Today was Field Day at my children’s school. Everyone had a blast completing a circuit of games and activities, and (most of) the teachers seemed to be enjoying it too.
I remember so clearly my own third grade Field Day. I was about to run a relay race when I tripped and fell on the concrete next to the track. My knee was scraped and bleeding, so I went over to my teacher (who was awesome) to ask if she had a band-aid. She took one look at my knee and said, “Oh Shit, Alicia!”
… Ummmmm, I had no appropriate response. I’m sure I looked at her, though, with a look that said, “You just said shit.” As she cleaned up and bandaged my knee, she asked, “Does it hurt?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“Don’t tell me that!” she yelled jokingly.
“But you asked me!” I squealed back.
“Well … Lie to me!” she barked with a smile.
Okay, my favorite teacher of all time had just cursed at me and encouraged me to lie. I loved it. She rocked.
Teachers are expected to teach not only the given academic curriculum, but to exemplify good manners, safe choices, and sportmanship (not always possible at Field Day). But teachers are human. They have lives outside of their (never-ending) jobs. They love vacations and hate cleaning bathrooms, just like everyone else. They cry at funerals and get loaded at weddings, just like everyone else. They curse, they yell, they make mistakes … just like the rest of us.
Teachers have chosen a selfless profession; they’ve dedicated themselves to creating better people. They’re in it for the outcome rather than the income. Teachers may get to go home at 3:30 and have the summer “off,” but they never truly leave their work behind. There are always plans to prepare (even in the summertime) and papers to grade. There are parent phone calls, emails, and letters to respond to. There are sleepless nighttime hours, during which teachers lie awake worrying about how to reach that unmotivated child; how to challenge that overly-motivated student; how to handle a difficult situation with a child or a parent.
As the end of the school year approaches, I feel grateful for all that my children’s teachers have done for them … and for me. I also find myself pushing aside all of those “WTF’s” that came to mind at various times since September. Teachers are leaders and caretakers. They give of themselves all day long, not always getting to eat when they’re hungry or even hit the bathroom when they need to.
Certainly there are teachers with whom we don’t see eye-to-eye. There are personalities we don’t care for and methods we don’t agree with. But teachers guide our children with patient hands, all day, every day. In a few weeks, we’ll have the opportunity to comprehend just how MUCH patience teachers need to have. Our children will be home for the summer, and there will be long days to fill, arguments to settle, and whining to stifle.
Soon WE will be the ones saying, “Oh, Shit!”
… Hug a teacher!
The World of Author/Mom Alicia Murphy! 
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