Teachers Change Lives
Education has always been very important to me. I learned at a very young age that a great education can be very powerful. This notion became even more clear to me when I became a teacher. Becoming a teacher made me realize what kind of an impact I can have on someone’s life. I realized that teachers change lives whether they realize it or not.
When I started my teaching career, I was coming off of a career in finance. I worked for a Fortune 500 company and after only a few years, I was burnt out. I felt like I was sinking and losing touch with who I really was. I needed a change. So after 4 years, I decided to quit my job and do something more fulfilling. I started my teaching career by volunteering at a preschool where a friend of mine worked. I spent months volunteering until one day the director of the school game to me with a job offer as a substitute teacher. One of the other teachers was going on maternity leave and they had no one to replace her. So, they asked if I would step in for a few months until she came back. I was thrilled. I enjoyed working with children and had really felt at home there even though I was just a volunteer. I immediately took the position and began my life as a preschool teacher. After 6 months of substituting for another teacher, I was promoted to a full time position that I held for a couple of years before going back to graduate school.
Leaving the field to further educate myself was the hardest thing that I ever had to do. I loved going to work every day. Even though it wasn’t always the easiest job, I always felt a sense of accomplishment when I walked into my classroom every morning. I worked with children ages 3-5 that lived in the inner city. These children were mostly immigrants that didn’t speak English. It was so amazing to watch them learn and grow a little every day. I have had children in my classes that didn’t know a single alphabet letter or the names of colors when they first started, some didn’t even know how to communicate what they wanted or needed in English. However, when they left, not only did they learn everything they needed for Kindergarten, but they also taught me a thing or two 🙂 That was what made me go back to work day in and day out. Just to see the little smiles on their little faces and to know that I am making an impact on their lives and helping to put them on great path.
Office Depot recognizes that teachers and education are very important and understands that a teacher’s work is not done when they leave their classrooms. Teachers take their work home with them. They go shopping and bring supplies for their classrooms and pay for them out of their own pockets, especially in underfunded areas. Office Depot is partnering with Adopt-A-Classroom to raise awareness about teachers, and all that they do in the lives of their students. Adopt-A-Classroom is a nonprofit organization that helps connect donors with teachers to enhance the learning environment for students.
Now you can also help by donating to a teacher in your local community!
If you’re a teacher and want to register your classroom, go to Teachers Change Lives website, click on the red box that says “Register Your Classroom,” which will take you to the Adopt-A-Classroom website and follow the corresponding steps from there.
If you would like to donate to a teacher, go to Teachers Change Lives website, click on the teal box labeled “Donate to a Teacher,” which will take you to the Adopt-A-Classroom website. Follow the corresponding steps from there
Show your support for an amazing teacher that has made a difference in your life or your child’s life by giving back to these selfless people that give their all in the name of education!
