A couple of years ago, while at an awards banquet celebrating excellence in teaching, I ran into one of my former neighbors, a friend of my parents. We chatted for a couple of minutes and then she said something that shocked me. “I was interested to hear that you went into teaching. I always thought you would go into something more successful.” I assume by her comment that she thought I would go into something with a higher salary, more prestige or more political. But more successful? I don’t agree.

It is my job to spend 135 hours with the some of the finest people alive on the planet today. That may not seem like a lot, considering the fact that the average adult American watches between 29-34 hours of television a week, but it’s enough to get a good start. Hopefully, the concepts learned in our 135 hours can extend far beyond the classroom and begin influencing lives for the better.

Through teaching, I am able to help in the process of forming lives. In a world of hatred, we can learn tolerance, respect and appreciation for the almost 500 million Spanish speakers in the world, many of whom enjoy less of the benefits that we do in this country. Through exposure to the music, art, food, cultures, holidays and daily life of others, we begin to appreciate them more as fellow human beings, with much to add to the tapestry of our lives. I hope that my students are not afraid of those in their community and world that speak Spanish. Rather, I hope that they will try speaking and keep doors of communication open. I hope that they will use the language in future careers to honestly and kindly reach out to others in need.

It is my privilege to spend time with a group of individuals that truly understand the world. They know that there are standards to be met, service to be rendered, hard work to be done. They know that their choices result in consequences, either positive or negative. While exploring their own identities, they are in the process of understanding others. Yet they are generally compassionate, forgiving and kind. They have not yet been poisoned by some of the negative attributes affecting adults in our society. They seek after praise and respond with effort.

Why do I teach? There is no other job that I can think of where one is able to assist in the formation of the human mind and character. There is no other job I know of where customers come back day after day, regardless of the previous day’s experience. There is no other job I can imagine where one is allowed to sing songs, dance, visit with others, act out skits, create movies and interact with friends, all while learning one of the most important skills in the world today – communication which reaches across barriers. Finally, there is no other job in the world that so dramatically and consistently shapes the future of our world, through shaping the lives of its inhabitants.

I, like every other teacher, am not perfect. I make mistakes. Sometimes I offend. Sometimes I get tired. At times I may not be in a perfect mood. Believe it or not, there are even students in my class that don't love Spanish as much as I do.  But I love what I do. I love seeing the fire ignite in the eyes of a 13-year old student as he or she realizes for the first time that “Spanish is real!”–there really are people out there that don’t speak English, but do understand Spanish. I love feeling the raw energy that comes when large groups of students work together to accomplish the seemingly impossible. I love seeing the results of hard work.

Some day, I may take the advice of my former neighbor and get a job that is “successful” in the eyes of the world. Until then, I am a teacher. And I will do the best I can to succeed in creating and improving the future of this world.  I was not forced into the profession.  There have been many offers since I entered that would have increased my socioeconomic status.  Yet in the end, none can truly compare to the greatest of all professions--teaching.

Richard Tate, Salt Lake City, August, 2005.

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