Nearly 20 years ago, I married a teacher. My husband and I began dating when he was in his first teaching assignment as a high school biology teacher, with an emergency credential, while he completed the last couple months of his credential program.  After we got married, we moved to a city with a lower cost of living so that we could afford to buy a home and plant our roots.  He’s in his 20th year as  a biology teacher at his current school, where he is also the science department chair, and coaches girls and boys golf.  And, as shown in the picture, he also takes his students on weekend field trips to learn about water management (Photo credit: Bureau of Land Management).  He has relentless energy and is so incredibly dedicated.

Seeing his sense of purpose and passion for what he does is one of the reasons why I wanted to work in school PR.  I know there are so many other teachers like him, inspiring students’ minds and enjoyment of learning each day, and those stories needed to be told 16 years ago when I first started working in school PR, and  we need to keep sharing those stories, especially in light of the increasingly negative and political environment about teachers and public education.

My husband has worn several hats over the years, in addition to coach and teacher–he’s also served as the interim athletic director and interim vice principal.  He earned his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administrative Credential because he thought about going into administration.  The reason he didn’t?  He would miss his positive touchpoints with students, and teaching in the classroom.

When we share stories about what’s happening at schools, we also need to share the stories of people who continue to make the choice to be teachers.  In this age of the “Great Resignation” there are still people who choose this profession because they feel a sense of purpose and truly love what they do. I am thankful for each of those people for teaching my three children in elementary and high school.

And, I’m grateful to my husband who chose a career that positively impacts students’ lives, year after year.

Thank you, teachers.