Celebrating the Teacher Heroes in Our Lives

53, seventh grade teacher, Hershey, PA

“The rewarding parts of my job are the connections I’ve had with my students as well as the lessons I’ve learned from each one of them: grit, empathy, kindness, survival, a sense of humor and so much more.”

31, elementary school reading specialist and academic coach, Washington, DC

“I love being able to inspire youth to set their own personal goals based on interests they have developed. I get to watch children become humans who make our society better. There’s nothing better than supporting a child or an adolescent and watching him or her become who he or she wants to be.”

35, fifth grade science teacher, Pearland, TX

“We live in a world that is evolving faster than the rate of understanding and acceptance. Our students are exposed to the harshness of the world at a young age. I relish providing a safe place for my students to flourish. I want to be an adult in their lives they can trust with their hopes, dreams and disappointments.”

25, first grade teacher, Detroit

“I love watching students who have struggled but kept working hard finally get it. On the flip side, it can be difficult to see kids who are trying their hardest but not receiving support or recognition from home. This year’s virtual learning gave me insight into students’ home lives and how they are spoken to and treated by siblings and parents. Sometimes it’s difficult to witness.”

50, ninth through 12th grade teacher, Harrisburg, PA

“Teaching is more than pluses and minuses, dates in history or commas and semicolons. Teaching is building relationships that enable young people to embrace the content. When a student experiences growth — big or small, academically or personally — those are the times I feel most gratified.”

42, educator and consultant, Glenview, IL

“I became a teacher to help kids like my son, who was struggling in school because of learning challenges. In my classroom, I created an engaging environment for all learning styles.”

55, ninth and 11th grade English teacher, San Diego

“I was inspired to teach after an experience I had in first grade. My teacher, Mrs. Gockel, asked me to help my classmates sound out words, and that was it! The experience of helping others learn has always been exhilarating to me.”

39, 11th and 12th grade AP psychology teacher, Toledo, OH

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher growing up. I saw the impact my mom had on her students. I wanted to be the light in someone’s life in the same way!”

37, university science professor, Natchitoches, LA

“I didn’t intend to become a teacher, but I fell in love with the profession. It’s a thrill to see people get excited about a subject they thought they hated — science! I love that I can have an impact on the lives of other people.”

37, ninth through 12th grade science teacher, Long Beach, CA

“Since I was a young child, I have had an at times ‘annoying’ number of questions running through my mind. It was teachers who helped me find the way to the answers. In the same way, I wanted the opportunity to inspire curiosity and investigation. I don’t think teaching is about showing students what they should know; rather, it is about guiding students through the process of meaning-making on their own. Showing them how to decipher opinion from fact. Demonstrating skill-building for them and practicing it with them. These are all the gifts the good teachers in my life passed on to me, and I am so happy to have the ability to do it with the next generation.”

35, eighth grade teacher, St. Joseph, MO

“Teaching allows me to be the trusted adult for kids who may desperately need one.”

40, ninth grade English teacher, Westchester, NY

“Teaching is about meeting students where they are and using clear expectations to push them. This can only happen when you keep in mind students’ social and emotional needs as well as their cognitive ones.”

29, fifth through 12th grade teacher, Wilmington, DE

“Even if I’m lying on the beach, my brain is most likely buzzing with ideas on new ways to teach. Teachers are working far more hours than those spent in the classroom.”

45, high school teacher, Pearland, TX

“Teachers can move mountains when parents have our backs. We’re highly trained professionals with degrees and certifications. But all the training in the world cannot make up for lack of parental support.”

34, high school teacher, Nashville

“Between growing class sizes and an increasing workload, it can be difficult to fully meet every student’s needs. My top priority is always the success of my students. I do my best even when time and stress are working against me.”

43, school-age teacher, Morrow, GA

“I’m not a babysitter. My job is the soil that allows children to blossom into beautiful flowers.”

42, fifth through ninth grade teacher, sixth through 12th grade head of school, Coral Springs, FL

“Being an educator means we have to make a lot of decisions on the fly. Although teachers create lesson plans and administrators develop budgets and school improvement plans, goals and forecasts can only do so much. Each student comes into the classroom with their own prior experiences that influence how they will receive and apply knowledge. Educators are highly skilled and quick thinkers. They adapt to a variety of situations in multiple ways to reach each student in their best learning style.”