Teachers are worth so much more than we think

When most people, especially adults, think of Teachers and classrooms they think about how they learned. Almost everybody learned to read, write, and perform basic mathematics within the walls of a public school. Many people describe this as a negative memory, but teachers aren’t just teachers anymore. Honestly, they probably never were.

Teachers arrive at school before the students and they stay behind after the students have left. They are constantly thinking of their students, constantly learning new ways to teach and constantly providing new resources (sometimes even out of their own pockets).

Those are the things that they are expected to do, but they do so much more than that.

Teachers change lives

Teachers make a huge impact on a person's life. Teachers are not babysitters, however, with their job comes a need for patience with difficult students or even just students who need a little extra attention. Teachers are more likely to catch situations where there may be abuse or neglect at home and they are obligated to report such things.

Since teachers are usually with the same students five days a week they can see what is normal for certain students and they can detect changes in personality and demeanor which could indicate that they are having issues with either home or school.

When they suspect something like this they could possibly change the course of a child’s life. For instance, if a child is suffering from abuse or neglect at home they may be saved from a situation which could have ended up killing them.

Teachers are also helpful when it comes to detecting Learning Disabilities like dyslexia.

These skills tend to be taken for granted because most kids don’t have those issues, however, when they do, it can tremendously help that the issue is addressed. Children with certain learning disabilities can easily get left behind when their issues are not accounted for.

Teachers teach more than they’re expected to

Personally, I have learned a tremendous amount from my teachers and those lessons have stuck up to this day.

One teacher, a high school math teacher who I won’t name, taught me a lesson in professionalism and saving face. As with most teenagers, I went through a rebellious stage and a certain mix up caused me to receive detention. I used a few choice words with that teacher and my detention was upgraded to suspension. To this day, I am constantly watching myself in professional situations. Even a slight eye roll could sway things out of my favor. A teacher taught me that, and honestly, he deserves a raise just for having to listen to my attitude.

I am certain that almost every teacher has dealt with their fair share of spoiled children. Something that’s trending today, though, is the parent’s inability to take responsibility for their child’s actions and blaming the teacher.

Many people would rather place blame on someone other than themselves, which is basically just human nature. However, it makes a teacher’s jobs even more difficult.

Teachers help students realize their dreams

Not everyone can look back on their school years and name a teacher who changed their life. A lot of people, though, took what they were taught in K-12 and ran with it. I loved my English classes, the library was like a beach getaway for me when I was in school, and my dream is to make a difference with my writing.

Mathematicians, scientists, famous authors and so many others learned about what they loved before they ever earned their diploma. Teachers are the ones who sew the seeds for these types of professions.

They are farmers of the brain, they tend to the seedlings and fertilize them until finally, we have people who are smart enough and creative enough to actually change the world.

So many teachers are taken for granted and I think it’s time for us to stop and recognize everything that teachers do for us.