Something you do vs. Something you are.

I am realizing more and more that teaching is not merely something you do, rather a teacher is something you are. Unlike so many other professions, you do not teach for a certain amount of time each day and then leave your 'office' to ignore thoughts of work until the following morning. At least good teachers don't.

I spend the majority of my days (no exaggeration) thinking about how to best reach my students. I'm constantly constructing new and exciting lessons, worrying about whether student A is going to understand the information I am conveying or if student B will be too bored by the lessons. I grow incredibly excited when an idea that I am really proud of comes to fruition (my SWAG 'students with awesome grammar' idea has been one of the best of the year so far!) but also incredibly nervous that the time I spend dedicating my 'free time' to thinking about teaching will all be in vain if the lesson falls to pieces.

In either case, I think new teachers really ought to know this: teaching does not stop at 3:30 when the last bell rings. It is a life consuming profession. I think this truth is indicative of why this profession is also one of the most rewarding; it requires some of the greatest time dedication.