Inspiring futures: County schools honor the best of those who teach

North Carolina leaders will continue to debate about what to do about the increasing difficulty of keeping quality teachers in the state’s classrooms.

And even withthe proposed 8 percent raise for state’s teachers that is included in the budget this year, keeping the experienced, the best and the brightest will not be an easy task.

That is because teaching is not an easy job — and there are fewer and fewer people who want to do it.

It takes a special person to stand in front of a room full of students and to find a way to teach them what they need to know. With all the distractions these days, keeping a child or teenager’s attention is no small task, let alone convincing some of them that they cannot succeed without a quality education.

Accomplishing those goals requires patience, determination and a certain quality that not everyone has — a true love of learning and sharing that knowledge with others.

So, acknowledging those who have dedicated their careers to standing in front of those dry-erase boards and inspiring those children to learn is an important responsibility.

This week, the Wayne County School District has announced the 31 teachers who have been named by their schools as tops in their professions.

Their stories and techniques might vary, but what all of them have in common is the determination that no child who comes throught their classrooms will leave unbitten by the learning bug.

The most important quality for a teacher is not really just loving learning. A good teacher sees his or her students as young people with potential and possibilities and then works to bring the best out in each one.

There are thousands of Wayne County graduates who can trace their first succcesses back to the inspiration they received while under the tutelage of a teacher. That is where many of them discovered the talents that would lead them to a career.

And that is the reason we need to take the time to honor the best of those who give so much to the children who are the future of this county.

All of the honorees deserve our congratulations and our thanks.

Published in Editorials on June 19, 2006 11:11 AM