For Jake

I’m dating a teacher.

That thought became very real to me today. And I was struck by the realization that I am profoundly proud of that fact.

Prior to this, I had never really given much thought to the fact that my boyfriend is a music ed major. It was simply something to tell those who asked the polite questions of Oh, who is he, how did you meet, what does he do. Well, he’s a music ed major and we met in choir. Awkward end of conversation.

Simply put, I focused far more on the music aspect, simply because that is where we connect. I myself was a violin performance major for two years before changing my major to theology & philosophy, and am still heavily involved in music of all sorts. Our mutual nerdiness over music brought us together and continues to connect us.

And to be quite honest, the education department at USF was, for the most part, simply something to complain about, to BS one’s way through, and to be constantly frustrated by. So we stuck to the music.

I don’t think a lot about teachers. And perhaps that is the problem. Most people simply don’t think about teachers. We live our busy lives and forget to take a moment to reflect. To live the examined life that Socrates spoke of. I certainly had not. But now that I have, I, inevitably, have the urge to write about it.

And here are my thoughts on teachers.

Teachers exemplify passion. Whatever area they choose to teach, they have fallen in love with it enough to literally spend their lives sharing that passion with others. They believe so strongly in what they love that they believe it is worth sharing, that indeed, it should be shared, must be shared. For the teacher, silence is simply not an option. Their burning hearts will not allow them to contain what they love so dearly. It has touched their lives in a way that nothing else have, and they believe it will touch the lives of others.

They believe. They believe more deeply than almost anyone in this world, I think. In order to teach something, you must believe it in the depths of your soul. Anything else is simply sharing information. But to teach. That is to share at the level of the soul. To transfer passion from one human being to another.

It is a lonely task, I think. It simply cannot be otherwise. After all, we do not all share the same passion. And to teach is to daily lay out the deepest passion of your heart, often to classrooms full of bored youngsters who simply want to escape. You are, in many ways, simply a cattle-herd, trying desperately to guide hyperactive children or recalcitrant adolescents through nine months of lesson plans and standardized tests.

It must be terribly discouraging sometimes, to be so often rejected. To so often look out on ones students and wonder if they understand, wonder if they will ever understand your heart’s cry or if they will simply stare blankly at you for a year until they can be shipped off to the next grade. And yet they soldier on. They are eternally creative, trying every possible combination to break the lock on their student’s mind and imagination. Because, you see, they believe their passion is worth sharing.

And I think, for every teacher, there comes a moment when they wonder if it’s worth it. Worth dealing with not only the tangled web of teenage emotion and the pure energy encapsulated in a second grader, but with the minefield of red tape that is school boards and administration. Throw in budget cuts, government mandates, and perpetually unsatisfied parents, and it must seem that forces are conspiring against them.

To share passion. That is their only goal. And too often it is the most difficult thing in the world. It is difficult practically, and it is difficult in the most gut-wrenching, personal kind of way. Each failed student is a rejection of what they so dearly love. It is a lost opportunity to help that child discover something beautiful, something they could have loved as well. Simply put, it is personal. It touches the deepest part of them.

But there comes a moment, there must always come a moment, when they manage to touch the deepest part of a student. When they meet a kindred spirit, so to speak, one whose eyes light up as they speak, who hangs on every word, and who leaves their classroom forever changed. I think those moments keep them going. Those moments are what they live for. What they sacrifice each and every day for, what they fight for, struggle for, spend sleepless nights for, weep for, long for.

Moments when they ignite passion.

And I must believe that at that moment, it is all worth it. All the struggles are forgotten, and they devote themselves to pouring as much as they can into that young life.

I have been transformed by such individuals. Such selfless individuals whose office doors are always open, who provide feedback, who challenge, who inspire, and who lead into adventure. In fact, as I reflect upon my life, most major changes in my life have been inspired by brilliant teachers who poured their heart into my life.

There are names that will forever live in my heart because of their willingness to give themselves away to their passion and to sharing that passion, whatever the sacrifice it requires. I can in all honesty say that I would not be who I am or where I am without these individuals. I only hope I can express to them the difference they have made on this one life, this one small life.

So yes. I am dating a teacher. And suffice it to say I couldn’t be more proud.