The Make A Difference Movie

I never knew how difficult teaching was until I became a teacher. I must admit that I used to think teaching, as far as difficulty and time, did not compare to working in the business world. Prior to teaching, I worked in the computer field and worked about 10 hours per day, carried a beeper for 24 hours support and worked weekends and holidays when needed. I thought that teachers had the "life" and worked 9-3 with all of the perks of having off all the vacation time.

It wasn't the perks that attracted me to teaching, it was really something I wanted to do. As the time progressed and I became more and more familiar with my new job and the needs associated with it, I quickly realized that this is the most difficult, all consuming job - emotionally, physically and mentally that I have ever had. I also realized that in order to make a difference I must give my all to teach the whole child - each and every "whole" child and to know that child entirely. I need to know what motivates the child, what upsets the child - what works for the child. I realized that in order to get the child to "work" for me, I have to make him or her want to work. I have to make a connection with the child and find out all that is necessary for him or her to be successful. The Make a Difference Movie was extremely moving - we really don't know what some of our kids are going through, but yet we expect them to come in "bright eyed and bushy tailed" each day and give their 100% on classwork, homework and other assessments. We don't know what their personal lives are really like but sometimes some of us are quick to judge their failures with laziness and lack of interest rather than something else - maybe difficulty at home.

I met a young man today at my gym and he was talking to me about a mutual friend that also worked at the gym and left the gym to get another job. This young man commented that his friend got a great job with the state and but that he was still in a community college and he lacks knowledge in certain subjects and sometimes needs help. He commented that he had many family problems while he was growing and not only had to take time off from school but did not even live at home for a few years because his parents could not care from him. He mentioned that when he was in high school he met his algebra teacher that took an interest in him and helped him so much that he has never forgotten him. He is going to try to find his algebra so he could drop him a note to let him know how much help the teacher was to him. He said that he never told the teacher this and never forgot him. I told him that this teacher will appreciate that more than he will ever know. That will make any difficulties that the teacher may be experiencing - and we all experience some during the course of the year - be all worth it. This young man has the desire to learn, despite his difficult life and is going to persevere because this teacher believed in him, just like the teacher in the video believed in the little boy. The teacher saw something in this young man - and I believe this allowed this young man to want to persue his dreams. I think this teacher inspired him to reach and strive for and attain his goals. I know this young man and I think that he will make it despite the things in life that have been against him.

I think teaching is probably one of the most difficult jobs - not the content that you are teaching, but the fact that what you do or don't do will have an affect on the child for life. Someone once told me a child can negatively affected for life if he or she experienced just one "bad" teaching year! I believe that is true -but I also believe that one good teacher - a really good one - can positively affect a child for life as well! We have a duty to positively affect our kids - we feel a sense of satisfaction not because we are remembered by them but rather because we have gave them the tools to become all they could be. We always remember the nicest, the kindest and the sweetest teachers, but we also remember those teachers who had the largest impact on our educations and that is what lasts a life time.