I often get asked how I came to write books for a living. There are several reasons, but one of the most important is this — my teachers encouraged me.
It was back in junior high when I wrote an essay and was told by my teacher that I had a knack for words. In high school it was my teacher who said that my poetry was descriptive and thought-provoking. It was a teacher who challenged me to push myself to know my characters when writing short stories. It was the care and passion of my teachers that helped to instill the confidence, skill, and mettle required for me to be a career author.
Right now, across the state of Washington, teachers are on strike. A lot of people think it’s about wanting more money, but for the teachers that I know, it’s about so much more than a paycheck. It’s about fairness and justice. It’s about respect and doing what’s right. Teachers deserve to be paid a fair wage, and although it should have been an easy decision for the administration to make, instead it has turned into a nightmare for our educators. Money was specifically set aside for teacher salaries, and yet school districts across the state are refusing to use the funds in that way. It is wrong. Teachers have to be the priority in our school systems, because without teachers, where would we be?
For myself, I know the answer to that question. If not for the amazing teachers throughout my school journey, I probably wouldn’t be living my dream today.
To all of the teachers in my past, and for all of my amazing, heroic teacher friends: thank you. You change lives every single day.
