You’re making a difference

Traveling through Texas for TCTA’s summer leadership workshops is one of my favorite parts of the job. I always love a road trip — getting a little alone time in the car, listening to a good audiobook, and driving through the variety of landscapes in our beautiful state. But more significant than the relaxing drive is the energy generated by reconnecting with local leaders and meeting members who are choosing to take on leadership roles with TCTA for the first time.

It’s also a great way to learn more about what’s happening in classrooms and on campuses. Conversations during our workshop lunch breaks inevitably turn not to summer vacations and pop culture gossip, but to curricula and materials, testing issues, classroom highs and lows, and changes coming to campuses. I always learn about programs I wasn’t familiar with, and about how state laws and rules are actually being implemented in your school districts. And I marvel at your commitment to your students, even during your “three months off” (if only!).

Those of us on the TCTA staff who handle the legal and legislative sections of the workshops are painfully aware that our presentations aren’t particularly uplifting. It is a priority for TCTA to keep members informed, and that often means we are updating you on current issues we’re concerned about, and problematic policies already in place that we’re hoping to address in the upcoming legislative session. 

There are several issues that school employees need to keep an eye on, including the new “enhanced” TIA program (call us if your district is considering this), potential TRS changes (read more here), state takeovers, a general erosion of teacher autonomy, and school funding problems. But the new laws on reporting teacher misconduct are at the top of the list. Changes in reporting requirements have more than tripled the average monthly number of reports to the State Board for Educator Certification, and our staff attorneys have been taking more calls than ever from affected employees.

Thousands of teachers have been caught up in the tangle of these new laws, and without going into detail here, I would encourage you to look into this issue if you’re not already aware of it. Our recent Tuesdays with TCTA videos (at tcta.org/twt) are a great place to start (and get CPE credit while you’re at it). 

These topics tend to change the energy in the room, and we always want to keep spirits high. This summer we introduced a new feature at our workshops, asking a state leader from each area to talk about what being part of TCTA and the leadership structure has meant to them. These educator-to-educator comments got to the heart of what TCTA strives to do for our members, and emphasized how joining the leadership team can give you new skills, new experiences, more information, and even a few items to add to your resume. 

A newer member of our Advisory Council mentioned a book during her leadership remarks that had made an impact on her, encouraging her both as a teacher and a leader. She drew a connection between the theme of the book and what teachers are doing every day to make a difference in the world. I jotted down the title and author and downloaded it when I got to my hotel that evening. When I started reading, I could see why the book had resonated with her. 

The book is The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon (a former teacher herself). She tells the stories of a dozen unsung heroes in American history. Some names might be familiar, but most are unknown or forgotten, and all played a crucial role in shaping our country. They were imperfect, they struggled, and they fell — and they rose, and they persisted in working toward a greater good, something larger than themselves.

Every educator should be able to relate to these unsung heroes. I have yet to meet a teacher who hasn’t persevered through obstacles, or one who works in public education for selfish reasons. As we enter a new school year with new challenges and new opportunities, every person working with students should hold this thought in mind: you are making a difference. That may be a cliché, but a cliché can also be true. You might never know how a word of kindness or encouragement, or an innovative new lesson, or even a firm but fair reprimand had a lasting impact on one of your students. 

I credit my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Jennings, whom I can still picture reading James and the Giant Peach aloud to the class, for my love of books. Ms. Bickley somehow made high school Latin fun, and her vocabulary lessons boosted my SAT and GRE scores (and still help me solve the NYTimes crossword puzzles). Mr. Miller taught government, and though I’d never been particularly interested in the subject before, his class was so engaging that I later chose to major in political science, eventually leading to a lifelong career in public education policy. In short, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without those teachers.

I’m only one person whose life was positively affected by educators. You will reach hundreds, maybe thousands, of children throughout your career. When you’re feeling discouraged, unimportant or powerless, remind yourself of the contributions you’re making, not only to those individual students but to the lives they themselves will one day influence. No one has a larger impact on the world than a teacher.

This article appeared in the Summer 2026 issue of The Classroom Teacher.