Teaching is the oldest profession in the world and yet it is under appreciated, underpaid, and taken for granted. I have been a teacher for thirty years and have never been so proud to call myself a teacher. I believe it is the hardest job outside of being a parent. I am now retired and have seen a change occur over the past couple of years. It is heartbreaking to see the joy, the laughter, and the smiles dissipating because of the endless amount of paperwork, stress, and expectations of high test scores mounting every year. I wrote my story to encourage and remind teachers why this profession is like non- other. The impact we have on our students is immeasurable and life- changing. We do matter, we are important, and we do impact the world.
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