There are some professions out there that just don't get enough recognition, and teaching is one of those professions. Teachers are so much more than people who stand in front of you and talk for a few hours. Not only do teachers have to be incredibly smart, they have to be able to understand people, and have a passion for what they do. There is no job quite like being an educator; it is stressful and hard, but the reward is one of the best in the business.
"Teacher" is really just a word that encompasses all the different things they are every single day. They have to be an educator, good enough to teach and explain a subject that their pupils don't know anything about yet. They have to be counselors whenever a student comes to them with a problem, able to help that student move on with their day.
Teachers have to be like a parent to all their students, and teach them right from wrong, and what is and isn't acceptable not only in the classroom, but in life as well. Sometimes, teachers even have to be like social workers, and advocate for students in need, whether the student knows they need the help or not. Every day they problem solve, and work their way through seemingly impossible situations because teachers are superheroes, and only they can change and inspire future generations.
If a teacher is someone who goes above and beyond, then I can almost guarantee you that somewhere along the way, they changed a student's life, and sent them down a path they never thought was possible. Teachers are role models, who set off that spark inside of students and teach them that learning can be amazing and that it can take you places you never thought you could go.
I know I have had several teachers who, because of their ability to teach and have passion for their subject, have inspired me to write, and to believe in myself; they have taught me that with a little hard work, anything is possible. When teachers connect with a student, and find something that they're good at, you can see it in both the teacher and the student, because they have this renewed sense of self, and a determination to keep moving forward.
Not only are teachers all these things, but they are humble as well. They work long hours, often taking their work home with them, and don't get paid very much for all the work that they do. It is only because they love what they do, and the students that they teach, that they will keep doing what they are doing, despite the daily ups and downs and long, stressful days.
Teachers don't give themselves enough recognition, and they don't get enough of it from current and past students. It has almost become an expectation for teachers to just teach, and then be forgotten, and for that I am sorry. These people are the superheroes no one talks about. They challenge the minds of hundreds of kids every day, and receive little in return. So, from all those students out there, thank you teachers, for being the unsung heroes in our lives. Thank you for teaching us that doing what you love is one of the most important things in the world. Without teachers, no one in the world would be where they are today.
