Teaching - A Profession of Heroes

The Hero

Heroes in our culture are usually celebrated in comic books or the movies.  Superman, Spiderman, Mr. America, Aquaman, and the like remind us of our values, ethics, and, at times, our social mores.  They also represent the best of humanity, both in physical abilities and moral aptitude, as they struggle against the forces of evil only to win in the end.  Evil never wins over our heroes; they may experience occasional temporal defeats, perhaps, but never for the long term.  Our good guys and superwomen always come out on top.  We celebrate them and sometimes worship the symbolism and truths that those heroes represent. 

The real world has no heroes who can jump over buildings in a single bound, fly across the sky at lightning-fast speeds, or stop bullets with their naked hands.  However, everyday people can impact our world, our nations, states, and cities, and our local neighborhoods with heroic measures.  These people put their pants on one leg at a time, as the saying goes, and face the same types of challenges that we all do.  As a matter of fact, the challenges that many of our everyday heroes experience far surpass those that many of us face. 

Think of the single parent who works, supports her (or his) children, and somehow makes time to invest in the neighborhood, church, and/or school.  Consider the city councilperson who writes a grant for a community center to keep kids off the street.  I could go on and on providing solid examples of everyday heroes because these people surround us and help us to be better than we could ever be on our own. 

All too often, these everyday people are overlooked, but many will never say a word because they are not looking to be patted on the back or celebrated.  What they do is merely a part of their own values and personal ethic.  Most teachers fit into this category—they are not looking for a pat on the back or a formal citation.  Just like other everyday heroes, good teachers teach and enjoy it for reasons that are their own. 

That said, some teachers make enough impact on our world that celebration and praise—along the lines of what we give to the superheroes above—are relevant, meaningful, and appropriate.  I believe teachers greatly deserve this kind of glory, even if they do not ask for it.  The majority of non-teachers do not comprehend the magnitude of the demands, challenges, and risks public school teachers face.  Some of those people even say, “It’s their job; they should do it and stop complaining.”  Yes, teaching is just a job to some, but good teachers don’t see what they do as a job.  They see teaching as a career, a calling, a spiritual commitment.  These are the qualities that enable everyday teaching professionals to heroically overcome the hazards and obstacles of the education field. 

Celebrate Teachers

I submit that teachers should be celebrated because they are the backbone of our society.  The hopes and promises of both the public and private education systems provide society with responsible, intellectually astute citizens who can help society move forward.  No other institution or organization is mandated to equip society’s young citizens to be competent and socially aware.  This is a very important duty, and many men and women join the ranks of education to help young generations to do just that: to become better than the last.

Consider the remarkable social changes that have occurred over the past sixty years.  Then, think how the influence and power that teachers were once freely given by the community and the nation have been devalued and stripped away.  And, go farther, to analyze how the responsibility of the teacher has broadened to encompass the role of surrogate parent, the role of helping students learn when to apply common sense and how to make healthier life choices, and, at times, even the role of providing for the physical needs of students.  In many cases, these are all necessary and real roles.  The bottom line: teaching is a multi-task, multi-role experience.  Understanding this truth enables good teachers to meet the everyday demands of public education, whatever their role might be for the moment.

Good teachers, teachers who can handle these tasks and roles, are heroes.  Heroes step in to do what most others will not. Heroes face danger not because they have to but because they choose to.  Heroes stand out because of their service to others.  Heroes stand in the gap because they live for a purpose, not for a paycheck.  Heroes work overtime, when everyone else goes home.  Heroes smile and offer friendship, kindness, and understanding when others turn away.  It takes special teachers to be these heroes and she-roes. 

Amazingly, most teachers who do so don’t see themselves as heroes.  This is another part of what makes them so special.  People don’t get into the business of teaching to become heroes.  People chose the field of education to make a difference in the lives of kids.  The hero part simply comes with the territory.

So, because teaching is heroic, our culture should recognize and show considerable appreciation for the teaching profession, both public and private.  The teaching community is the community of hope and the backbone of our social order.  If teaching goes awry, then our society will feel it economically, socially, politically, and spiritually.  When both local and federal agencies begin to support, lift up, and prioritize teachers and education in a tangible way, the world will most definitely feel and experience tangible and immediate results. 

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