Editorial: The pride, passion of our best school teachers

Of the 127,000 or so teachers in Illinois schools, likely between 2,000 and 3,000 started this school year as their last.

We talked to a few of them about what their careers have meant to them and what they'll miss the most after they've taken their final roll.

We asked Suzanne Quick, a special education resource teacher in Arlington Heights, to write about her 34-year career and her hopes for this final year before retirement. For her, an experience affirming that a single boy had been reached was enough to convince her she'd made the right career choice.

In Wednesday's editions she tells the story of a young boy who had been removed from his home by the Department of Children and Family Services because of abject neglect. He was angry, distrusting and had learning issues. He felt he had no value. Quick and others built a safe environment for him, helped him gain trust, express himself and learn. On a train ride 30 years later, Quick recognized him, smiling proudly and tenderly stroking his young child's hair.

"This career has never been as much about content and curriculum as it has been about the individual students," she wrote. "Teaching has never been a job for me, but a passion and an identity. No amount of money, power or fame can hold a candle to such a reward."

She's gotten the opportunity in the waning years of her career to make a difference a second time in some students' lives, by teaching their children.

Math teacher Debbie Morales, who works at Highland Middle School in Libertyville, wrote of how in her own middle school years she was bullied. She was a math geek who dreamed of becoming a math teacher, but she couldn't bear the idea of stepping into a classroom. A 10-year career as an actuary and three children melted away that trepidation, and for the past 23 years, she has been imparting her passion for mathematics to her students.

"Besides being a mother, I have never felt more satisfaction than when I am teaching," she said. "You have moments, days or months where you second-guess yourself and wonder if your students are learning. Then, one will thank you while leaving class or at the end of the year. Sometimes during classes, you can read that 'Aha!' moment on their faces."

Many of us in our chosen fields hope to make a difference in people's lives. Some of us are drawn to careers because they afford us opportunities large and small to help people and improve our communities.

For some of us, that's hard to come by. For some of us, it's routine.

For teachers, the opportunities to make a difference are constant and endless. It's those who appreciate the opportunities who we treasure most.