For All the Teachers Out There: On Purpose, Presence, and Why Your Work Matters

I spend a lot of time in schools, and I’ve seen firsthand what teachers and staff carry. The lesson plans, the grading, the constant buzz of activity—but also the weight of being role models, mentors, and steady anchors in kids’ lives.

It’s a lot. And it’s easy to forget, in the rush of tasks and to-dos, why you started in the first place.

Years ago, during a workshop, a teacher asked me a question I’ll never forget:

“How do I stay grounded when I’m surrounded by friends making more money than me and seeming like they’re working less?”

I didn’t have an easy answer in the moment, but the question stuck. Because it’s real. The world doesn’t always measure worth by the quiet, unseen work of shaping lives.

What I did share was something from my own story. Not long before then, I was one of those corporate people chasing promotions and salary bumps. From the outside, it probably looked like I had it made. But inside, I was burning out. The work brought me no real fulfillment, no sense of purpose.

That’s when I learned: purpose isn’t about the size of your paycheck. It’s about whether the work you’re doing aligns with your values—whether it feels real, meaningful, true.

I also realized comparison is a trap. It pulls you away from your own trail. The real challenge—and the real courage—is to hike your hike, not theirs. To stay rooted in your why: the reason you stepped into teaching in the first place.

And that’s why teaching matters so much. Because teaching isn’t just about transferring knowledge. It’s about shaping human beings. It’s about helping kids believe they belong, that they matter, that they’re capable of more than they think. And that can only happen when you show up authentic, grounded, and true to yourself.

So for all the teachers out there: thank you for the miles you walk, the storms you weather, and the magic you create every day. Your work plants seeds that grow long after the bell rings.