I stand in front of a class of 25+ students four times a day, I lecture and educate them on Psychology, Sociology, Government and Economics.
But I do more than that and it's the most important thing I can do, more than that teaching stuff.
I can show them I love them.
I do not know if you can ever be surprised by some of the stories you hear of former and current students. I try not to believe much about current students, because you are just getting into the rumor/gossip issues that can lead to hurting a student.
But as teachers, we hear things, and we can still love our students despite what they may have done. Really...how many of us have a squeaky clean past? Yea, I thought so.
But forget the things that the students do to themselves, but what is done to them. It is sad and scary and it is amazing that they can come to your class and function as a human being at all considering what has happened to them.
Yet, we too often forget these things and treat them as if they are being fed properly, told to clean themselves, get to bed and study so they can be ready to learn from us again.
I can tell you that if I did not have a supportive wife, I would be a mess many days and yet we expect children from 5-18 years of age who do not have proper guidance to act the way that us educated, supported people do.
Former students...I see the pain and agony you go through. I see the turning from your values because of money. I see how much hurt you are enduring and it affects me, it affects many of your past teachers who truly loved you as a young person, growing, and learning.
It tears us apart when we see you arrested, or beaten, or divorced, or addicted.
It upsets us when you are upset because something in life has not gone the way you wanted.
I have taught for many years and I thoroughly enjoy hearing what former students are doing as adults. I enjoy meeting their spouses and their children and laughing as they have learned things the hard way we tried to teach them and they share their stories of ups and downs.
As the state of Indiana puts more and more expectations on us as teachers, I will do what I am supposed to do to keep my job, but through my experiences, tests and grades mean very little with the time I have a student in class. There are bigger issues at work.
Do they enjoy my class? I realize some things are inherent in learning and joy is not often felt. But do kids when then are heading to my class, are they feeling revulsion or acceptance?
Do they know that I care? You would not believe some of the things kids share with teachers. From very personal issues to the extremely trivial, we have to let them know we care either way.
I have been doing this for 21 years and I have changed so much. In some ways for the good and many would argue in other ways for the bad.
But when I finish teaching or when students look back on me as a teacher, I could care less if they remember anything I taught (but it sure would be nice), but I hope they know that I enjoyed my job, I love my family, I enjoy having them in class, and I love them as human beings and would do very much to help them.
Not just today, but for the rest of my life.
That is the weight a teacher wears.
