Teachers Rock and Everyone Should Know It!

I had to speak at yesterday's faculty meeting.  Our principal asked our team of specialists to share how we integrate other aspects of the curriculum into our own, especially science.  So far music, p.e. and media have presented.   Yesterday was my turn.  My big moment to show everyone the importance of art, the relevance of my programs and curriculum, and how I take everything they do and combine it with art and am so awesome.  Haha, yeah right!
I read the curriculum of the other grades and align my art curriculum with relevant content when possible.  It has always worked and has never been anything I think about.  I got up in front of my peers, smiled, and proclaimed that in today's meeting we were going to talk about the awesomeness of ME!!  This was met with a laugh-which was good because at 4:30, everyone ready to go home-no one wants to hear me self-promote.
I spent 2 minutes sharing the projects that I have worked on thus far with the students in each grade and what is integrated.  They listened politely.  I then shared the 4 minute video of Kid President's Pep Talk for Teachers and Students.  This was exactly what everyone needed!
Earlier yesterday I read comments made by the public to a local news channel website about teacher salary and how the governor was going to pay  teachers more because science and math are more important than other areas and could find jobs paying more in the private sector (blah).  I read the comments that regarded teachers as "whiny" and "we get what we deserve" remarks.  I was deflated!  Discouraged to say the least.  People really do think this way.  In my state of "bummed out" I remembered this video. I decided to watch this and I smiled, and I laughed, and I remembered the reason why I am here.  I reminded myself that these children are not my paycheck, they don't understand this, but my kids come and learn and enjoy what I am sharing and they are learning about the world and what education and teachers can offer them.
 I remembered my worth.  So for 4 minutes Kid President and I reminded the fellow teachers of my school what they do.
All day, fellow teachers have thanked me for the video.  Several have told me they needed that at the end of yesterday.  A few fourth grade teachers used it for morning work and opened a dialogue with their students about teaching the world. Maybe this was the real reason I was supposed to talk to the teachers during the meeting, God might have worked through me to raise the spirits of the teachers. 

Today, I will leave and go home and remember that what I do matters.  I think, sometimes, we all need a pep talk!