All you touch and all you see, Is all your life will ever be.
- - - Pink Floyd, "Breathe"Although this song has nothing to do with teaching, it resonates with me because as teacher, touching the lives of others comes with the job. At the end of the day, if you can walk away knowing that you made a difference in a student's life, whether it was teaching them how to write a Tanka poem or to distinguish a gerund between an adjective that ends with "ing," or inspiring them to pursue a goal or dream, there are personal rewards gained from the profession that are far more satisfying than material possessions. We connect with our students through teaching. I have a former student from two years back, who e-mailed me recently asking for advice, and I was TOUCHED and HONORED to reciprocate. I had become more than a teacher to this student. I had become a trustworthy mentor, a friend, and a confidante. And to me, that is a reward onto itself.
I agree! On the subject of touching the lives of others, I too recently connected with a student of mine. He's a 12th grader now and receiving his confirmation. He looked up my number in the phone book and called me for advice. I was in fact TOUCHED and HONORED to reciprocate. I'm now more than his teacher, I'm his Nina.
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