Today is International Women’s Day. There are so many women in the world to celebrate, from Michelle Obama to Melinda Gates, to Gabby Douglas, and that’s just in America. Women all over the world are achieving greatness and working day in and day out to make the world a better place. I want to take a moment to celebrate the women in my life I see making the world a better place day in and day out. Please join me in celebrating teachers.
I am lucky enough to work with dedicated teachers everyday who honor the individual, practice empathy and patience, and find joy in the process of each child that crosses their path.
There are thousands and thousands of teachers out there making a difference in the lives of our children. The precious moments they have with our children make an impact that is hard to measure. How would a parent know that a child couldn’t find the bathroom and felt scared until they saw a friendly face in the hallway and a teacher guided them to the right place. How would a parent know that a child was crying because they were being left out on the yard and a teacher sat with that child and created a space for them to feel their feelings and then get back in the game. How would a parent know that their child stayed a little after class to say thank you to their teacher for being the best teacher they ever had.
These are the moments teachers don’t talk about. The nods and smiles they get day in and day out that say thank you for understanding me and taking the time to get to know me. These are the countless moments that every teacher I know gets up in the morning for. When there is a silence in a room of fifteen children because they are so engaged in what they are doing. Or when you can feel the magic in the air because learning and growing is happening right before your eyes.
I’ve been a teacher for 20 years and these are the moments I remember. These are the moments I see and know that teachers all over the world are experiencing moments just like them.
Today I’m celebrating teachers making a difference and thanking all the great teachers all over the world.
*Most of these pics were taken by Neil Apodaca
this is so beautifully written Meri!!! <3 I love it!
Thank you Karla. Thanks for taking the time to read it : )
This is beautiful. I am going into my last year of undergrad and then hopefully attending teacher’s college next fall. This post gave me goosebumps and is all the reasons I cannot wait to become a teacher. Thank you Meri!