They are a humbling burden to bear. And so, when anyone enters the classroom, know it or not, like it or not, he or she has accepted this charge. It comes with the territory. Outside the family, teachers probably have the most powerful influence on a student. This inspiration rests on a chemistry of mutual respect and trust between teacher and student.
Teaching is love.
It is giving, sharing, understanding, encouraging, supporting, valuing, listening, patience, gentleness, kindness. The limiting factor in education, then, is something far less tangible than anything most people have discussed much less sloganized. No one should kid themselves thinking that the cure-all answer to education's woes is simply either class size, salary, methods and techniques, technology, money, curriculum, much less a pack of standardize tests or a horde of certified ninety day wonders. The answer to what goes on inside the classroom is what goes on inside the heart and soul of the teacher and every member of our community. If we want to improve the performance of each student, we each have to first improve our performance.