Teacher Appreciation Week

It's teacher appreciation week and I found the following in a post on Facebook from a former student:

Pissedoffteacher, as my high school math teacher well I meant to hate you, because everyone knows I hate math, but you made us laugh which in turn made me want to learn, and I left high school with a greater appreciation for what a good teacher could get out of even the students whom struggle.

Comments like that are what helps me believe I was a good teacher, one who made a difference in my students lives.  I'm glad I left before a bunch of incompetent administrators had the power to rate me ineffective because I was old and not afraid to stand up to them.

The pictures above are by an art teacher who took his students into the street and painted over a dreary, filthy, graffiti tunnel and made a little part of the city beautiful again.  This teacher is one who is making a difference.  Thank you Joel Artista from St. Gregory's.