Teaching

Mr. Chips, The Dead Poet Society, Knights Of The South Bronx, and other movies made about great teachers seem more like fables than reality to most of us.  I really never had a teacher who reached out to me and inspired me the way they did their students while I was young, but I know they exist.

My father was one of those men and my friend is one now, teachers who go the extra mile to take the hands of those students ready to shine and pull them along:

Teachers who reach out to their students, not just in class, but at extracurricular activities, on field trips, in small gatherings that nurture the interests of people who are still young enough to be idealistic.

Teachers who stand up for their students no matter how many times they are rebuffed by the administration, or society, or those people who think an education is only about testing and grades and making money.

Teachers who see human beings, bright young minds, and great possibilities,  and are willing to demonstrate the tenacity it takes to bring all these things into fruition are the beacons all teachers should aim for, because teaching is not just a job -- it's a vocation.