Have you ever spent a full day with a kid? How about two? How about 16? Let me announce something quite obvious: IT IS SO MUCH WORK to make sure a class full of kids is learning, having fun, and staying safe... all at the same time. But when you're done with the day, man, do you feel pretty damn good about yourself. You routinely put yourself through the energy-sucking task of teaching students, day in and day out, and you continue to do it because it makes you feel that good. I say spending days with kids, but teaching a student of ANY age takes significant effort. What you don't want is that student to walk out of your class thinking to themselves, "Well, that sucked." And believe me, I know for sure that some of the individuals I've taught each week probably have had that cross their minds. (Hey, high schoolers don't enroll themselves in summer reading classes, right?) Even though a little disappointment creeps into me, I make a point not to be deterred, because there's always another chance to change their mind. And there will always be others who walk out, thinking, "That wasn't so bad," or even (maybe? just maybe??), "That was pretty cool. I learned a lot."

I guess what I'm trying to say is, give teachers the respect and credit they deserve. Granted, I very well acknowledge that not all those who claim their spot in the field of education are spectacular teachers. I'm not talking about some of your douchebag college profs who cared so little that they wanted to weed you out of your "chosen" major, or that one teacher who was so, painfully boring because uncreative methods seemed to be his/her weapon of choice...or even that teacher you got an easy A out of because he/she didn't have high enough expectations for your intelligence and ability.

I'm talking about giving props to the individuals who have impacted your thinking, who made an impression on the way you view certain things, who helped shape you into the person you are today, who taught you to push yourself further and harder, and who encouraged you to pursue your interests. The teachers that have your best interest in mind are the ones who give themselves selflessly and help repair your self-esteem and support your ideas when they believe you've got something good going.

I've only begun teaching this summer, but I've learned so much more than I've taught. Not only about myself and what I'm capable of, but also how best to help guide others in supporting their son or daughter. And how to navigate around accusatory questions from parents...and how to manage a classroom full of sullen adolescents...and how to give encouragement to those who struggle...and how to create a FUN atmosphere for persons of any age...and how to challenge kids to meet their potential without putting heavy pressure on them...and how to make them see that what they think, feel, and say is invaluable to me, and others...and how to really love what you do, even though sometimes you feel like you're running on empty.

What makes it worth it are the smiles, the hugs, the imaginary bright light bulbs I see turn on above students' heads, the drawings, the positive feedback, the details that help me get to know each individual even better, and the sense of accomplishment after putting my best into a day's work.

I've had ambivalent feelings about teaching with IRD, but I can say that I have gained overwhelmingly more than I thought I would. I still have two more weeks of teaching with IRD, and even though I'll be glad to have a semi-normal schedule again (with regular sleep and regular meals), it'll undoubtedly be bittersweet to look back on my first teaching experience.