To be a teacher means:

Muttering the Pledge of Allegiance in your sleep,

Knowing how to wear chalk smudges like the latest fashion,

Being the master of the corner-mounted television,

Hearing the sounds of a finely composed symphony instead of the pencil sharpener,

Doubling your lunch break as a prep period, and vice-versa,

Being the first to class and the last to leave,

Pretending that apples are your favorite fruit,

Using a multiplication table as an acceptable form of wall art,

Having the ability and fortitude to anchor your personal office supplies,

Thinking that the gum stuck under desks is the scourge of mankind,

Turning a quiet evening at home into a feverish grading session,

And last but not least, cherishing your students and the opportunity to educate them.

--Happy Teacher Appreciation Week from NCTQ!