As a teacher, there are (many) days when I'm exhausted and wonder why I chose to work in this field. The grading, the lesson planning, activity creation...the list goes on and on. On those days, I would kill for a 9-5 job; one where I could lock up at the end of the day and just leave my worries behind.
But, it only takes a brief moment to remember why I entered this field and why it is truly my calling. My brief moment came this past Monday when I received an e-mail from university housing, letting me know that I'd been nominated by a resident as an Honored Instructor and inviting me to a reception next Friday. Well, I was completely taken aback and flattered. I know I try my best to help my students enjoy the class, but I can only do so much. It was so nice to see that they had gotten something out of it.
And then today, I checked my mailbox at school and there was an envelope from university housing with a congratulatory letter and a certificate naming me as an honored instructor. They also included the comment from the student.
"Leah is an exceptional TA. She makes our class very enjoyable and understandable and cares about every individual. She extends her office hours to give us more help outside the classroom. She is always available by email for questions otherwise. She explains our material in a way that is comprehendable to everyone's learning styles. Besides that, she is very personable in that everyone feels very comfortable around her and that she is very easy to approach. Even though she is a Michigan State fan, I approve of her and I wish I could have her in the future!"
I was truly touched by this comment and, quite honestly, tickled pink about it! It makes all the preparation, grading, extra office hours, study sessions, and countless e-mails worth it. I know that I won't affect every single student in this way, but one out of 23 is good enough for me!
After getting this little reminder, I thought back to other similar experiences. The note my HS student wrote to me, letting me know how grateful she was that I was so understanding of her situation and not judging her. The out-of-the-blue e-mails from past students, asking for a letter of recommendation because "I'm the only professor who actually knows them". Hearing, "I'm going to be so sad next semester when I don't have you as a TA." It makes you reflect a lot too. There are so few career fields where you get to have such a profound, direct impact on young people. We're so much more than "passers of information". We're counselors, a shoulder to cry on, a person to look up to, a non-judging adult, etc. As teachers, we should always be in awe of this; if we forget such an important aspect of our career (arguably, THE most important aspect), we've lost part of who we are.
Teaching is truly a privilege.
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