"I have stayed in teaching because I love the challenge and find it very rewarding.  I hope that I have made an impact on my students that will help them to continue to grow into respectful young ladies and gentlemen."

"I stay in teaching so I can see the response when a student understands what is being taught."

"I have been teaching for 27.5 years now, all in this district. I was the junior/senior high school principal for 11 years and decided I desperately missed the classroom. I taught for 15 years (beginning in the fall of 1998), served the next 11 in the principal's office, and have now taught the last two years back in the English classroom. 

I have had several great opportunities to leave the world of education and do something much more lucrative financially. These deliberations always came down to the same thing, however: Only in teaching would I have the opportunity to benefit from and influence the most important age group in our country. When I get to my last days, I want to be able to reflect on a fulfilling and impactful life. There is no better way to achieve these than being in a school full of students."

"For nearly 30 years I’ve been the resident paint-slinger and kid-whisperer, teaching K–12 art. I love art, I love kids, and I love teaching — the real masterpiece has been watching students grow into caring, productive adults and later welcoming their children back into my classroom."

"Teaching makes me happy. It is my passion, and I love being a stable person in my students' lives."

"I am one of the fortunate people that has never wanted to change careers. I feel blessed to have stumbled into the right profession immediately after college. I have stayed in teaching all of these years because I love being a part of children’s lives; helping them blossom into respectful, kind individuals, with a ‘can do’ attitude. After teaching this long in the same district, I occasionally have former students tell me how something I said positively impacted them. That is one of the best feelings in the world."

"I want my children to love music like I do. I have two biological children  and hundreds of children school has given me. They are forever my babies. I want to do better for them and continue learning and growing."

"There are so many things to love about teaching, especially the upper elementary grades.  My students are figuring out the world around them in so many ways, and I get to be a part of that.  Through literature, I get to watch them learn more about themselves and others around the globe fostering a deep understanding of empathy and compassion.  As a history teacher, I get to spark their curiosity about how societies came to be the way they are today.  I love that I get to have an impact on the future."  

"I have stayed in the music education profession for so long because I have witnessed, time and again, the profound impact music has on students.  Music is more than notes on a page-it is a language that speaks to the soul."

"I value the relationships with the students and the impact that I can make on their lives.  While education definitely has its challenges, I find it very rewarding to see students accomplish things through hard work and perseverance."

"I’ve been a teacher for 37 years. I think the reason I’ve been able to do it so long is that I teach where the text is different every year. The concepts are the same, but the material is not. More than that, I get to watch students grow up right in front of me. Unlike many teachers who see a kid for one year, I often see them for four. The growth I get to see, both musically and personally, and the relationships I get to make with students are so rewarding. I learn things from the students at the same time I am teaching them and it keeps me young!"

"I love helping kids and I love science. It’s exciting to me to be able to do both for a living!"

"I like creating a space where students can find and express themselves. There’s often very few places that people are encouraged to show and explore their feelings, where they work together to create something special, where they are not asked to compete but to complement. So that’s a great place to be."

"The best part of education is working with the students. I know that administration, counselors, etc work with students too, but it is not the day-to-day interaction. Teaching is about helping students learn and grow and develop into the people they are meant to be. You are helping them become productive members of society, giving them tools to move on with their education or their daily lives."