Downcast, But Never In Despair

I woke up at 5:30 this morning, got ready for the day, and was driving to Caribou coffee at 6:15 with the goal to put the finishing touches on my upcoming lessons for the next few days. I knew I'd have limited prep time with my many meetings and agenda items ahead, and I wanted a quiet hour in the morning to complete them during the time I do my best work. The starry skies blinked their still visible constellations as I traveled my early route.

But I drove across town with a heavy heart, my mind linked, and yet at the same time, detached from the lessons I had to finish for my classes.

We just spent four weeks reading The Diary of Anne Frank. Year after year of teaching this nonfiction work of literature, there is always one student who says, "It isn't fair that Anne had to suffer because she was different. That's not kind." I spend weeks teaching tolerance. I spend weeks teaching my students that while it's okay to disagree, it is not okay to be unkind. We spend time researching how one person influenced millions to believe that some people were not fit to work, fit to live, and ultimately, these people were sent to die. 

Being A Teacher Means

If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn. - Ignacio Estrada

It's teacher appreciation week, for those of you who are unaware. I write minimal education posts because that is not the mission of this website, but this week has special significance to me. So fellow teachers, this post is for you. You are truly education's heroes.

It isn't easy being a teacher. Unless you are one, it is really hard to understand the many things we do on a daily basis. It is 24/7 dedication, especially for those educators who are involved in more than just the classroom tasks. Many of my fellow peers in the career world don't understand the many different hats we wear.

So Much Of What I Do

I don't write a lot of education posts, because this isn't an education blog. But today, I'd like to try something different.

Today I stumbled across this article entitled 6 Facts People Should Know About Teachers. It couldn't be more true. So much of what I do is for my students, or the students of our state that I have yet to encounter.