Reasons That I Don't Teach for Money

Another week of teaching/training. I have been with my students 2 days this week and training in the studio and control room 3 days. It continues to feel awkward because a substitute teacher is there, but I am about 30 feet away in the same room. Periodically I have to walk through the classroom to take care of business. My students know I am very close by and, fortunately, they do their best not to disturb me. But when I walk through the classroom and hear several excited and encouraging comments from them, I can't help but realize that this is an excellent example of why I am a teacher. Several students will peek around the chroma-key curtain to see what I am doing. They will ask that I tell the people that are training me that my students say "Hi" to them. There will always be the ones that try to "get away with something" because a sub is there. But, for the most part, my students give me a reason to smile and feel proud that I am making a difference in a teenager's life.