A Salute to Teachers

This is a salute to teachers; amazing teachers of all kinds. This is not just for today, this week, but every day. They all are crazy beyond belief, but we salute them anyway.

This is for the teachers that get up and go every day no matter what. They feel like they're in a daily uphill battle. They may be in a situation that feels hopeless where any average person would have quit already, but they get up and do it anyway.

This is in honor of the teachers who wake up really early and show up to work hours before they're supposed to. They do it just to get everything ready for the day: lesson planning, copying assignments, grading tests, or buying whatever materials they need for the lesson out of their own pockets.

This is dedicated for teachers who give up their precious lunch breaks to tutor their students, especially the ones who didn't come to class. They are more generous than people think. This is also for the ones who aren't required to spend unpaid hours after school helping kids with their assignments. They sacrifice their personal time and time with their families, but do so anyway.

This is for the teachers who dove into the profession knowing that they would be overworked, underpaid, and under appreciated. They take graduate classes (some even have a master's degree), go through years of rigorous training, and jump through so many bureaucratic hoops all to be in a profession that is plagued by social scapegoating, budget cuts, politics, red tape, and declining social stature, but proudly dive into it anyway.

This is in honor of the teachers who willingly choose to teach in the hardest schools. These are the communities plagued by poverty, violence, drug abuse, and other social ills. These educators care to serve the people society overlook and ignore. They know they are doing society's dirty work, but willingly do it anyway.

This is dedicated for teachers who pour their heart and soul into what they do and who their students are. They are the unspoken heroes of today.

Teachers are either crazy or extremely brave; I choose the latter. Thank you all for being who you are.

Roderick Conwi is an educator who writes about personal and professional development at Nourishment Notes. He has a background in instructional coaching, curriculum development, and educational technology. He is also the author of The Procrastinator's Quick Guide To Getting It Done. To get powerful insights to enhance your day, join his FREE newsletter.