For the majority of the time, when you ask a child if they enjoy the homework they are given, the answer is no. Responses such as "Homework is boring and hard" or "Homework is a waste of my time," is something that one hears quite often. And, truthfully, when I was younger I felt the same exact way. All I wanted to do was watch my absolute favorite television shows or go outside and play with my friends.

My teachers, the adults in my life who were giving me homework almost every day, were on my mental list of some of the most irrelevant people in my life. However, over time l realized how without them, myself and the rest of the world would be completely lost. I also realize how the concept of them being irrelevant changed to a blessing.

We have to start giving the general education system and, more specifically, our teachers much more credit for what they do on a daily basis. Teachers work a solid eight-hour day working with hundreds of students and are responsible for keeping track of each of them. If you really think about it, as a student, one spends the majority of their days with their teachers. And, when you think students are the only ones coming home after a long day at school to do work, then you are unaware of reality. Teachers also have work to do. In fact, teachers come home to both create new assignments as well as grade the ones that all of their students have previously done and submitted to be marked up. Without teachers in our lives to assign us the hard work we are given and watch us overcome obstacles, I feel we wouldn't be prepared for the real world and much that it has to offer.

Beyond teaching me how to format an essay properly or maybe even solve a math equation, my teachers have taught me some valuable lessons. They have taught me that when you feel like things are too hard and it's just about time to give up, don't. The words, "If you don't challenge yourself, then you aren't allowing yourself to explore what amazing things the world has to offer," or something along the lines of that, has come out of several mouths of my own teachers. And, they were completely right when they said it! I myself pushed through the horrific obstacles I faced academically, and now I am thriving and am currently envisioning a future with great benefits.

Something else that I feel is extremely important for me to talk about is how teachers should be recognized more. Take a step back and read what I have to say here, and it will all make sense. As a country, America is focused on exciting things such as the presidential elections, major league sports games and artists becoming so famous and making a fortune. But, really, where would they be without someone teaching, guiding and instructing them on how to do these things to such a great extent?

The nominees for each of the presidential elections all have outstanding degrees from universities all across the country, where they were taught by some of the finest professors around.

Whether it is baseball, football or even basketball, these incredible major league athletes needed a coach to show them various drills, to work side by side with them each step of the way, to give them constructive criticism on how to improve their forms and, also, to call the shots on how each game should be played out.

In addition, artists such as singers are in great need of voice coaches to listen to them and help them sing each note on point. Elegant dancers need choreographers, and actors need directors to teach them how to be dramatic in the right sense. These may not be your stereotypical classroom teachers, but they are still teachers and all should be accredited for the hard work they put in behind the scenes.

So, overall, we have to start giving our teachers more credit for their jobs. One day in the foreseeable future, my dream is to become a secondary English teacher. My major in school is clearly English, and I am part of Quinnipiac University's amazing five-year Master of the Arts in Teaching program. I cannot wait to work as hard as I possibly can just to see others succeed. Thanks to my teachers, I myself have learned the authentic value of teaching itself.