Wordy Wednesday: Teacher Thing

Okay, okay - one more Wordy Wednesday. It's for a good cause, I promise. 

You guys know I tutor kids in reading and writing, but now I'm going to tell you something you don't know.

Last summer, I had been with my tutoring company for about two months when I realized a girl from my high school was working with Teach for America. Facebook told me. I went to her page and discovered a blog she kept during her first year in her school, and stayed-up til three reading all her entries. In essence, I stalked her teaching career, and I cried and laughed as I caught-up with her journey.

When I teach, I'm responsible for three students at a time. They come to me from the affluent communities of Snellville, Lawrenceville, and Grayson, seeking guidance. They want to go to college - or, at the very least, their parents want them to. We only see them for a few hours each week, and when any one of them leaves I say a silent prayer that I have helped them - or at least that I have not hurt them.

When I need time off, I take it. When I do a show, I leave for several weeks at a time. And the company is wonderful, and accommodates my hectic schedule.

Chloe's job is every bit as difficult as mine is forgiving. She is a real teacher - someone who sits in a classroom from 9 to 5, but who works 24 hours a day to improve the lives of her students. When I feel burned-out or frustrated, I think of Chloe; if she can move to a new state and dedicate her life to her kids, I can dedicate 8 hours a few days a week.

She makes the world a better place. Will you please vote for her here? There's $10,000 at stake, and if she wins she's sending her students to a college summer program.