Last night, I came home extremely tired. I’ve been working nonstop. I worked through my weekend and I envision that being the case this weekend as well. I haven’t gotten in before 8:00pm this week because I’ve been spending every waking moment in DC Scholars Stanton. I say this not because I want admiration or pity, I say this because I wholeheartedly want to do everything possible to be an effective teacher and lead my scholars to achieving their academic goals this year.
It is all I think about. How can I teach this reading strategy better? How can I reach my lowest students? How can I make sure I’m creating a welcoming atmosphere? How can I be a great school teammate? The list of questions–much like my to-do list– is never-ending. Whenever I think I’m ahead, I think of something else that needs to be done because we are in an educational crisis. The stakes are too high and I refuse to be part of the problem.
Earlier today, President Obama delivered his annual Back to School speech, right here in Washington, D.C. at Benjamin Banneker High School. Although, I could not see it delivered live, I felt compelled to watch it tonight before hitting the sack. I was not disappointed. I felt like he knew exactly how I felt at that moment. It was like he was in my living room and speaking directly to me.
In one part of his speech, he talked about teachers. Below is what he said:
Let me say something about teachers, by the way. Teachers are the men and women who might be working harder than just about anybody these days. (Applause.) Whether you go to a big school or a small one, whether you attend a public or a private or charter school –- your teachers are giving up their weekends; they’re waking up at dawn; they’re cramming their days full of classes and extra-curricular activities. And then they’re going home, eating some dinner, and then they’ve got to stay up sometimes past midnight, grading your papers and correcting your grammar, and making sure you got that algebra formula properly.
And they don’t do it for a fancy office. They don’t — they sure don’t do it for the big salary. They do it for you. They do it because nothing gives them more satisfaction than seeing you learn. They live for those moments when something clicks; when you amaze them with your intellect or your vocabulary, or they see what kind of person you’re becoming. And they’re proud of you. And they say, I had something to do with that, that wonderful young person who is going to succeed. They have confidence in you that you will be citizens and leaders who take us into tomorrow. They know you’re our future. So your teachers are pouring everything they got into you, and they’re not alone.
Darla Bunting 