My father? Oh, he had lived a happy full life. He was a very good provider, disciplinarian, and a dedicated teacher. I remember the days when he would summon me to his school to collect school documents. I recall the many nights when he would dictate his lesson plans to me. He was a very devoted educator, a quality that you would not see among the young breed of teachers today.
My youngest brother is a Mechanical Engineer, but chose to teach Mathematics and Physical Education in high school, and he is really enjoying every minute of it. He also coaches a high school chess team.
I had my share of teaching in college, too. I taught different business subjects. Here in Saudi Arabia, I conduct piano and voice lessons.
Many things have been written about teaching. It is considered the noblest of all professions, an article of faith to many. To be a teacher today, one must be a hero and an idealist. In hope and despair, one trusts only your own unshaken will and faith in the nobility of the profession. Teachers possess and pass on a far reaching power, the ultimate form of power--the command of ideas. They are the praetorian guards of democracy, for knowledge is the foundation of the love of freedom and the principles of human liberty.
Teaching job is intellectually challenging. If you're good at teaching, it is very interesting, fun, and fulfilling. Most importantly, teachers help in turning some lives around, empowering individuals, giving them confidence to explore new things and express their own ideas, helping them to reach important life goals.
Noblest as it seems, teaching is the most neglected of all professions. Compensation is not commensurate, effort and hard work are not properly recognized, making it one of the least preferred careers.
