A note to all of you who are teachers, especially those of you who teach in middle schools:

I have always had respect for you. When I was growing up, I usually really liked most of my teachers. As I understood society more, I developed even more appreciation for somebody who would go through all that education to take an undervalued and underpaid job for the betterment of society. If anyone had asked me about teachers, I would have said of course, I respect them.

Well now that respect has turned into awe and perhaps a bit of thinking you're nuts. Not in a bad way. At my new job, in addition to doing the counseling groups I've always done, I am at yet another school twice a week teaching a conflict resolution course to 7th graders. Some of the classes are great, with bright, polite, and inquisitive kids. Others are full of tough wannabe punks. Most fall somewhere in between. But all leave me feeling completely exhausted. My feet are killing me from standing in nice shoes in front of them all day. Advil has once again become my best friend. It's only two days a week. I can't fathom how all you teachers do this for five days in a row. Needless to say, my respect for you has grown into something else. I don't think I'd be able to do what you do for very long.

And if any of my old teachers, the handful who I wasn't nuts about, should be reading this, my deepest apologies. I'm sorry I so rarely had my homework. I'm sorry my friends and I called you names. Thank you for putting up with me and my kind.

-CRbE