A few weeks ago, I was able to join in on a wonderful opportunity. As a nineteen-year-old I got to join my mom at her job for the fantastic holiday of Take Your Child to Work Day. Luckily, my mom works at my old junior high school where I spent 7th, 8th, and 9th grade before transferring. This quickly became exciting because the thought of being able to go back and place yourself in a time where you had to worry about so little was just an overwhelming sensation. Of course, seeing your old teachers and hoping they recognize you was an added bonus as well.
I took a visit to my eighth-grade civics teacher; probably my favorite teacher ever. I began to tell her about my college experience, and the success I had been able to achieve. She responded to me in a way that kind of took me off guard. She said, "it is so great to hear these things, to see that you actually can make a difference in their life, and have an impact on their future." My only response was to nod my head and say thank you.
When we all look at school, at any level, it seems like we finish with one instructor and just move on to the next. We take courses as if we are trying to get through them, and just move on to the next until it is over. Then forget about what happened before and focus on what is in front of us. For the teachers, it is more than that. The teachers follow you, and you may not notice it, but something they taught you is in there and going to come to use to you at some point. These teachers like to think that they have played a part in your success.
If you get the chance, take a trip to your high school or middle school. Go visit those old teachers that you have not thought about in several years. Go tell them what you are doing. Tell them the positives and tell them the negatives. Tell them your reactions to situations and tell them your future plans. Then just watch. Watch the way their face lights up.
When it comes down to it, teaching is difficult. Not everyone is going to be that college-bound, high GPA star student that a teacher always hope for. From an area like mine, it is highly unlikely. However, just to know that a handful of their students is out there trying to make their mark in the world, it relinquishes all of their doubts. When it comes down to it, teachers are not just in those classrooms to tell you information. We all can read textbooks and learn the same information. Teachers are there to make a difference, and try to move you on to that next level.
Every teacher I saw that day just stood there with a smile as I told the same story over and over again. Leaving me with a stern handshake, or a gentle hug, and a look in their eyes of the confidence they have in me. But most importantly, the pride they have in their heart when they know they have made a difference. So thank your teachers. Go let them know the difference they have made in your life, as you continue on with it grasping the knowledge and wisdom they were nice enough to share with you.
