In case you don’t know, this is American Education Week. Which means that we should take time to salute the teachers of the world, because without them, none of us would be what we are today.

When we are in school, be it first grade or college, many of us fail to see the importance of a teacher. We fail to see their real purpose. We think they are just there to annoy and burden us with homework and tests when in reality, they are there to shape our minds and make a difference in our lives.

I am proud to say that I have received an entirely Brooklyn education. I started my education at Public School 193 on Bedford Avenue and Avenue L, then, I went to Cunningham Junior High School on Avenue S and East 17th Street. From there, it was on to Sheepshead Bay High School on Avenue X and Brown Street, and then to Kingsborough Community College on Oriental Blvd.

I was not the greatest student in the world, I was absent a lot, but never late, and I did pretty good on my tests, but I never made honors. The point is, I passed my classes and learned a few things along the way.

There were times when I got mad at my teachers for giving me homework and for surprising us with a pop quiz. Little did I know that they were trying to teach me something. I once heard the greatest example of how students perceive teachers: If a student passes an exam, the student sees his friends and says, “I passed!” If that same student fails the exam, he would tell his friend, “The teacher failed me!” I know that’s true, because I have done it too, without realizing how it sounds.

Earlier this year, I had the honor of being a teacher, I taught journalism to the students of Mark Twain Intermediate School for the Gifted and Talented as well as John Dewey High School. I must tell you that it was a strange experience standing in front of the class writing my name on the blackboard. But it was a very rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to pass on to others what I know, to shape young minds, to make a difference in someone’s life by giving them knowledge and instilling in them the importance of responsibility. It was then that I realized that what I was doing was what my teachers – all of them – have done to me all those years. I’m sorry I never realized it before.

So to all of my former teachers I say thank you for your guidance, your patience and your knowledge. Thanks for making me learn, even though I sometimes didn’t want to. Believe me, I appreciate it now. Happy American Education Week.