A Life Long Lesson

"I know I have made a difference in these children’s learning experience; but, more
importantly, they have made a difference in my learning experience. For the rest
of my life, I will remember the little boy who one day gave me an F in my
Spanish lesson because I could not remember the words he had taught me the day
before and I wondered how many times he had felt the same way I did, but his
grade really mattered."

These are words I wrote as a sophomore in college, one of my first teaching experiences was working in an after school tutoring program with mainly migrant students. The little boy I spoke of made a huge impact on my life. You see while I was helping him with with his English spelling, he was teaching me Spanish. This little boy's family was a migrant family, everyone at home spoke Spanish and there was very little English spoken in the house, so the only exposure he got to it was at school. At the beginning of our time together I made a deal with him, if we could get through his homework I would let him give me a Spanish lesson. I'll be honest I don't remember what words he taught me - but I know I'll never forget this lesson, the day he gave me a F in Spanish. I'll remember it because it is the day I learned that the best education is not equal but equitable, it was the day I knew I wanted to be a teacher not for the pay or the summers off but for the difference I could make in lives of students like this one, students who no one at home could help with their homework, how many times had he recieved a F on assignment, because the work wasn't on his level in his language.

I have been thinking a lot lately with all the chaos of education reform and union busting about what I could do next, if I ever need to leave education. Today I thought about this experience and I remembered that I didn't enter into education for the pay, I will continue to teach, God willing, as long as that is where I feel He has placed me. You could take away my pay and my health care but the difference I make in the lives of students can never be taken away. That is why I am a teacher. Yes, at times I feel God's call to do more and right now I am wrestling with what that means but tomorrow I will walk in that classroom knowing that there are 20 students who are so close to being third graders, depending on me to teach them something new, depending on me to prepare them for the future - because they are the future of this country.

This post isn't about something new God is teaching me, but just something I wanted to share for all of those who have asked me why I stand where I do on Senate Bill 5 and the funding of education, because it is not about my pay, it is about what God has called me to do and more importantly it is about the next leaders of our country and the values I want to instill in them.