Most of us are required to wear an ID badge at school. I
wear mine on a lanyard, to which I've attached a large white button with black
lettering, stating: “HALF TEACHER, HALF SUPERHERO”. I’ve felt that way for a long time, but this
past year I believe it even more. I wear these words as a mantra, a shield, and
a shout out to all my fellow educators. Who else but a teacher can know what
it’s really like?
We pay our respects to the children and educators lost in
Newtown, Connecticut on December 14. While the grim news affected our entire
country, it touched teachers in a most profound way. Who would ever imagine
that the joyful place called school would one day invoke the saddest of tears?
And, are we even surprised that teachers would step forward to protect those in
their charge?
I’m even more determined to make it known, that ours is the
most humbling of professions. The huge expectation placed on our students as
indicated in the new standards, and the incessant testing that robs us of teaching
time, wears at us. Teachers are more burdened than ever with district mandates,
tight schedules, and the urgent need to reach every student. A typical school
day with its ups and downs– bad behavior, laughter, the discovery of a
weeks-old muffin in a desk (and an accidental science lesson!), multiplication
facts that make you shake your head, great discussions, no homework and MIA
parents, and the collective “Nooooo!!!!” when the bell rings and it’s time to
go home – is tiring, overwhelming, heart-breaking, and inspiring.
I often tell myself “I’m done!” with this exhausting work,
it’s just too much sometimes. And yet, I fall in love with it again day after day.
Right before we broke for the holidays, my newest student - who has only been
here a few months – laughed at a joke I told in class. His eyes lit up and he
guffawed! Another student, who refused to speak since September, began to bloom
during guided reading, as she shared the story of her arrival to the U.S. – a
connection she made after reading When Jessie Came Across the Sea. Moments like these mean a lot to a
teacher, especially a teacher of ELLs.
It’s been too easy to criticize teachers lately. But when it
gets really tough, and when it counts the most, we stand firm. And so, in the
New Year, I recommit to being the best teacher I can be. I’ll teach my kids
with energy and enthusiasm. I’ll prepare engaging lessons. I’ll keep myself
informed. I’ll have high expectations of my students, but I’ll also be
sensitive to their needs. I’ll watch over them.
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