How do you build something that lasts? You establish a foundation with integrity and quality. Who lays the first stone and sets the path towards tomorrow? These people who create the world we live in are the unknown, and often unappreciated. The teachers and instructors are the ones who lay the foundation we build our lives on.
At every level of education, the ones who lead us down the path seldom receive their due. Teachers are underpaid, overworked and have to fill the gaps in the budget with their own funds, they give up personal stuff and serve, often unacknowledged.
So what do we do?
As simple as being a teacher may seem, being an instructor is harder than some may think. Teachers make an important impact on student lives, being there to inspire and motivate students in their curricular studies. They are there to be a role model in the student’s life, hoping that if the student needs advice, the student will approach them. Simultaneously, teachers have to deal with their own lives. They make juggling all these activities seem easy, as one could say they single-handedly shape the developing community.
Teachers are role models in the sense of encouragement towards students. For the students to strive for greatness and to achieve their fullest of potential. They are there to be someone that a student can admire and aspire to be. Teachers promote the realization of student’s personal goals in life and encourage those students to extend said goals. They follow and encourage the students through each and every climactic stage of development, for six to eight hours a day, five days a week, and multiple sleepless nights of planning/grading assignments for the students.
Most teachers have to work over the summer as well, this is to support themselves so they can teach during the next school year. Since teachers dedicate so much time and energy to their students, teachers are some of the first to notice changes in their students. Instructors are not only role models, but they also create safe havens for students who are being bullied, sexually abused, peer pressured, etc. Teachers put their students’ needs above anyone else's’, even putting aside their own personal needs and time.
Whenever there is a drastic change in a student's’ grades teachers immediately notice and will do their best to find the root of the problem. They often go a step further and try to help the student fix their problems. The teachers will do whatever it takes to help their students; setting up parent-teacher conferences, talking to students to resolve issues, give advice, tell their story, and overall be there for the student.
Being a teacher is all about dedication, not just to education but also to their students. The energy and time that they put into their craft are not evident at first glance. Look in a new perspective towards your instructor and respect them as highly as possible.
Thus, building a relationship between student and teacher.
