Mrs. Lauren J. Cooper
Belleville Middle School
Belleville, New Jersey 07109
May 15, 2012
To whomever it may concern,
There comes a time in the life of every person when a choice must be made. The situations that are dealt to us in life aren’t always the ones that we might choose, but we handle with them in the best way that we are able. Sometimes handling situations means that a teacher may have to be absent every now and then. I know that each day we are absent is counted and stored, and I wonder to what end. I am concerned that the number that is written for days absent on an annual report certainly do not reflect the character, dedication to the chosen art of teaching , or the heart of a teacher. What it does reflect, however, is the struggle that goes on in the heart and head of a dedicated teacher who finds him or herself being forced to choose between those whom they love at home, the profession which they cherish, and the children they find themselves dedicated to as they teach them in school each day. Of course, the illness of a beloved family member does win out in the end if there is no one else to care for them on that particular day, but this choice cannot be interpreted as a frivolous one made without consideration for the students in a teacher’s class. It is, after all, the heart of a teacher that draws them to the children, and ties them to their wants and needs and dreams. It is this heart that makes heroes out of the teachers who come to work despite being ill, sometimes gravely ill, or having a parent or child at home in that same condition. It is the heart of a teacher that makes this profession noble and worthwhile.
We who stand in the trenches as teachers understand what is required of us. We do not take our duties lightly. It is with great concern that we take our sick and personal days. It is not concern for our administrator, but for our students. It must therefore be understood that we take our days frugally and with great care. It is why you find that so many of us have so many days left over when we retire.
Perhaps in the future, someone will recognize that it is with almost agonizing pain that we remove ourselves from our rooms for a day or so, and why we return so quickly, ready to work harder and faster for our students. Perhaps in the future, someone will not find it necessary to give an unsatisfactory paragraph for attendance to teachers who do their utmost for their students, their community, and their district. We are after all, human, and we work in an environment that is made more and more stressful by those who do not sit or stand before our children working with them in classrooms until they find success. We are the people who cheer their every small achievement and notice even a little growth. We are the ones who encourage them to reach beyond their grasp and to follow their dreams. We are the ones who show them that all things are possible when you remove your own barriers and work hard. We bring about a changed society because we work diligently to raise the standards, the heads, and the hearts of our students in our classrooms. We may be absent a few days out of the 181 that we are given to work, but we are here because we love what we do. We are here because we are called to be here. We are here for them. Remember that when you see us hurrying down the halls carrying far too many books and papers that we will be working on late into the night. Remember that when you go to a graduation and see the joy in the student’s faces. Remember that each day when we come to work, we bring something new. Our schools work and our children learn, because we are here.
Sincerely and without regret,
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