I start coaching a swim team again this week. I am a bit nervous because I know what a significant role this is. Let me tell you something I believe. 

I believe that teachers can change lives. For better or for worse, teachers have the ability to influence who we are, how we think, or what we become. Throughout our life we will have many teachers. Teachers at church, coaches, school teachers, and music teachers are just a few examples. Especially during the pivotal teen years, teachers have the ability to spark inspiration and motivation from their own flames of passion, or with one negative phrase, they can take away a student’s confidence and drive.

            Think back to your high school days. The chaos, stress, and social hierarchy was overwhelming at times. Where did you find refuge? What was your favorite or least favorite subject? In most cases, we can attribute the answer to these questions, in part, to a teacher. There was one teacher in my high school that had a great amount of enthusiasm for chemistry and teaching it to others. I was one of many who found her passion contagious. She demanded a lot of respect but was quick to give it right back. In her eyes, no one was incapable of mastering her class. She had a way of inspiring her students, and her love soon became our love. Many of her students went on to further their learning in chemistry and now have careers that incorporate it somehow. Her class was my refuge. Currently, I am working on my degree in Chemistry Education.

            While going through my husband’s boxes of childhood things, I came across an art portfolio. I pulled out his work with awe. They were so good! I had no idea he was into art. When I told him this, he disagreed. He told me that he was a terrible artist, and the passion he had for it had long ago died. He went on to explain that his high school art teacher had told him to give up art and do something else. Because of this teacher’s influence, he quit and didn’t pick it up again for 18 years. Five years ago, on a whim, he started an art project that ended up being published in book form, making national news, and receiving multiple awards. He is an amazing artist. I often wonder what those 18 years would have held if not for those words from his teacher.     

             The greatest thing a teacher can do is influence their students to be the best version of themselves and encourage them to reach their full potential. William Arthur Ward, an educational writer, once said, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” To the discouraged kid sitting on the bench during the game, to all the high school students trying to figure out life, and to the young man or young woman with no self-esteem, I say, teachers can change lives.