The Prominent Reason I Want to Go to School While Sick

Isn’t it odd how we don’t appreciate what we have until it’s taken away? For me it was like the carpet was ripped from underneath me and I was forced to lie flat on my back as my body went into fight mode. OK, not that dramatic, but reality is I lie in bed as my body can’t go anymore at moment. Pain with every little movement, sips of water to stay hydrated, and a designated puke bucket just in case. It wasn’t until this moment when I couldn’t be in school I realized how much I wanted to be there more than ever.

As a young adult and student who is currently ill, school would probably be the furthest thing from my mind. But it’s not. The word school encompasses homework, tests, late night study session – and for a sick individual, lots of make up work. In two words: Not fun. However, one of the single most prominent reasons why I enjoy school so much is the connections you get to make with people. I’m not just talking about peer to peer friendships with the people who are there to laugh, cry, and experience life with. There is another important connection made nowhere else but in school, through teacher to student relationships.

Teachers are some of the most influential and inspiring people you meet. They are not there to be the screaming at the front of the room and giving out Fs. Rather, they are the people who are there to help teach, educate, and be guides to help students navigate through their journeys in life.

To the teachers who stay after for students to have a safe space talk about how to handle a situation or to help individuals understand what they are learning, thank you. To the teachers who make themselves available for students no matter the time of day, thank you. To the teachers that take time out of their busy days to check up on students and make sure all is well, thank you. To the teachers who push students beyond what they think they can achieve to show each individual just how capable they truly are, thank you. To the teachers who help students strive for excellence in themselves and instill confidence in each individual who passes through their classroom, thank you.

It’s funny how when I was forced to take a step back from the normal day-to-day routine there is a realization of how important certain things really are. Those experiences and people I connected with along the way are what has shaped me into the person I am today. There is something special about knowing that there is an trusted individual in your life that can help you navigate the best of the situations and the worst of situations. Teachers have the unique ability of seeing students at their high points and their low point and knowing what the individual needs in that moment. Anything from a little note written on a piece of paper, to a hug or a high five.

To teachers in every classroom around the world – thank you for all you do. You are beyond appreciated and are making a positive impact everyday in student’s lives, even if they don’t explicitly say it out loud.

Getty Image by Halfpoint