My earliest memories in a classroom revolve around not only the desire to learn, but the enjoyment of helping my peers around me also understand the material. I would ask my teachers if I could stay and help whenever they needed it, and I hung on every word and every bit of information they were willing to share. The classroom became a place of endless possibilities and self-discovery in my educational journey. Taylor Mali's spoken word poem "What Do Teachers Make?" shows a glimpse into why teaching is not simply a 'job', but a vocation. Teaching is not what I do; teaching is who I am. I am at the service of my community, to nourish my students and involve parents in helping develop their children's minds and hearts to their fullest capabilities. I am here to educate, not just in Shakespeare, Orwell, Atwood, Milton, and the plethora of other great authors; I am here to use literature as a vehicle to which we can all learn about empathy, love, humanity, morality, equity, and how to live a fulfilling life in community with others. This is why I am a teacher, this is why I teach, and this is why I appreciate every student inside and outside of my classroom, for without them, I am nothing.