My mom has been a teacher for years and the daily grind of being a teacher was always a part of the routine in my house. She would leave for school at least 20 minutes before I even woke up to get ready and come home hours after I'd been dismissed by the 3:00 bell. Then, after dinner, she would work on her lesson plans or grade papers for another few hours before relaxing for the night. I don't think I ever realised how much work she had to do in order to be a good teacher. Teachers do not get enough credit or praise for their massive contributions to our society. So, this list is an ode to my amazing mama and all the other extremely hard working teachers out there.

1. Teachers shape our next generations.

The future of our world is literally in the hands of our teachers. They shape us into the people we become by giving us the knowledge we need to function in the real world.

2. Teachers do more than just teach.

Not only do teachers give us all the tools we need to write, do math, read, analyse and interpret information, they also act as mentors, role models, and even friends. High school teachers and college professors provide networking systems and support if school life or social life gets hard.

3. Teachers are underappreciated, but never stop working hard.

Teachers only make $45 - $50 thousand dollars a year, in comparison to doctors who make over $100 thousand a year or financial advisors who make $80 - $90 thousand a year, but are given the massive responsibility of bestowing knowledge to students and providing a school support system.

4. A teacher’s job extends beyond the usual 9-5

Teachers get to their classrooms long before students arrive to prepare and organise everything for the day. Then, they stay long after students leave to clean up their classroom, attend staff meeting, and hold study sessions for students who need more help. Even after they leave the school, they work from home on grading papers and planning lessons.

5. Teachers have undying patience.

Dealing with a classroom full of 6-year-olds or 16-year-olds for 7 hours a day 5 days a week is anything but easy, and still, they manage to teach.

6. Teachers inspire and care.

Teachers choose to teach because they are passionate about inspiring kids to learn. They often invest time and effort into ensuring their students are safe, comfortable, and enjoying their school experience.

7. Teachers also have to deal with parents.

Dealing with parents can be taxing, frustrating, tedious, and painful. Teachers have to navigate the delicate waters of dealing with touchy parents in order to effectively teach the children.

8. Teachers have to deal with test-based evaluations and adhere to, sometimes unattainable, state standards.

Teachers are expected to teach a huge amount of curriculum in a small amount of time and prepare students for state testing. State testing has become more and more prevalent in schools and it cuts out valuable time for actual teaching, but teachers are almost solely evaluated on the performance of their students on these tests.

9. Teachers are passionate about what they do.

No one ever decides to be a teacher because of the salary. Teachers teach because they are passionate about their students' success.

10. Teachers are just human, but they are given the job of a true superhero.

Our expectations are extremely high for teachers. We expect to have the most innovation, the highest test scores, and the smartest students, and we ask our teachers to make that goal a reality.