keeping the passion alive

I was struck when a friend told me "keep the passion alive."

As a teacher, those are big words and easier said than done. With the pains of preparing daily lesson plans and materials, the challenge of molding each students into persons of character, and the responsibility of making sure that the students' problems concerns are addressed- all those are enough reasons for a teacher to be on the verge of giving up. Teaching is taxing and not that financially rewarding, and with all those, many tried, but few stayed- some are still struggling and contemplating whether they should leave or learn to love what they do. Sometimes, more than the work and the students themselves, there are also other concerns- administrators, school system, colleagues, and parents. For someone who is trying to strike a balance in their work, school, family, and social life, maintaining that passion is indeed a Herculean task. When the work drains the best out of you, then it's when the questions and frustrations kick in.

But is teaching never fulfilling or rewarding? Does the reason to leave outweigh the reason to stay? I would like to strongly believe, that despite all the challenges, there are still enumerable reasons to love teaching.

How can one not learn to love teaching, when in the most random moment, a student will hand a note saying "I love you," "Thank you," "I'm sorry," or "You're the best teacher"? Is it not fulfilling enough, when in the most random moment, a student will give an artwork painstakingly done, just to show you are appreciated and loved. Will it not warm a teacher's heart, when a student runs after to greet and give a big hug? Or how difficult it is to feel fulfilled, when after years or months, students still acknowledge and visit you, just to give an update on their lives? All the more it becomes momentous when after a tiring discussion, a student will tell a teacher that he/she enjoyed the lesson and learned so much from that day. Are those not enough reasons to stay?

The joy in teaching is usually not found on the perks of the job, in the salary raise, the promotion, in the improvement of the school system, but on the random and simple moments with students. True, students are hard to deal with nowadays, they can be stubborn, mischievous, and rowdy, but at the end of the day, they are still the very reasons for a teacher's existence and to be motivated enough to stay in the profession. Their random and simplest of all acts are the very reasons which give a teacher countless joy. And all those are even more rewarding than any material possession. 

Therefore, the secret to keeping the passion alive in teaching is finding joy and happiness in everything a teacher does. There might be thousands of reasons to rant about, but when a teacher starts to learn to love and appreciate all the simple things in her life and with her students- the passion is not just there to remain, but there to ignite even more. It is truly challenging not to complain, it is a normal occurrence in every field, but a change in mindset will always help. If a teacher constantly does her best to be exemplary in her craft, and does everything with zest, purpose, and happiness, then one can counter the feeling of work drain. Or when one feels she's on the edge of the cliff and about to jump off, pause for a while, take a look at your students, have that moment of introspection. And when you realize that you still have a purpose and role to fulfill, that your students still matter to you, that you still want to effect change and mold lives in the process, then maybe it is enough reason to teach.

The challenges will pile up as days go by. The problems in the schools and in the systems are there to stay. Teaching may never be economically rewarding at all. But a teacher chooses to stay not because of that, she simply believes that she should never give up, as she realizes her importance in the lives of her students. When a teacher learns to love and accept her students for who they are and for who they are not, then life becomes more purposeful and meaningful and the passion will be kept aflame, regardless of the many impediments that will come her way.

It may sound melodramatic, but it is never too late to keep the passion alive. And for those who can, teach. We may not realize the impact of making a decision to stay and remain true to our call to be a noble teacher, but one day, it all will make sense. Teachers are no nonsense human beings, as they will forever play a crucial role in the lives of students. As Henry Adams put it "A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops." Take the challenge. Teaching is always, worth the try. :)