To the editor:

I would like to respond to Barbara Paris’ April 16 letter. Have you ever lived with a teacher? I do.

I have never witnessed someone more dedicated to her profession. She is up early every morning for her commute to be at school to greet the students. She gives up her planning period on a regular basis to attend meetings. She does lunchroom duty, which leaves her only a few minutes for her own meal. She stays after school to help students who need that extra something.

She gets home, cooks dinner, tries to get in a workout, and then she begins preparing for the next school day. She spends three to four hours a night creating new and exciting lessons so the students will be energized about learning. She grades tests, reads papers, answers emails from parents. She updates her website so parents can stay informed of what is going on in the classroom.

During the summer months, she takes on another job to help supplement her income. She may take a week off right after the school year ends but jumps right back into organizing her thoughts and ideas for the next school year. She is always a teacher.

Oh, and by the way, she does all this while working on her master’s degree, which is now becoming more and more expected of new teachers.

So don’t ever say that teachers only work eight months out of a year. Add up all the hours they put in and they work more hours than most any other profession.