By Barbara R. Blackburn
First: Imagine an instance when you were 100% excited about making a difference for kids – a moment you were most enthusiastic about being a teacher. You might be feeling that right now, or it may have been a while since you felt that way. But can you remember the time when you totally believed you would change your students’ lives?
Next: Take a sheet of paper and cut out a heart (yes, red paper would be nice). That was your heart for teaching at that moment.
And now: I want you to think about what has happened since then and start tearing your heart apart.
!!! You read the fiftieth news story about how overpaid teachers are. (Go ahead, rip off a piece of the heart and throw it on the floor. That’s how it felt, right?)
!!! You poured your heart and soul into the student everyone said was a lost cause, only to have the parents come to school and berate you for not doing enough. (Rip off another piece.)
!!! A teacher told you it was nice that you had all these ideas about helping kids but, you know, it’s really all about the test scores. (Rrrrrrrrip!)
!!! Extra duties and paperwork seem to fill all the flexible moments. (Rip!)
!!! You were told that you can’t take the kids on a field trip because it wasn’t “instructional.” (Rip.)
!!! Some days and weeks you’re just so tired you can barely move because you’re working harder than you ever knew you could. And you still aren’t seeing that you’re making a difference. (Rip.)
!!! Think of three more negative experiences your own teaching life. (Rip, rip, rip.)
Wow! How much of your heart is left? You may feel like you need a heart transplant. I had periods of time when I felt disheartened, particularly at the end of my first year of teaching. I also had days when I started the morning full of energy and passion and excitement, but by 10 a.m. the problems dragged me down.
There were those days when it seemed like it didn’t really matter if I tried, put forth extra effort, did a really great activity instead of a worksheet, or attempted for the hundredth time to reach that student.
I tried to make a difference, but Roger still got in a fight. I did everything possible, but Brittany still didn’t bring her homework. I communicated with parents, but they still said it was my fault that their child wasn’t learning.
You probably also have days when you ask, “Is it worth the effort? Am I making a difference?” Let me assure you, you do make a difference. However, one of the most difficult aspects of being a teacher is that sometimes we don’t see the results of our efforts.
It’s like planting an apple tree in your backyard and then discovering you are moving away at the end of the year. Full growth won’t be evident until after you are gone. You dug the hole, planted the tree, watered it, added fertilizer and some TLC, but because it takes 3 to 5 years for an apple tree to grow to full height, someone else will enjoy the apples.
Teaching is exactly like that. You invest lots of time, energy, and passion today, but you have to trust that the fruits of your labor will flourish sometime in the future. You do the work, and you trust there is a benefit in the years to come. It’s important that every single day you keep the faith.
Your kids watch you. They read your moods; and they notice what you wear, what you say, and even sometimes what you think! And every single day, every single moment, you must remember, On your worst day, you are still someone’s best hope. You are still their teacher. You – and you alone – are the key to some student learning today.
Also remember that just like your heart is sometimes torn, so are the hearts of your kids. Their hearts are torn by things like mom or dad yelling at them, being late for the bus and having to find a way to get to school, another kid laughing at them because their shirt isn’t the cool one, not getting breakfast, not getting enough sleep because dad and his girlfriend had a fight, having to take care of a two-year old sibling because mom is working two jobs, not getting homework done because there wasn’t time to go to the library after work….The list is endless.
For those students, you may be the only person who says they are good at something. You may be the only person who asks, “What do you think?” You may be the only one who asks, “How can I help?” You may be the only person who says, “Great job!” You may be the only one who says, “No, that wasn’t right, but I know you can do it if you try again.”
Cameron, one of my graduate students, teaches science in a middle school. He tells the story of Melvin, a student with poor grades who often got into trouble. When he was reprimanded by his teachers, Melvin would roll his eyes and smack his lips.
As Cameron explains,
“One day I saw Melvin in the restroom, and I noticed that he took time to wash his hands thoroughly. In class, we were discussing Fungi and Bacteria. During this unit, I mentioned the importance of washing your hands properly. This was during the time of year when many students begin to get sick.
“I did not say anything to him about how good of a job he did washing his hands that day; in fact, I did not even let him know that I recognized it. The next day in class I used him as an example. A smile came on his face and from that day forward his grades began to steadily increase, his undesirable behavior decreased, and he also began to talk to me more than he did in the past.”
Do you still think you don’t make a difference to your students? Cameron’s story isn’t that unusual – it happens to teachers every single hour in classrooms all across the world. You are the influencer for your classroom; your students’ urge to learn rises and falls based on what you do. Find the energy to make those extra efforts with your students.
You might be thinking that I don’t understand – you don’t have that much energy anymore. I’m telling you to fake it until you feel it. Your energy, excitement, and enthusiasm will drive the responses of your students. Make the decision to take one action every day to positively impact your students:
✔︎ Smile today, even if you don’t feel like it. OR
✔︎ Find your quietest students and ask about their days. OR
✔︎ Say something positive about your worst student. OR
✔︎ Refuse to allow “I can’t” to be uttered by anyone, including yourself.
Then, when that’s working, decide to do two things, then three, and then you’re on such a roll that you can’t stop yourself (and really, you are the only one who can).
Do you feel like you are told by everyone else what to teach, when to teach, and how to teach? I understand. But figure out how to make a difference within that environment anyway. Even if you have to follow a script, you choose your level of enthusiasm, your voice tone, and your facial expressions.
If you can’t take a field trip because of regulations, bring one into the classroom through technology, video, or a guest speaker. Do you feel like there’s so much emphasis on testing that you don’t get to do anything fun? That simply isn’t true. Fun is a state of mind.
Are you beginning to get the idea? Deciding whether or not you want to be the key isn’t a choice – you are the key for your students. Your choice is whether you want to be a bright, shiny key that opens new doors of learning for your students or a rusty key that is worn down by all the problems.
And it is your choice every single day, every single moment. In a flash of a second, you choose to smile or frown, breathe deeply or yell, hand out a worksheet and make everyone sit and write silently or allow students to work together. I developed a simple acronym to focus on the key elements that teachers can bring to the classroom:
Are you willing to make the commitment to be the key for each student you teach? Will you bring a high energy to your class each day and raise your level of energy when your students’ levels are lower? Will you always be optimistic, believing that you are making a difference and that every student you teach can learn and improve every day? Will you bring intensity and focus to your work? And finally, will you be enthusiastic and positive about your students, yourself, and learning?
Actually, every single day is a great day! Do you believe that? And do you share that belief with everyone around you? It is easy to focus on test scores as the only measure of your success. And it’s not hard to fall into the belief that you aren’t valued. But I would challenge you to decide what you believe. Do you believe you make a difference? If so, make the choice to impact your students – today and every day.
Dr. Barbara R. Blackburn, a “Top 10 Global Guru in Education,” is a bestselling author of over 30 books and a sought-after consultant. She was an award-winning professor at Winthrop University and has taught students of all ages. In addition to speaking at conferences worldwide, she regularly presents virtual and on-site workshops for teachers and administrators.
Barbara is the author of Rigor and Assessment in the Classroom: Strategies and Tools (Routledge/Eye On Education, 2025) and many other books and articles about teaching and leadership. Visit her website and see some of her most popular MiddleWeb articles about effective teaching and support for new teachers here.
