If you are in the profession I hope you looked at each of these and laughed a little bit, got a little frustrated with the stereotypes, and agreed with a few. Anyone who is truly in the profession as an educator will tell you that there is only one reason to be a teacher.

Teaching is hard. There are so many factors outside of our control on a daily basis. Sometimes you have to laugh at those outside factors otherwise you’ll burn out pretty darn quick.

“If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn’t want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher’s job”. ~Donald D. Quinn

Smile – State testing is coming soon.

I will grant you this one point: There are bad teachers who might fit these stereotypes. I’d love to be rid of them, personally. But far and away, the majority of educators in the schools are dedicated, devoted professionals who are misrepresented by this list.

If your intention was to list positive reasons for teaching, your priorities are ordered in the most shallow way possible. Listed at the very beginning are many of the reasons people outside the profession think we’re slouchers who take advantage of as many perks as possible: summer breaks, winter breaks, etc.

It just isn’t like that.

I’ve never seen a dedicated teacher who takes that much time off from teaching. My summers, for example, are spent in staff development sessions, workshops, and curriculum planning. I spend my “breaks” catching up on grading and lesson planning. I don’t get home until after 6 most evenings, and work until 10 at home.

As an educator, I consider myself a public servant. I serve; I am not in it for the easy ride or the perks — in fact, the job is emotionally and physically draining, not easy, and I have pursued both a masters degree and post-baccalaureate certificate to qualify for specialized positions as an educator so that I can serve in more focused areas.

In spite of the challenges (and there are hundreds that this blog post fails to mention), I am compelled to stay with it because of a love for learning and a desire to make a difference in the world, however small. THAT is the only reason that matters — 99 others don’t compare; they don’t even really count.

Education is a calling, a commitment, and a lifelong pursuit. It is not a career gig or slide-by job. I could go point by point on this list, but until then, I hope you and your readers will read a post I wrote: “Teaching is Easy … And Other Myths.” [http://is.gd/aMyLv] In all fairness to educators, people need to see the whole picture of education.

One hundred trivial reasons can never equal the one that drives us to serve in the classrooms: We make a difference by passing love and learning on to the next generation.

what are YOUR reasons?