Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of the amazing teachers out there! We all know that being a teacher is never an easy task. Often it is a respect-less, thankless, stress-filled, and anxiety-inducing job that is really more of a lifestyle choice. As a teacher you have to know without a shadow of a doubt where to draw lines and stick to the boundaries you create. You have to enforce rules you may not agree with, and you may have to face other people not respecting rules you make because they don’t hold the same standards you do. And the students? They are an ever-changing challenge that has more attitudes and mood swings than a consistently decapitated Hydra grows heads.

But a good teacher can change everything about a bad situation. Teachers in my life have been some of the strongest voices for peace, happiness, and equality for everyone they know. I have felt truly heard, appreciated, loved, and understood by teachers before. A good teacher can not only show you how the world works and educate you about their chosen subjects, but they can also make you feel like you belong and show you what it means to be a better person. A good teacher can meet any number of students where they are emotionally and educationally and show them that they are not alone.

I personally strive to be that kind of teacher. I try to make sure all of my students have a safe space to be themselves and someone reliable to talk to about anything (within legal boundaries of course). It makes a huge difference to some, and I can see the changes that are made. I strive to be this kind of teacher because of the teachers in my life who showed me what it means to be an educator. Teachers like Larry Hypes, Tony Curto, Jill O’Quinn and so many others. College professors like Jereial Fletcher, Gillian Huang-Tiller and others did the same for higher education.

The main point here is that teachers need and deserve to know the difference they make in our lives. The first week in May is a good time to remind our educators what they mean to us, but I truly feel like one week is never enough to express the importance of real care and influence. Just make it a point to tell teachers what they mean to you, guys.

On another note, I have to share that I got to listen to Operation: Mindcrime III this morning, and it absolutely blew me away. I am obsessed with the first album in the series, of course, but I can’t believe how powerful this one was. Coming from the perspective of Dr. X this album is just immense. I can’t recommend it enough, y’all.

Also, I recently decided to give in to my inner nerdy yearnings and I bought my first Magic the Gathering deck… I need more! Anyone with cards they don’t want are encouraged to share, and anyone who needs someone to play with just reach out!!