11/12/99

Why Teach? Lots of Reasons!

In response to Why Teach?

Why teach? For as many reasons as there are teachers, I suppose. But given the huge impact a teacher can have on a child's life, I'm thankful for every teacher who rides out the stressful days and is able to put his or her students' needs first. I think that each of us probably remembers a teacher who helped shape important attitudes and decisions in our lives. Thank you, teachers, for all that you do to inspire young people to be all they can be, for themselves and for others. Here's what readers had to say to the question, "Why teach?"

The rewards

"Teaching is the most rewarding career. When you see passionate teachers dedicating their lives to our children, you see remarkable results. A teacher can make a difference to other people in ways that no other career could accomplish."

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Compassionate teaching has a ripple effect

"I work at an alternative high school. My job is to teach those students who "regular" teachers cannot reach. These are the students with the discipline problems, chronic tardiness, skippers, fourth-year freshmen, etc. My teaching team and I are faced with lack of motivation, loss of hope and a myriad of personal problems. Still, I think my students are great.

"The most effective thing I do all day is model how much I care for each one of the students. No, it isn't always effective. But I refuse to discount the successes I have seen. I will defend my students' rights to an education and respect as an individual. I want to be remembered as someone who gave of himself emotionally and mentally - not for material possessions. In so doing, I hope to inspire others to give of themselves as well.

"If each one of us remembers to do what we can for the people/students we have, we will make a difference in their lives. They in turn can make a difference in the lives of the people they know. The ripple effect can be far-reaching."

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A teacher helped me define who I am

"My favorite teacher helped me define who I am. I loved the story about Liam's penny. It reminded me of the letters my friends and I wrote in junior high. I went to elementary school in Virginia and had an eclectic group of friends. We wrote letters to each other every day and used pen names, in case the letters were intercepted. Fluffy the Feather and Olaf the Bean were two characters in our letters. I was "Curls" and I wrote to "Tuts" about all kinds of funny things. This is what we did to let our creativity flow without boundaries or embarrassment."

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Kick the parents out of the schools

"A mistake was made 45 years ago when the PTA was allowed to influence teachers and teaching. I say that we should kick all of the parents out of the schools and leave the teaching to the pros. Maybe then they could do what they have been trained for. If you tried to tell me how to build a set of tools (I'm a tool and die maker), I'd listen politely and then go on with what I was trained to do best. Sometimes going back to the beginning is the only way to cure some ills. That may sound too radical, but it most certainly looks like we're going nowhere the way things are!"

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Thinking about changing careers

"I'm a physician and find that a good deal of my time is spent teaching people things. Over the years I've become interested in education as a second career. I have no concept of what this really means or how to go about pursuing it, or whether this is truly a career path as opposed to a logical option. Do you have any thoughts or advice on this?"

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Not enough freedom in the curriculum

"I remember why I decided to become a teacher. I had so many teachers that made my life miserable, but I also had a few who brought the joy of learning to the classroom. I wanted to help children love learning and enjoy coming to school. I wrote a term paper in college titled, "The Problem with the Public School System." My main message was that the majority of children did not feel that school was made for them. They felt like schools were operated like mini prisons. "Do what you're told, shut up, and don't cause any problems!"

"I had so many ideals when I began, but now I feel beaten down. I can't do the things that I want to do because of bureaucracy. The people in charge keep telling me what to do, how to do it, and not to try and change things. Parents are under the mistaken assumption that the teacher controls the curriculum. I wish it were true. In my school our reading program is scripted. It tells me what I am to do every day and how much time is allowed for each part of the lesson. And if I do not follow the instructions exactly then I am in trouble with the principal and the people who developed the program.

"I no longer want to teach. The joy isn't there. I still love the kids, but I am tired of the garbage the administration keeps burying me in."

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Because a teacher cared about my dad

"Why do I teach? Because a teacher I never knew impacted my life. You see, my dad was raised in a less-than-ideal home. His loving mother died when he was quite young; his bitter father neglected him after his mother's death.

"My daddy didn't believe he had any worth because his own father didn't treat him as if he mattered. But a teacher took an interest in him and saved his life, both figuratively and literally. Daddy was ill with pneumonia, and this teacher took him to the hospital. Had he not, my dad may have died. This teacher's interest in my dad convinced him that he was a person of worth - that he had value. The seeds that teacher sowed in my dad's heart took root and blossomed.

"My dad has been in education for 35 years. He has touched countless students, reaching out to them to let them know that they have value. And he was an ideal daddy to my brother and me. He should have been bitter and angry because of his upbringing. Instead, because someone made him believe he was valued, he chose to be a better father than he'd had. My brother and I both are educators (my brother in college and me in elementary school), and we try to carry on Daddy's tradition of caring -- the tradition a teacher instilled in him.

"There are days I'm frustrated beyond words by the paperwork and the long hours and the low pay ... but the kids keep me going ... and the opportunity I have to make a difference. We can't know today how we might impact tomorrow. There are so many hurting children in the world. If I can help just one child believe that he or she has value, then I will consider myself a success.

"My life is better because a teacher 'way back in the 1940's was important in the life of a child -- my dad. That's why I teach."

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.