled evening of shuffling, sorting, and identifying papers, we then notice that it's time for bed so that they can lay in bed worrying about Freddy, an what other way can we use to help him "get" long division, will Lucy ever understand the rules of phonics and learn the sight words so that she can become an effective reader, will Carlos be able to remember what a noun is, and the list goes on and on as we lie in bed trying to solve all the problems that are not on paper, that fill a teachers mind. Students without proper winter clothes, housing, lunches, hygiene habits, and the plethora of pathos that inhabit each and every classroom around the world.

Eventually, we drop off to sleep so that we can arise to do it all again another day, week, month and year. Why? Because we know that it is not for the money, the accolades, or any other form of recognition, it is because somewhere deep inside of us there is a driving force that keeps us teaching, because we want the life of each child we touch to be better, for them to have a safe place to be each day, to learn to be the best they can be, to present them with great opportunities, to help them grow to be responsible, caring, and valuable citizens. Bottom line...we care about children. Why we do what we do? LOVE!