In the past six months, there has been significant discussion about why teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers.
Every educator will have their own reason for leaving, but there are many reasons that I refuse to be another statistic to this “mass exodus.” Teachers that stay in the profession do so because they have a passion for making a difference.
To me, teaching is the greatest career because I am able to build positive relationships with each student. Building these relationships begins on the first day and continues throughout the year. I show my students that I am a person with feelings, hobbies and dreams just like them.
We enjoy discussing the scores from games the night before, our bow-hunting skills or what happened on the previous episode of “The Originals.” Teaching is not merely teaching the curriculum; it’s finding things that the students are interested in and fueling that excitement.
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A famous poet, William Butler Yeats, stated it perfectly when he said, “Education is not the filling of a pot, but the lighting of a fire.”
Teaching is loving your students as if they are your own. Although the students are another name on my class list, they are also my “children.” They know that when they accidentally call me, “Mom,” I’m going to smile and tell them that it’s okay.
In my class, we talk about how we’re a family, and there will be times when we disagree just like all families do.
When they’re having a rough day, I enjoy getting to sit beside them in the hallway privately and talk it out or just sit in silence. I love being able to say that I can help my students build their self-confidence and learn to regulate their emotions.
Teaching is by far the most rewarding profession that there is. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, and you must have a passion for helping ALL children succeed, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Education is where we build our future, and we must remember that EACH student is our future with the potential to be anything that they want to be.
Brandie Everett is a lifelong resident of Monticello. She has an educational specialist (Ed.S) degree. She is a fourth-grade teacher at Drew Central Elementary School, where she serves as the Family and Community Engagement Facilitator and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coach. She is a 2021-2022 Arkansas State Teachers Association (ASTA) Advocacy Fellow and has served in education for 10 years.