Tough Times And Good Times For Teachers

School districts are on the final stretch of another school year, and it is a good time to appreciate and encourage our educators. For that matter, anyone who works in situations that are sometimes challenging may often need moral support.

But for educators, I hope they know there are people out there who know first-hand that teaching can be sometimes very fulfilling and sometimes very stressful.

Teachers have a job that can be emotionally and mentally draining on some days and during this time of year they begin to feel it. It is what I've always called "a different kind of tired."

It is not a situation in which they've been chopping wood all day or shoveling coal or driving railroad spikes or something that can be physically demanding. But it takes a toll nonetheless.

I know what it's like.

I know what it feels like to get ready to teach in the spring when I am not quite "feeling it" that day.

I know what it's like to have papers to grade and more lessons to prepare but instead must attend two or three meetings outside of the regular classroom hours during the week. (In most professions, there are far too many meetings. It's best to never call a meeting when an e-mail or memo will cover it).

I know what it's like when the students are not exactly taking things seriously, but they need to.

I know what it's like when a parent gets upset and talks rudely to me, even though I've gone the extra mile and done much behind the scenes that perhaps he or she doesn't know about.

I know what it's like when I get home at the end of a day and just need to "veg out." This can happen in any profession, but I am sympathetic to teachers because I can understand exactly why the time of unwinding may be necessary.

I know what it's like when my own children need me but I've already spent my best energy to help someone else's children.

I know what it's like when I get my paycheck and wish that it were larger. And I know what it's like after a particularly difficult month to look at the pay and wonder if it's really all worth it. Again, this can happen in any profession, but it is widely known that teaching isn't lucrative. Most teachers went into the profession -- not to get wealthy -- but because of noble aspirations such as making a difference or guiding young people or equipping the next generation.

I know what it is like to go through a difficult span of time in which no one seems to appreciate those noble intentions. I know what it is like to be disheartened. I know that there are times in which a teacher feels relegated to just going through the motions without much enthusiasm.

Not feeling appreciated can zap away one's zeal.

But on the much more positive side, I also know what it feels like when a lesson is going well and the students are getting into it. Teachers aren't exactly actors, but when the "audience" is captivated with a lesson it can certainly feel good, sometimes providing a small rush of adrenaline.

Better still, it is extremely gratifying (maybe bordering upon euphoria) to prepare well and see that the students are thoroughly enjoying the learning in class.

I also know what it is like when a student says or does something that makes me laugh.

And I know what it is like when an entire class works so hard that no one gets less than a C on the report card. Some who believe strongly in an explicit bell curve with F's on one end and A's on the other would have a problem with this, and I confess that on those instances in which everyone made a C or better, I had to ask myself if I was making it too easy.

But in the end it was simply a matter of both the students and me doing a good job. It was just that simple. And it felt good.

I also know what it is like when a parent says, "thank you."

And I know what it is like when a former student comes up to me in a restaurant and says, "I appreciate all you did for me."

That's some of the best affirmation a teacher can get. During such a moment you feel both proud and humble at the same time, and you realize that your work was worth it.

I also know what it is like for an entire class of former students to invite their teacher to a ten-year reunion. It is wonderful to see former students all grown up and talking about their lives and their jobs and their children, and to see that even with many years still ahead of them, that at least they are off to a good start in life.

And it helps when a teacher can quietly think that maybe, just maybe, he helped them a little on their journey to adulthood.

DAVID WILSON, EdD, OF SPRINGDALE, IS A WRITER, CONSULTANT AND PRESENTER, WHO GREW UP IN ARKANSAS BUT WORKED 27 YEARS IN EDUCATION IN MISSOURI. YOU MAY E-MAIL HIM AT [email protected]. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.

Editorial on 04/26/2017