This morning I was honored to receive the Port Orchard Rotary Students' Choice Award, along with a good friend Peter Bulthuis. Each year 7th grade students at the local junior high vote for their favorite teachers in elementary school. The local Rotary club organizes this, and recognizes the recipients at a breakfast. There were about 20 teachers who were recognized, and it was great to see so many of my colleagues also get recognition for their hard work. So often in this profession, the rewards are intangible. Sure, there is the paycheck each month, but I seldom really know if I am having the kind of positive impact I want to have on kids. I've learned that 99% of this job is relational, the rest is stuff that was/wasn't taught in college. This award is probably one of the most important and meaningful awards to receive because it is based on the relationships I formed with students, chosen by the students, and based on the positive learning experience I gave them. It is a tangible award, representing so many intangibles, which are the reasons why I teach.
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