I teach so much more than math

I'm on a role, are you sure you want to proceed?? :)

Before I get into why I'm fired up I'll tell you this...I have had a wonderful day!
It started with an emotional but wonderfully challenging encounter with my Lord. I have been feeling great ever since. On that note, can you imagine what Satan and all his demons might have thought when Jesus whispered it is finished on that terrible day about 1980 years ago? have we done it? is he gone? did we win? Not even close... His proclamation that it was finished was a victory cry that gives me life. It is the reason and the power that I am who I am. Thank you, Lord, that you endured a horrific tragedy and were forsaken by God so that I never have to be.

On to my next topic of the day.
I know that some of you have seen this before, but either way please take 3:08 of your life and watch it now. It does have a few curse words and a slightly obscene gesture, but Taylor Mali makes a great point.

While I think that the mentality of "those who can, do, and those you can't, teach" is slowly fading away, it is by no means gone. Take, for example, the worth that society places on my job. I make fine money, but absolutely nothing compared to what I could eventually make if a I pursued a job in the cooperate world. Why do you think America's education system can't compare with international ones?! There is no monetary insensitive to be a teacher, and even less to be a good one that works hard. One of my professors in the M.A.T. described his lifestyle in South Korea, where he was from, and it radically opened my eyes. He said that only the top percentage of students in any university are allowed to take the teaching program entrance exam. Of those allowed to try, few are chosen to enter the teacher training program. Of those that enter, even fewer actually make it. Those individuals that emerge and teach are revered similarly to how we respect brain surgeons. They are the best of the best. If you say "I am a teacher" you are held in very high esteem. And yes, their students consistently kick ours' little behinds. Now, I am not completely naive about this. Education is a privilege, not a right, in South Korea. They have far fewer students graduating from their schools than we do. But can you imagine if teachers and schools received this kind of support in our nation??

I wholeheartedly disagree that I can't and I therefore teach. I could do many, many other things in life. So could most teachers. I choose every day to be a teacher. It wasn't a last ditch effort because everything else fell through.
There are many, many dynamics that go into managing, teaching, and assessing teenagers. I would challenge almost anyone that says with their nose in the air "ohhh, you're a teacher, hmmm" to try it. You are welcome to get a visitors badge at the front desk and try it for a week. They probably could do it, I hope they could, but I can promise it will be different than the little picture they have in their heads. 

I make young minds engage. I offer respect to my students, sometimes far more than they receive at home. I engage in meaningful conversations and allow young people to form personal convictions instead of talking down to them like they are inferior or have no opinions. I require their respect, but also give them mine. I hold very high expectations for personal character, work ethic, and integrity. And you know what, they reach them. Sure, sometimes they fall short, but then we have a conversation about grace and forgiveness. And how I, and all adults, make mistakes too. I offer students a safe place to come to every day. They know their ideas will be heard and mean something. They share their joys with me and I praise their successes. They also often share their trials and I offer understanding and sometimes advice.

I teach so much more than math.

Next time you talk to a teacher, tell them thank-you. They probably work harder than you know. Also, next time you hear someone belittle the teaching profession, please gently correct them. Maybe someday our society will figure it out...