"A good teacher is like a candle--it consumes itself to light the ways of others."
-Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
If you have someone special in your life that is a teacher you understand the irony of that job title. The act of teaching is oftentimes overshadowed by everything else they have to do: spending hours after school grading and organizing student work; catering to crazy parents and their oftentimes ridiculous requests and concerns; planning lesson plans and assessments; dealing with extracurricular student situations ranging from behavioral issues, psychological issues, special needs, and of course, intra-student conflicts (worsened by things like cyber bullying that spills into the classroom.) We all know how tough it is to be a teacher, but you really, really don't understand just how challenging it is unless you see it day in and day out.
I decided to make My Spouse Is A Teacher because I am a SOT. A Spouse Of a Teacher. As SOTs we, too, have great responsibilities. We support our favorite teachers as they, quite literally, change the world one child at a time. We want to empower our community of devoted teacher-supporters. I'm hoping that by sharing what teachers go through and how SOTs play a role behind the scene I can accomplish two things: 1) expose what teachers go through inside and outside the classroom throughout the school year to help people understand what it takes to be an amazing teacher (which my fiancé definitely is), and 2) provide a space for teachers and SOTs to share stories, recommendations, and most importantly, encourage and support each other as they take on arguably the most important profession for our society.
I want to share a video that inspired my fiancé to start her journey as a teacher three years ago. It's a speech titled "What Teachers Make" by a teacher named Taylor Mali. One thing's clear: it ain't for money!
To get a discussion going: who was the most memorable teacher you ever had? What made them special? Feel free to share us your favorite teacher on the comments below!
I've had some memorable teachers but the one that sticks out the most is Mrs. Niece, my 7th grade English teacher. Until then I didn't necessarily enjoy school because it was boring. She incorporated a lot of creative assignments, which, I think was the first time I felt like I could get creative with schoolwork. When we read "And Then There Was None" by Agatha Christie, we got to create a map of the island and mansion (mine was three-dimensional). I also remember making flip books, book covers, and poetry incorporating collages and artwork. Finally, the best thing I remember she did was made our class into a "community" by giving us a chance to praise other people in the class. I honestly don't remember details from other classes as much as I do from her class.
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