WHY do I teach?

Yesterday was the College Station ISD Kick-Off rally where district employees gathered to be encouraged and challenged for the coming year.  Our new Superintendent, Dr. Clark Ealy, challenged us to think about our 'Why.'  Not the 'what' or the 'how,' but the core, deep, soul-centered 'why' we teach.  As the 1500 or so of us filed out, I was already thinking on this.  And when College Station High School convened on our campus, and our Principal, Mike Martindale, again challenged us to think of our 'why,' I decided this would be a great place to talk about my 'Why.'

I teach because I come from a family of teachers, and I married one.  They seem like great people.  

I teach because my high school AP English teacher, Jack Nims, taught me that the right answer is not always the best answer.  He taught me how to think, not just how to regurgitate information. 

I teach because the more I teach, the more I want to learn.  Just when I think I know all I can about a subject, a little breadcrumb promise of something more is dropped, and I chase it down, hungry for more.

I teach because I have seen the difference an adult can make in a child if they just pay attention.  I have seen the faces of parents who were just thankful I took the time to appreciate their child for who they are, and the face of a student who saw an adult besides their parent care.  I teach for those that have been missed.

 I teach because teenagers today impact our culture more than even they know, and I want to point them in the way that makes them the best they can be. I hate the phrase "Children are our future." They aren't.  They are our now.  They are shaping our music, our worldviews, our technology, our approach to life, etc.  Sometimes it is beautiful.  Sometimes it is terrifying.  Students need teachers that do not seek to make them better people- that would be social engineering.  Teachers should guide and encourage students to find who they are.  I teach to point students to find the best person they can be.

I teach history because I love to tell stories.  I teach psychology because I love to try to figure out the way people tick.  I teach them both because the stories of history and understanding people are my favorite way to point students toward that "best person they can be."

I teach because he moment of understanding is the most intoxicating thing there is on Earth.  Whether you teach Math, Science, English, Art, Football, Foreign Language, Social Studies, Philosophy, or Theology - the moment a student's face lights up with recognition or irreverently shouts out that they "Got it!," is the best feeling there is.  I teach because I am addicted to those moments, and want more and more.

I teach because I want my students to know I see them as people, and I care about them succeeding not because it makes me look good, but because it makes them stronger and smarter people.  I teach because I like my students- all of them.

I teach because teachers matter.  I teach because they are needed.  I teach because they are on the front lines of making a difference in the lives of millions.  I teach because I want to be a part of something that truly, positively affects the world.

I teach because it is-  So.  Much. Fun.