You don’t know.

You don’t know that when a kid asked a question, and you went on a personal tangent and told a little side story, that this unplanned moment was what a kid proudly talked about when her parent said, “What did you learn at school today?”

You don’t know that when a kid messed up (again), you were the only adult he knows who didn’t yell at him and actually gave him another chance.

You don’t know that the kid who comes to class early is doing so because you make them feel safe.

You don’t know that 5 years from now a kid will look back at you as their best teacher… ever.

You don’t know that you are the topic of conversation at dinner tables, because you make a student’s day fun.

You don’t know all the ways that you can make a student’s day special when you remember that you teach kids, not subjects, and you treat kids with dignity and respect.

You don’t know just how much power you have to change the lives of the students you serve.