I remember the first time I heard, “Those who can’t, teach.” I also remember thinking, “Did he just say that? Is he serious, do people have the audacity to think such a dumb thing? What does THAT even mean? Those who CAN’T, teach…” I am pretty sure I get the meaning, the intent of this idiotic “saying.” So, no need to clarify or expound upon it for me, please, spare me. I heard this many years ago. In fact, it was a few years after I had begun my teaching career. Today, I find myself thinking of this statement again as I leave my teaching career. We are well aware of the mass exodus and problems going on in education. I am not going to regurgitate them here. I say regurgitate because after a while all the negative speak makes most of us want to vomit, or feel as if we just did. I cannot bring myself to do it. My issues and opinions are mine and my reasons for changing careers are mine as well. It is not about being disgruntled, underpaid, overworked, unappreciated or any of the other myriad of negative aspects that come into play as a teacher in today’s world, in this country. Who doesn’t feel that way at some point in life about their job? I find myself focusing on how difficult it is for me to leave this industry. How it pains me to leave my co-workers, administrators, parents, and mostly my students. Like most teachers, our school becomes our home away from home, our co-workers are an extension of our family.

In my exodus, I find myself surveying the battlefield I am walking away from. Yes, it is a battlefield. It is a battle adjusting to all the new things we are asked to implement daily, weekly, and annually. Like war, it has so many unpredictable variables and the powers that be keep trying to develop new strategies to attack the issues faced by students and our educational system. The teachers are the soldiers. The ones who are on the front lines taking orders, trying to win countless insurmountable battles daily in their classrooms. Teachers show up ready to wage and win the war of illiteracy, hunger, homelessness, abuse, and fear. They show, go above and beyond and they do it as professionals with compassion.

I will never forget what I learned in my 11 years being a Teacher. I will never forget what I saw and experienced either. In college I considered mission work, truly wanted to become a Psychologist and never considered teaching. As a teacher I became both. There is no need to look any further than your local public school for a place to serve the least of these and encourage those who do it all day, sometimes into the night. Talk to any teacher, I bet they will tell you the same thing if you ask them, “Why do you do your job?” They will probably say they do their job because when you see a child “get it” or know the change you helped bring to life in a child and know that no matter what even if no one ever knows, notices or thanks you, you have impacted the future…

I love my school. They know I do. I was a Mom there for years before I ever became employed there. My school was there for my family in its darkest hour; they stood ready and willing to extend their arms of love and held us up when my son was sick and died. It was beyond remarkable. In my 11 years there I watched them do the same for other families. Meadow Park Elementary may have been the only school I worked at, but I doubt it is the only school that works like a well-oiled machine like they do. I want to take a moment to thank my school for being there for me in many ways; thank my co-workers for all the years together. I can only hope that whomever steps into my classroom this year after I have left, will cherish it as much as I did. May the years ahead for the teachers, staff, and administration at Meadow Park be blessed in ways that blow their minds! May they have strength to carry on and go above and beyond like they always have.

A door opened in front of me, I am choosing to walk through it into a new career excited to see what the future holds. The only way for me to walk through that door is to close another one. Today I resigned from my job at Meadow Park Elementary School.

I resigned, but am resolved, not to forget the beautiful fierce reality that exists in our schools.

Peace,  Ms. Charlton