Do You REALLY make a Difference?

Expectation:

 Reality:

Do you really make a difference?

This is the question I ask myself everyday and everyday for the past year.  Being a teacher is hard, but the first year, an my current chapter in life, is known to be the hardest!I find myself reflecting on my classes and lessons several times a day and asking myself whether or not I made and impact or helped anyone.  Most days I'm genuinely not sure.  And then I remind myself it is all about the little things:

The student who brought me Starbucks even tough they continuously make fun of my tea addiction.  The card a student made me that read "Queen" because I say I am the queen of the classroom.  She wrote a tear worthy note inside about making her day brighter and how she looks at me like a mom.  There are the students that cry to me about hardships in their life and at home because the trust me.  The one who told me "thank you" for believing in him and encouraging him to be himself and to be more than society tells him, because no one has ever taken the time to care.

To the late night play rehearsals where I see the kids display every ounce of their dedication!  The essays that show improvement and make me think "they listened to what I said!"  The students that tell me I taught a really cool and interesting lesson!  The kids that come before school, during passing period, at lunch, and after school; there must be something I am doing right that they are willing to spend more time in my class than they already have to.

There are many more instances where the little things that students do have turned my day around.  At the end of the day not everyone will lie you as  teacher and you wont get through to everyone... I know I am no everyone's cup o tea.  What matters is the students that you do reach.  What ever background and what ever circumstances, if you reach ANY child in your career yo have done your job successfully!

For me this job is so hard and so draining sometimes, but the reward is overwhelming!  Stay strong!  keep teaching!  Don't lose your passion!  And to answer the above question:  Yes!  Yes, you really do make a difference... a very important one!

-Lauren Ashley