Kindergarten teachers have possibly the best title ever. Kindergarten is a German word; "children garden." What a wonderful idea. And it’s exactly right; they tend and cultivate the leaders of tomorrow, nurturing and instructing them. While many people are out of the loop on the current movie stars and trend setters of the day, they can clearly remember the names and personalities of their grade school teachers. These years and these teachers make up such a paramount part of the formative part of a person’s young life that they are embedded in their memories.

The United States Department of Labor states that there are just over three million teachers in America, with fewer middle school teachers than elementary and high school teachers. It’s hard work to be a teacher. They work a mix of school and business hours; getting to work before classes start, staying until four or five to finish preparation and lesson plans, grading assignments, or coaching after school activities. They deal with the struggles of teaching young people who are going through difficult times and are often obstinate, antagonistic, or downright troublesome. They weather it all. Historically, teaching positions have been poorly paid, and this trend of teachers being poorly remunerated has continued until recently. However, with increased government interest in the education of the nation’s children, teacher’s salaries have improved. In addition, there are more programs in schools now that offer better pay to teachers who prove themselves in their field through students scores on benchmark tests, the school’s overall performance, and other criteria. Government expenditure in schooling, such as the titanic No Child Left Behind laws, has not only improved schools for students, but for teachers as well. Funds used to promote reading, for example, were boosted to $1.2 million by No Child Left Behind, up from just under $300 million. With this landslide of cash, teachers and educators have countless new ways to improve the minds of the nation’s youth. Better education in elementary and secondary schools will lead students to pursue more education in undergraduate and graduate schools. The youth of the coming generation will be more knowledgeable and more prepared for their lives and will subsequently prove beneficial to those around them and society as a whole.

The responsibility of educating students lies not only with teachers, but with students themselves.

The tools used by teachers to teach are also being improved. New techniques are being utilized to help students learn facts, and practice newfound knowledge. Glass Whiteboards are replacing the dusty chalkboards of yesteryear, and improved research methods are providing more accurate textbooks. Education, however, lies in more than textbooks and glass whiteboards. In the end, it is the teachers themselves that make the sacrifices, the lessons, and the remarkable impressions on each of their students. That is where education really comes from; men and women who selflessly work to give information and skills to others. It’s a good thing we’ve got people who are willing to be teachers.