My mom is a teacher. She’s been teaching for 21 years and has spent most of her time teaching kindergarten. She engages with people of all ages and backgrounds every day, and somehow manages to come home ready to deal with piles of laundry, dirty dishes, and complaining kids.Plus, because she’s been immersed in classrooms for essentially her entire life, her advice, life lessons,� and criticisms are backed by years of experience and wisdom.
Beyond her ability to stay level-headed and calm in the most pressing of situations, she also is my best friend. My mom has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly events of my life and always offers the utmost support and guidance. She listens to me, keeps me sane, encourages me, and holds me together when I break down. She loves me, laughs with me (and at me), and is the glue to our family. She pushes me to try harder when I tell myself I can’t. She reassures me that my best is all I can give, even if that means not earning a 100 on an important test or getting a job after a long interview. My mom is my hero, and I thank God every day for her.
Surely much of her character is simply who she is: a kind-hearted woman who manages to see the best in people. But it’s also a result of teaching other children and working with other educators. The first perk of having a parent who is a teacher, then, is that they are genuine people with kindness and love in their hearts. Additionally, teacher-parents have superb instincts. I can’t count how many times my mom has said “be careful with that person” or “you deserve better, get out of it while you can” and been spot on about her judgments. Unfortunately I chose not to listen to her, and, long story short, she was right.
Teachers, as we know, also follow the same schedule as students (for the most part) and thus are home on snow days, are home during winter and April breaks, and over the summer. For teachers’ kids, this may be a blessing or a frustration. There were times when I really hated that my mom was home with me on snow days and over breaks. As I got older, though, it became clear to me that I was lucky to have the option to spend so much time with her. I began to appreciate the days off and took advantage by watching movies with her, asking her to go out to lunch, or going shopping. If your parent is a teacher, be sure to enjoy the time with them you have, no matter how many times you’ve wished they weren’t home with you.
Lastly, parents who are teachers are role models. They are people who must put aside their personal problems and issues every day. They are people who must put aside beliefs and opinions every day. They are people who are (more or less) organized. They are people who teach other parents’ children life lessons. They are people who are educating our youth. They are people who lay the foundation of success for students. They are people who offer guidance. They are people who go out of their way to make sure each student is properly and sufficiently educated. They put in extra hours when no one is paying attention. They attend meetings. Their day is not over when the last bell sounds; they have lesson plans to create and assignments to grade. They have report cards to fill out. They have parents to call when a student is in danger of failing a class or is acting poorly at school. They are the people who are held to exceptional standards, as they should be. They are people who open their hearts to kids who aren’t their own. They are people who donate money, supplies, and superfluous amounts of time to ensure their students are happy and prepared. Teachers are examples of superheroes. And I am blessed that I call one of those superheroes “mom”. I love you mom. Thank you for your unrelenting involvement and dedication to not only my life, but your students’ lives as well. Thank you to all teachers who give up so much for their students and families. If you’re a teacher-parent, please know that your children are twice as lucky for having you in their life.
