I want to share some thoughts with you regarding an article I recently read on the Internet about five jobs that make a difference.

    As I scrolled through the piece, I was certain that among the five jobs cited, teaching would certainly have made the list. I was quite surprised that this vocation did not merit mention. Among the jobs cited were activist, inventor, ethics officer, congressional aide and mediator.

    I was shocked as I read this article. I don't want to discount the importance of the jobs highlighted in the piece. However, I believe that teaching is the profession that makes all other professions possible. Why was teaching not on the list? Where would each of us be today, were it not for a teacher(s) in our lives?

    I challenge the public to cite a career choice that enables one to positively change the lives of so many over time. A teacher may potentially influence the lives of more than 1,000 students during his/her career ‒ not to mention the lives of those students' families and possibly even friends.

    Think about that potential in just one average elementary school. Multiply 1,000 students by 20 teachers. Now you have at least 20,000 hearts, minds and souls being cared for by dedicated teachers...in just one school.

    Yes, there are poor quality teachers, just biding their time for retirement. However, I believe that most teachers feel that teaching is not simply a job, but a vocation ‒ a calling ‒ that encompasses all that is good and important in the world.

    My hope is that we will open our hearts and minds to the possibility that teachers have the greatest potential to make the greatest positive impact on society.