What is a teacher?

​What is a teacher 
Without her students?
Their faces
Anticipating 
Or dreading
The start of class
Each day a new chance to start over
An opportunity
An adventure
For students 
And teacher
Alike 


What is a teacher
Without the daily
Ins and outs
Without the warm-ups and cool-downs
And the rhythm 
Of the class
The 4 walls decorated 
With the colorful work 
Of her students
And posters of rainbow children
Across the world
Hand in hand

What is a teacher 
Without the comments 
Interrupting her every sentence
“Can I go to the bathroom/drink water/get an apple/call home/take a lap in the hallway?”
“Do you have a snack/pencil/eraser/tissues/a Band-aid/a fork/a cup/an elastic?”
The amazing questions and curiosity
The resilience and vulnerability
Reining them back in 
For learning 
The funny thoughts and stories
She can’t help but laugh at 

What is a teacher 
Without the interactions with her colleagues 
Between classes
In the hallways 
At lunch
In the staff lounge
By the mailboxes
Waiting for the bathroom to be vacant
Keying in our cards by the side door
Sneaking in a few minutes after the 7:30 bell 
Avoiding human contact until necessary

What is a teacher
Without her community
Her students, colleagues, families, support workers 
Without the solidarity
Pushing and holding each other
Sometimes annoyed
But still supporting each other
Still admiring the each other's work and talents  
And loving the strength of our school 

What is a teacher?

March 26, 2020