Recognition

Seasoned teachers are under assault these days. After 30 years of doing this, I have come to terms with the fact that recognition is rare and will come only from a few students, some of their parents, close colleagues and possibly our own families (though my husband has sadly become quite tired of my student stories). I see myself as a tough old gal though Omar was nice enough to tell me today that I don't look THAT old yet.  At a recent reunion, I had a gang of former students thank me. That felt great. Another  former student, now a father,  brings his sweet little girl over to see me now and again. Last time he was there, he told my carpenter that I was the best teacher in the world, kind of awkward for my carpenter who rarely speechless mumbled something like, "yeah, great people." In this present climate of scapegoating, the less said about us the better, I suppose. But then why does a part of me still, after all these years, harbor a hope of some formal recognition? It feels almost pathetic. On the NEA site I saw this:  http://classroomsuperheroes.com/ and wished for just a second that someone might elect me. Perhaps I should ask my carpenter.