Teacher: An Expansive Job Description

I had to make my first call to CPS (Child Protective Services) today. Before today I liked to imagine that I would never have to make one of those calls, but as was confirmed today, the responsibilities of a teacher stretch far beyond instruction and content. Some days I feel like a mother ("Take off your hat" or "Let me get you a bandaid"). Other days I feel like a therapist ("No, you're too young to have sex, don't let him force you into it" or "It's not you, it's them"). Then there are the college counselor/academic advisor days ("You need to develop good habits now so that you can succeed in high school and college" or "Let's talk about the best way to eliminate answers for a multiple-choice test question"). Sometimes I'm a friend ("I'm here whenever you want to talk" or "I've been through that too, don't worry, it gets better") and sometimes I'm an authoritarian/disciplinarian ("If I have to ask you one more time to get on-task we're going to have a problem" or "Look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you"). Lastly...and well, firstly...I'm a teacher. Being a teacher means so many things. It means setting boundaries, establishing respect, developing routines and skills, broadening content knowledge, peaking interest, and helping my kids to discover, pursue, and nurture their passions. Most importantly for me it means spending every single day with my kids, who make me smile, laugh, yell, and at times cry, and hoping that I'm giving them the same challenges and gifts that they're giving to me. I love my job, even on hard days like today.

How In the World Did I Get Here?

Yeah, I'll admit, it sounds boring. Who in their right mind ever thought they would become a teacher? I definitely didn't. Yet, here I am, a full-fledged, soon-to-be clear double-credentialed teacher with an MEd in Curriculum and Teaching. All I know is that this decision wasn't planned. It happened by chance, but obviously was fate. Education has always fueled everything about my life (and yours too, although you may not realize it). Learning is an essential part of who we are, and learning how to learn (aka metacognition) is the key to becoming successful, life-long learners, thinkers, and passionate discoverers. I was inspired to become a part of education not because I recognized that learning was such an essential part of who I am (this comes later), or because I wanted the summers off (although I can't complain). . . No, I was inspired to become a part of this broken, beaten-down, failing, and at times hopeless system because I want to be a part of the change. The inevitable, essential, and at it's very core (no apple for your teacher joke pun intended here) hopeful change.