Remember the old line “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach; those who can’t teach, teach teachers.”

It’s not true. Most people who go into teaching do it because they have a true passion—at least when they start.

But passion is hard to sustain when all you hear is that

• you are too easy/hard;
• you give too much/not enough homework;
• you too often receive little-to-no respect from parents, kids, administrators and even your colleagues;
• more time is spent on politics than lesson plans;
• you spend more time teaching basic manners than educating; and
• your de facto hourly pay rate is around minimum wage in spite of a 9 month work year.

Some manage it and they are the ones who truly leave their mark.

Most of us remember the teacher(s) who really touched us, who opened our eyes and helped us see the world differently.

And we remember the worst we had, but the majority fall in-between and become a blur.

some of the best come to teaching from other successful careers.

One of the highest profile of these is Tom Bloch, who left H&R Block (the family business founded by his father) after 18 years, five as President, and a salary of nearly a million a year to teach math at an inner-city middle school in Kansas City, because he wanted to make a difference—and he has.

Listen to this interview and then read his story in Stand for the Best. Share it; maybe it will inspire others to apply their passion to teaching, but if nothing else, perhaps it will encourage them reconsider their own attitude towards teachers.

Your comments—priceless

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Image credit: Growing Bolder