The "I Never Regretted Being A Teacher" Story

It was an ordinary day.  That is until I read what are known as the 10 quotes about teaching.  From the moment students take their first hesitant steps into the kindergarten classroom, clutching their lunch bags and carrying pristine backpacks, teachers begin to introduce them to the possibilities of the world.  In the years that follow, education forms a foundation, with more complex ideas layering over the basics as the children themselves grow and become more capable.  Study after study has shown that teachers are among the most important factors influencing student achievement. One extensive, longitudinal study followed students through several years of learning and determined that kids who spent one school year with a highly effective teacher continued to experience academic benefits even two years later in their education.  But none of these statistics will sound like news to anyone who has been lucky enough to have had an excellent teacher.  Teachers inspire.  They create and nurture and encourage far beyond what the job description calls for, and in doing so, they instruct the young generation in much more than science, math and literature.  It's not an exaggeration to say that teachers are shaping the world of tomorrow by educating the children of today.  In honor of teachers everywhere, here are 10 quotes celebrating them and all they do. 

Wherever you find something extraordinary, you'll find the fingerprints of a great teacher.  Ann Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education

When the untapped potential of a student meets the liberating art of a teacher,  a miracle unfolds.  Mary Hatwod Fuerell, educator

Let us remember: one book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.  Malala Yousafzai, activist

Teaching is the greatest act of optimism.  Colleen Wilcox, educator

Everyone who remembers his own eduction remembers teachers, not methods and techniques.  The teacher is the heart of the educational system.  Sidney Hook, philosopher 

Teaching is the essential profession, the one that makes all other professions possible.  David Haselkorn, author

Technology is just a tool.  In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.  Bill Gates, entrepreneur

I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society then any other single profession.   John Wooden, college basketball coach

The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.  Mark Van Doren, poet and professor

Your heart is slightly bigger than the average human heart, but that's because you're a teacher.  Aaron Bacall, cartoonist

I was so influenced by a few of my teachers that I chose to be a teacher myself.   I'm sure we all can remember a few great teachers we have had over our lifetime, but have they influenced you enough to become a teacher ?  My only wish about my own teaching career is that I influenced at least one student enough that they too wanted to follow in my footsteps.  I have never regretted that I chose to become a teacher.  When I meet a former student I feel so proud when they tell me of their accomplishments, since I feel I was part of them.  I only regret that my health wouldn't have allowed me to teach longer, while others tell me that 33 years was long enough! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.