The one thing that makes is all worth it.

A few months back, I had a very discerning conversation with a friend who will be a passionate teacher when she gets certified. She told me that I was taking for granted the opportunity I have when it comes to teaching and that helping only one student is completely worth it. The realization has only recently dawned upon me...

THE ONE STUDENT
It's very easy for music and art teachers to find students that share their same passion because musicians and vocalists and artists are in those classes because they want to be. Most high school curriculums include chemistry as part of the science education, but many teachers in that subject (or biology, history, and mathematics) see fewer students with the same passion and ability to achieve than that of the music or art teacher. In saying achieve, it is not to say that all students in these subject areas are dumb or fail, but they're just looking to get by as to not take the class during the summer. Drop down from the honors level class and it becomes less likely that enthusiastic students are present.

In teaching 110 students in the past months, the Level 2 chemistry classes at Central Catholic have and much higher majority of students that feel that they don't need chemistry; that it is a boring subject; that they don't need to try, and that it is a stupid thing to learn. In turn with this poor attitude many students do not do well and cannot understand that concepts that are being gone over in class. This can be very daunting on a teacher who is passionate about hit or her subject. However, there are five students that seem to have a great grasp on the subject and actually seem to enjoy chemistry: Zeina, Katelyn, Conner, Sean, and George.

Zeina has somewhat become a TA for the classes. She has a full understanding over everything that goes on during class and is usually the one to jump in on the answers in her class. She will even come to extra help before tests and help her fellow students. Though she wil lose her temper with some, it becomes a help. George acts in the same way. He has more of a grasp on what is going on in class and has consistantly done the best on tests and quizzes time and time again.

It is good when students enjoy a subject and do well, but it is even bigger for a teacher when the students want to study and major in the same subject that you are teaching. Sean and Conner are those two for me. Both Sean and Conner have told me that in college, they want to study chemistry. I'm sure most Level 2 students would never utter those words, but to my surprise both of them informed me of this early in the year. Even better, is the Sean wants to be a chemistry major at Syracuse University.

Teaching becomes difficult when no one likes the subject you teach. Students whine, don't try, and many times fail, which with some teachers is seen as a failure on themselves. However, these failures are trumped by students that want to be in class, want to learn, understand, and even make their own deductive conclusions. These students are what get a teacher with a short temper and lack of patience through a school day.