Teacher of the Year

It's no new news that teachers, in general, are severely under-appreciated and highly under-compensated. 

My hubs is one of the hardest workers I know. Not only does he teach math to junior highers all day, but he comes home and works on grading and lesson plans every night. For the record: Kyle isn't one of those "I'm going to do just what I have to do to keep my job" teachers...he puts so much effort into trying to find every way possible to help his students find success in NOT ONLY his class, but all of their classes (and yes, he has students come to him for clarification on assignments from OTHER classes and he graciously stays after to help). 

Sounds busy, right? 

Throw in there the fact that he's also taking grad classes and working on those assignments every night, attending additional training's to stay current with teaching standards, AS WELL AS making sure to spend as much quality time as possible with his baby boy. Let's not even address once coaching track in the spring and cross-country in the fall is thrown into the mix. 

Kyle is the most hard working person I know, and sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who sees it. 

Not so, Molly, not so...

Last week, Kyle came home and humbly told me "Now don't get too excited, because it's no big deal, but I got a letter at work today saying that someone wrote into the Department of Education to nominate me as Michigan Teacher of the Year". 

HAHAHA

I laugh because he started the statement with "don't get too excited". He knows me too well.

I DID get excited. I'm STILL excited.

I'm excited that someone in his workplace [anonymous] was able to recognize the results of Kyle's hard work. I'm excited that, after a difficult first semester of both select parents and politicians placing blame on teachers for lack of student success, Kyle stood out to someone [besides me] for working his booty off to help HIS students succeed. Do his efforts always pay off? Of course not. Does he try everything possible to offer them opportunities to succeed? 

You bet your buns. 

Kyle may try and play it off like it's no big deal, but I couldn't be more proud. I feel it's long overdue for MY teacher-husband, as well as so.many.other hard-working teachers to receive recognition for all that they do.