It seems like just yesterday the kids were getting of school for the summer and now in short time, another school year is upon us. We are so fortunate here that we have such a fine educational area to have our children and grand children attend. And the reason for this is because of TEACHERS!

This is a big “thank-you” to all the teachers who put up with our sons and daughters and teach them a thing or two or even three. After all, we couldn’t do it so we thrust it all on the teacher. Yes, our teachers are our community’s heroes-unsung heroes by the way. Can you imagine twenty second graders all in a confined area? Remember your two kids in the house on that last rainy day? How about twenty Junior High students-yea, those who already know-it-all. Teachers are the unsung heroes of our community. Maybe not every community but definitely ours. Let me tell you why.

I saw a statistic the other day that the average teacher throughout the course of a nine month school years spends about three to four hundred of their personal dollars for various supplies for their students; extra paper, notebooks, pencils, workbooks, etc. No teacher likes to see an embarrassed student that doesn’t have the necessary supplies so he or she always has a couple extra of “whatever’s” in their desks to help out.

Teachers also have so much more than just teaching “reading, riting and rithmatic.” How to be polite, take turns, respect other’s space, break up skirmishes and on and on. The teacher teaches values and reinforces parent’s values taught at home. In fact, often it’s the teacher that also is the local church’s Sunday School Teacher. Yep, they teach all the “right from wrongs” that they can.

What about those precious “hugs.” You know, often the only hug a little boy or girl may get during the day is the hug from their teacher. Hugs are precious. They carry the message, “I Care About You” or “You Are Important & Special” or “Come On, You Can Do It.”

Most here in the South & North Tama area raise our kids with all the love, discipline and respect that we can give, but in many places it’s not like that. I read in putting this column together that nationally there are approximately two million, yes, 2,000,000, unwanted, unloved and abused students in the Public School system. And the school takes them all.

Teachers don’t strive to make the most money in the world, but they do strive to bring out the best in our children and grandchildren-their students! Their best days are when they see the proverbial light bulb shines in a student’s eyes and he says, “I get it.” The student is proud; the parents are proud and the teacher is most proud. He or she got through-again! Teachers leave this old world a little better than they found it. They reach out to the slow learner, the gifted, the average, the loner, the sad and the show off alike.

So as the new school year begins, let’s all make a concerted effort to work together to bring out the very best in our most valuable commodity-OUR CHILDREN! They are the future. God bless the parents; God bless the students and God bless our heroes-THE TEACHER. That’s The Way I See It. Let me know what you think at jsheda@indytel.com or call me at 319.327.4640. By the way, I know all my teachers were glad when they were through with me!!!!!!!