It is often said by teachers that education is one of the most important factors of all of our lives. The world is in constant need of unique people with unique talents who have a foundation of education. To be educated is a privilege. It is understandable to dislike the "busy-work" you may get or wonder why you may ever have to know or apply in life what you are learning; you have the right to feel that way. However, have you ever thought about how lucky you are to get an education?
Education teaches us different subjects academically and is always a critical point in our lives where we find ourselves. Through education, we learn our strengths and weaknesses. We learn about things we like and dislike. We learn about interacting with other people by being in an environment where we develop skills to talk with staff and other students. We learn what our extracurricular interests are. We learn that we are constantly going to change; our interests, our thoughts, our perceptions, our goals and hopes and dreams are going to alter whether drastically or slightly. Education is a major factor in our lives that allows us to grow.
It is a stage in our life that from child to adult, we can look back at the first time we learned to write letters to the time we wrote a 30+ page college paper. We can see what clothes we wore in different years. We can look back in yearbooks and see what different clubs we were in, who we were friends with, and the signature "HAGS" signed into it. We can look back and see where we shined brightest. Education is not just about the grades. Sure, grades are most definitely important, but they shouldn't define you. A good teacher will always tell you that and stay by your side to help you meet your goals and inspire you to want to learn and succeed. But back to the point, education is not just merely academics, but it is also a part of your life where you find out who you are, to make mistakes and learn from them, and to find your passions.
There is value to education. Instead of looking at "busy-work" as something that is to make your life miserable, stop procrastinating and it will be done sooner. Education shows you that if you work hard at something and persevere through it, it will only better you.
To be educated is a beautiful thing. I am beyond blessed to have been taught for the past 13 years. I have met some of the most inspiring teachers, staff, and talented friends who've helped me get to where I am today. Since day one, I have always known I wanted to be a teacher, and I still confidently plan to do so. The teachers I have had built my desire and confidence even more. I could never thank them enough; you know who all of you are, trust me.
Although, through the years, I did encounter some struggles and had to overcome adversity. Being a "perfectionist", I worked so hard in and out of the classroom, and on and off the field to better myself, make my mark, and impact others. Also, I am a student who is hearing impaired, so I've needed to advocate for myself and ask questions for clarification, more than normal, in case I did not hear something. I sometimes need to work harder than others to overcome some challenges. What made it more of a challenge was when I had to deal with a few teachers who made meeting my goals very hard.
In the end of my K-12 school career, I owe the few teachers that didn't teach a "thank you". I owe them a "thank you" for making me work harder and work through it. I owe them a "thank you" for showing me what being a teacher should not look like, and how not to teach. I owe them a "thank you" for being a situation in my life I needed to advocate for which only made me a better person and hopefully made you a better teacher.
With that being said, to the teachers who weren't there for me enough, you most definitely know who you are. I hope you understand I do not hope to teach like you when I become a teacher and that I believe students deserve better. I hope you understand that your colleagues are some of the most passionate teachers in the world, and you should be following in their footsteps in your own unique way.
Albert Einstein once said, "Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty."
Teaching shouldn't just be some job, it should be a passion. There are students who give up on education or don't try as hard because of the few "sticklers" of teachers they had that do not teach, do not give the support needed, or do not care.
This connects to the song "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd written by Roger Walters. He was pro-education and saw the benefits of education. However, with the way the teachers of his grammar school were teaching, he had begun to see less meaning in education. His teachers would rather the students be quiet than teach them. Walters began to see teachers as another brick in the wall, hence the song name. Similar to Walters, students in the world are pro-education, but that changes when they have teachers who aren't passionate about their career and ruin it for their students.
To the teachers that don't teach or make an impact as much as you could, deep down you wanted to be a teacher, so find that passion and bring it back out. Show students the value of education. Show students that they are worthy and that they are not "failures" or "smart enough". Get off your phone in class and get up there and teach. Make a difference because in the end, you will regret not doing so. If not, leave and let someone else have the opportunity to teach and change the lives of students.
And to the students, if you ever encounter a teacher who isn't passionately teaching, go advocate for yourself. Don't let it make you give up on everything you have worked for. Work through this and it'll only better prepare you for life when things come your way that you will need to handle.
And to the kids, teens, and future teachers out there who would like to be a teacher someday, go for it. We always need teachers, but most of all,
we need more teachers to...
"Teach with comPASSION"
-Brooke Hadgraft
