By Vanessa Sims

A large number of teachers teach just to teach, to get across the point of how to set up an essay or decode a reading.

But what about the others? This small portion of teachers spend the majority of their lives making a difference. These teachers are so creative, they don’t need a worksheet to get students to understand. These specific mentors are able to inspire their students to go above and beyond, to do better. They show their kids that simply looking or reading a piece of paper is nothing compared to a hands-on lesson or even a simple story. Those educators who choose to give out worksheet after worksheet, packet after packet, are clueless as to what they are actually giving to their students.

When an educator hands a sheet of homework to their pupil, their intention is to give them something that will help them, not hurt them. But what they don’t know is that this student could get a lot more help with face-to-face discussions. All this sheet is doing is adding another paper to their pile of stress. Granted, teachers can’t always see and talk with every student who needs the help, but they can find other ways to do so.

Being a current student who has had an educational career for almost 11 years, I can say that the amount of stress that I have, and continue to endure every day, is unreal. I understand that a lot of teachers have other things going on and cannot give their entire lives to teaching, and that is fair. However, the whole purpose of a teaching job is to make a difference in students’ lives, to change the way they think. I know that this is true because so many of my previous and current mentors have had a major impact on my life, whether it be positive or negative. This is the same for many, many others. So giving your student homework, even if it only takes them an hour, still effects them, especially when they have a total of seven classes, each with an hour or more of work to do.

This “rant” is to show teachers that sometimes it is worth stepping out of your shoes and stepping into those of another to see and feel what your student is going through. I know that it is difficult to step out of your comfort zone, especially if it is for someone else, but who knows, it may just give you some insight that will make your job easier and your students’ lives less difficult.