Teachers are probably one of the most under-appreciated profession. Many people look at teacher’s jobs and just give out a giggle. “What is so hard about having a job for a few months and then you get off the summer?” This misconception comes up quite often. People think that just because the teachers have off during the summer they do not do anything. Well news flash, you are wrong. Teachers do countless hours of prep work and have quite a few meetings to attend for the next school year. Special education teachers especially have a lot of work to do over the summer. They must review each IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and accommodate the needs for each student in their class. They need to get placement tests prepared for the students to find their place in the curriculum. How do you think the doctors and lawyers of the world get to be where they are? Let me answer that, they are shaped by educators throughout their life. All the high-class job holders have gone through education to get to the top. Normal jobs usually are over within 8-10 hours, not teachers. They work their 8-hour day and then they continue to go home and grade, attend meetings, monitor after-school activities, or do prep work for the next day. Special education teachers also must do hours of IEP work to improve the child’s plan or sometimes even create new plans for newly identified children. All academic standpoints aside, teachers are generally the most influential people in an individual’s life. Teachers have the effect on children that can cause them to alter for the better throughout their life. There have been many teachers that I owe a lot of thanks to in my life. I had times where I forgot money to eat lunch and I was not concerned, but always could count on a teacher to lend me the money to eat. Teachers not only want you to succeed in their classroom, they want you to succeed all throughout life. Many teachers of mine have checked in on me and keeps up with my life as young as my elementary school teachers. No, I am not saying that all teachers are great because let’s face it we all have had at least one terrible teacher. There are certainly teachers who have entered the profession for the wrong reasons, but you cannot stereotype ALL teachers for those few. Sometimes you have a teacher that you think that you hate and you look back at it and realize that they made you a better person, they weren’t being strict and occasionally harsh for fun. Sometimes, those teachers just want you to reach the potential that they see in you. Next time you talk down on educators, think twice.