Ode To An Elementary School Teacher

I First period each morning she meets their languid sighs Their low moaning at new tasks to be undertaken She must be upbeat, no matter her personal woes, In her crisp, clean dress and comfortable walking shoes She steps briskly around the room with encouraging Words, smiles for the underprivileged girl so needy A hint of special affection for a wayward lad A hard taskmaster some former students have averred True, indeed, she has high expectations, she demands The highest quality of work from her young charges Same she always brings to her overcrowded classroom Where she allows no insult or bullying others. II She faces some difficult parents who seldom know What transpires in the average classroom teachers' day Threatening, browbeating, and some will even threaten Throwing up angry hands in defeat, she never does. She does what is necessary to help them succeed Her main objective is moving her students forward. III Planning and improvising, then she will implement She will go home to care for her waiting family-- Convincing, she will console, and likely she transports She will cook, do cleaning, shopping, sometimes pays the bills After the family is settled down, she begins Her preparations for the next day in her classroom And, a teacher does all of this on the lower end Of the pay scale in most every school district I know.