What I Know for Sure about Teaching...

What I know about teaching is that it is a rigorous profession. Often times the general public sees the profession of teaching as one that can be used as one's Plan B, career-wise. As a 14-year veteran teacher whose original and primary goal was to make secondary-level teaching my career, I can sincerely say that teaching is an exciting, challenging, ever-evolving, and sometimes all-consuming profession.

Teaching is exciting and ever-evolving. The key is to view the career not only as one to have a direct impact on today's youth, but to seek to stay on the cutting edge of the profession by seeking to incorporate new technology and teaching strategies every year. For example, I have incorporated a class website for my students for the past 10 years. However, every year I have sought to add something new to the website, change its approach, incorporate more resources for students and parents in the quest to making education an interactive experience. Last year I incorporated unit homework/project assignments, video clips and class notes that could be viewed and downloaded by students and parents. This year I added the components of student blogging, student testimonials, and online quizzes and tests.

Teaching is challenging. Only a few other careers offers the challenge of being prepared to handle unpredictable behaviors and occurrences without even a moment's notice. To handle two or more emergencies, five or more interruptions, and keep your cool when technology has broken down in the first 2 hours of your work day is the norm for most public school teachers. To teach in an urban public school means that you tend to earn an honorary-degree in counseling and psychology in the first three months of teaching. What's more, teachers may not get a chance to decompress and collaborate with their colleagues regularly, so mental toughness is required for long-term success.

Teaching is all-consuming. There is never enough planning time, enough resources, enough funds, or enough of you to provide the level of education that you, as a professional educator, desire to provide for your students. There are always new programs, new instructional opportunities, new committees to grab your attention and energy to help make an awesome educational experience for your students. There is a slight problem, however. There is only one you and only 24 hours in a day. So knowing when to replenish yourself is important in such a profession.

As I begin the second half of the 2011-2012 school year, I urge students, parents, and community members alike to show appreciation for teachers in some way. Entering and remaining in the teaching profession is not for the faint of heart and requires much from a person's heart, soul, and physical being...and it's all for the benefit of students and the future of our communities!