I had a conversation with a friend, and I confess that I was getting a bit irritated. She was upset because she was reassigned for the school year to difficult class in a different school district. She was upset because she thought these students would be less prepared, have fewer resoures, and that this school year would be a lot more work. My perspective was completely different. I told her that she had the opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives of these children, that she would be forced to be more resourceful and more creative, and that yes, this was going to be more work but in the end, it would make her a better teacher. Jobs and work and careers and LIFE isn’t about what is easiest, it is about trying hard to do our best, and hoping that along the way, we somehow made a differnce. Most people say that they had one or two teachers in their life who really made a difference in their lives. Every semester and every year, everyone who teaches gets the chance to be that one or two big influences. Yes, it takes work and effort , but wow, how cool is that? I think my friend is lucky to be in this role, and I admire her for doing what she does. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Ginger Boehm, challenged me, encouraged me, and made me work. She made an incredible impact on my life, and I consider myself tremendously fortunate to still be in contact with such an amazing lady. She is one of my teachers who made a difference to thousands of students. So, as we start this school year, a big thank you goes out to the teachers out there who are making a differnce every day. From Mary Kelly www.ProductiveLeaders.com Mary@ProductiveLeaders.com