I remember having a few bad teachers.  Actually, I really just remember having about three.  Three out of forty is a pretty low number when I think about it.  Maybe I grew up in a "good school" or maybe I was a teacher's pet.  Yet, when I think about it, I had some damn good teachers.  They created memories that last forever.  I know that sounds so cliche, but they taught me how to read and write, how to add and subtract, how to engage in history, how to balance a checkbook, how to get along with others, what it means to question injustice in the world.  I feel as if I recieved an amazing education. 

Anyone? Anyone?

I mention this because it's easy to focus on the negatives.  I do this.  I tell stories about bad teachers in my school, when there are actually maybe a total of three or four out of sixty-something staff members.  Seeing how 90% is an A, I'm convinced most teachers are actually doing a great job.  So, I made a list of what I notice about teachers:

  1. They almost all work extra hours without pay: Whether it's grading papers late at night or volunteering to chaperone a dance or tutoring a kid before school, teachers work extra without being thanked
  2. They almost all have a sense of humor.  Contrary to the way we are depicted in movies and the way they market things to us (prim and proper posters with apples and kittens and junk like that) most teachers realize that they need to have a sense of humor to make it in such a draining profession.
  3. They are usually great story-tellers.  In fact, some of the stories seem too crazy to be true . . . until you've been in a classroom. 
  4. They almost are adaptable, but skeptical.  Teachers can handle change, but they want to know that there is an underlying cause.  "Jaded" veterans and skeptical newbies both realize that heavy-handed mandates from the top are an assault on academic integrity. 
  5. They almost never teach for the money (go figure) or the vacation.  In fact, most of them realize that vacation is usually a make-believe concept that they don't experience in the midst of the conferences and classes they take.
  6. They almost all share ideas.  I've worked in a sales environment where people hoard.  Teachers usually share ideas with one another in an informal process of collaboration.
  7. They are usually in touch with the present reality.  For some reason it seems that most teachers I know seem in touch with the younger generation in ways that others miss. 
  8. They are tough. Although many are tired and beat down, but they are also resiliant.  The weakest leave quickly.  Teaching is not for the faint of heart. 
  9. They have an uncanny ability to discover where the cheapest items are and how to get past the "limit" listed in an advertisement. 
  10. They almost all care about the students.  Even teachers who might be punks to other teachers have a huge heart for students. 
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