Why do teachers teach? It certainly is not for fame and fortune, but I did experience the answer in real time last week.
Recently as I entered a restaurant with my husband Richard and our friend, Dr. Gard Jameson, a young woman approached. She said, “Dr. Jameson, I am so-and-so, I took a class from you when I was 18 about World Religions (at UNLV). You probably don’t remember me but what your taught me has guided my life ever since. I am now 34 years old.”
So if you ever wonder why teachers teach even though the pay cannot rationalize investing 8 years of advanced education to get a PhD, educational institutions are usually complex and uncooperative, and US society as a whole does not hold teaching or teachers in the highest esteem, think of the last time something you did at work positively impacted just one person’s life for over 16 years and counting.
That is why teachers teach! Gard Jameson I am honored to call you a friend. Thank you for devoting your life a good fortune to doing great work that impacts the lives of others. Sevice: a key to well being and a positive life well lived.
