Every summer, one of the great joys of my job is seeing my students from last year return to campus for the second summer of their Master of Education program after having experienced their first year of teaching. I run into them at the dining hall or walking across campus and get to ask about how their year went.
These teachers are passionate…and they are tired. They have faced a lot of challenges in their first year teaching. They are humbled and reflective. They are eager to tell me about strategies that worked well and about those that definitely did not. They talk about their classroom management plans and about their curriculum, the professional development they attended, and about the novel studies and science projects that they enjoyed. But most of all, they tell me about how they love their students. Every single one of them uses the word “love” as they describe how they feel about their class.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude towards these teachers, and all teachers, who are out there doing the hard work and loving their students despite the challenges of this profession. I am certain that their students know they are loved, and in my view, that is the most important gift a teacher can give them.
Teachers, thank you for loving your students. I see your enthusiasm, and the twinkle in your eye as you describe how you show up day after day, put on a smile, and show your students that they are worthy of love. You are making a difference. You are changing students’ lives, just as they are changing your heart.
Bad teachers are bad