I’m sick and tired of seeing educators misrepresented in the media and in people’s homes across the country. We are frequently portrayed as glorified babysitters who fail to educate tomorrow’s students. So, that’s the end of it. In this piece, I’d like to clear the air. 

Let’s talk about 50 things you should know about educators.

1. Educators are driven individuals who enjoy making a difference.
2. Educators do not become educators because they lack the intelligence to accomplish something else. In lieu, they become teachers because they want to make diversity in the lives of children.
3. Educators do not work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the exception of summers and weekends. Most students arrive early and stay late.
4. Educators are irritated by students who have a lot of potential but refuse to work hard to maximize it.
5. Educators appreciate students who come to class every day with a positive attitude and a genuine desire to learn.
6. Educators enjoy working together, sharing ideas and best practices, and supporting one another.
7. Educators value parents who value education, understand their child’s academic progress, and support what the teacher does.
8. Educators are human beings. They have lives apart from school. They have both bad and good days. They make errors.
9. Educators want a principal and administration who support them, offer suggestions for improvement, and recognize their contributions to their school.
10. Educators are innovative and creative. No two educators are identical. Even when they utilize the ideas of another instructor, they usually add their twist to them.
11. Educators are always changing. They are always seeking new methods to connect with their pupils.
12. Teachers have dearest students. They may not accept it, but there are some students with whom they have an inherent connection for whatever reason.
13. Educators become frustrated with parents who fail to recognize that education should be a collaborative effort between the teacher and the parents.
14. Educators are control freaks. They dislike it when things do not go as planned.
15. Educators recognize that each student is unique, so they tailor instruction to meet their needs.
16. Educators do not always get along. They do, however, manage to maintain a professional demeanor at work.
17. Educators enjoy being recognized. They all pay attention, whether it’s a note from a parent or praise from their principal.
18. Educators are opposed to standardized testing. They believe it places undue strain on them and their students.
19. Educators do not become educators for the money; they are aware that they will be underpaid for their work.
20. Educators dislike it when the media focuses on the 1% of educators who make mistakes rather than the 99% who are rockstars.
21. Educators love it when former students come up to them and tell them how much they appreciated what they did for them.
22. Educators despise education’s political aspects.
23. Educators appreciate being asked for their thoughts on important decisions that the administration will be making. It provides them with a sense of power over the circumstance.
24. Educators are not always enthusiastic about what they teach, but they put up with it and do their best.
25. Educators genuinely want the best for all of their students: they never want a child to fail.
26. Educators despise grading papers, but it is a necessary part of the job. It’s also incredibly boring and time-consuming.
27. Educators are always looking for new ways to reach out to their students. They are not content with mediocrity.
28. Educators frequently spend their own money on supplies for their classrooms.
29. Educators want to inspire those around them, starting with their students but also including parents, other teachers, and administrators.
30. Educators work all year to ensure that they are prepared.
31. Educators understand that classroom management is a necessary part of their job, but it is frequently one of their least favorite tasks.
32. Educators recognize that students face difficult situations outside of the classroom and respond accordingly.
33. Educators prefer meaningful professional development to time-consuming, sometimes meaningless professional development.
34. Educators want to be role models for their students.
35. Educators want all of their students to succeed. When a student fails, he or she takes it seriously.
36. Educators value their vacation time. It gives them time to reflect and re-energize.
37. Educators believe that there is never enough time in the day. There is always something else they believe they should be doing.
38. Educators would like to see classroom sizes limited to 15 to 20 students.
39. Educators want to maintain an open line of communication with their student’s parents throughout the school year.
40. Educators recognize the significance of school finance and the role it plays in education, but they wish money were never an issue.
41. When a parent or learner makes unsubstantiated accusations, educators want to know that their principal has their back.
42. Educators dislike disruptions, but when they occur, they are generally flexible and accommodating.
43. If educators are adequately trained on how to use new technologies, they are more likely to accept and use them.
44. Educators become dissatisfied with the small number of educators who lack professionalism and are not in the field for the right reasons.
45. Educators dislike it when a parent undermines their authority in front of their children at home.
46. When a learner has a bad experience, educators are compassionate and sympathetic.
47. Educators want former students to be productive, successful citizens in the future.
48. Educators devote a significant amount of time to struggling students. But it’s worth it to have that “aha” moment when the learner finally understands the material.
49. Educators are frequently blamed for a learner’s failure when, in reality, the failure was caused by a combination of factors beyond the teacher’s control.
50. Educators frequently worry about many of their students after school, realizing that they do not always have the best home life.

What did I overlook?