To assist students in the adventure of education is a skill; to inspire imaginative experiences and creative expressions as students are learning is a gift; and to enjoy the commitment to teaching students, as well as subject material, is a calling. Our local schools, as well as those of the state and nation, are filled with a multitude of skilled, gifted and committed people, called teachers!

For years from a close vantage point, I readily admit observing the life of a public school teacher. Nevertheless, it is a fact that teachers enter their classrooms every day with the sole purpose of having a positive influence and making a significant difference for good in the lives of young people. In this era of numerous difficulties and challenges, individual teachers and teaching as a profession deserve more affirmation and support for their dedication and hard work rather than, all too often, being given compound criticism and blame for society's ills.

Ken Altom

Wake Forest