I found this video last year and fell in love with it. I love that Taylor Mali, the poet who wrote these words and passionately speaks them, 'gets' the value, the purpose, of his role as a teacher.
I emailed this video link to the principals at my kids' schools along with the paragraph that follows, asking them to show this video to the staff ... feel free to do the same because even teachers need to know that they are seen, valued and honoured.
As a parent I want you to know that I honour you for the job you do each day ... that I respect you for the choice you made to make a difference rather than just make a buck. I am indebted to you for caring enough about my kids to correct them, instruct them and guide them every day. I love you for the extra time and effort you put into making your lessons interesting and engaging, the extra time that no one sees and you don't get credit for. I take comfort in knowing that this isn't 'just a job' for you or your colleagues, these wonderful, committed, caring and creative teachers, EAs, admin staff and custodians ... this is a life choice that has meaning. I want you to know that the moments you spend speaking into the lives of the kids who roam those halls every day will echo in eternity. I want you to know that I, as a parent, am grateful for you.
The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called "truth."
~Dan Rather
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