George Bernard Shaw’s 1903 play Man and Superman gave us the infamous saying, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach,” which has long been used to disparage teachers. Of course, it isn’t true. Many of the greatest thinkers and doers have been teachers: Albert Einstein, George Orwell, Alexander Graham Bell, and Robert Frost; Maya Angelou, Stephen King, and Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple. In addition, presidents John Adams, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama were also teachers.

Shaw’s maxim is silly, perhaps intentionally so, but the saying persists in more than a few people’s minds: teachers are those who have failed to reach their desired vocational goals and are forced, because of inability, to “settle” for teaching. For arguments sake, let’s say it’s true: Community college instructors are second rate. Most of them don’t even know their subject very well. They weren’t able to get a “real” job in what they went to school for, so they teach. Blah. Blah. Blah.

I hear all of that, and then, I get confused. I mean, during the pandemic, the hue and cry was open the schools back up! Students need in-class instruction with faculty in order to truly learn. Open the schools! Online classes aren’t good for students. We want teachers to find better ways to teach online. We want faculty to immediately pivot to effective, engaging online learning, even though many of them have never taught online because they know teaching face-to-face is more effective.

Then, after the pandemic, it was students want more online classes! It’s more convenient. Let’s severely limit the time in seated classes because that’s the demand, even though our faculty is telling us that we should go back to more seated classes, especially for developmental students. Or–we don’t want these liberals teaching us or our kids. We honored and trusted them during the pandemic, or said we did, but we don’t trust or honor them now. We want to tell teachers what and how to teach even though we know little or nothing about the subjects they are teaching or about the art and science of teaching itself. Of course, we don’t want to do the actual teaching because who wants to do that thankless, low-paying job? Only someone who can’t do, right?

So, if teachers can’t do, then why is the world asking them to do so much? I’ll tell you why–because teachers are willing to do it. Hell, some of them even love doing it!

Here is the thing about quality instructors and professors, even if they aren’t capable of being at the top of the professions they teach: they are willing to go into the classroom day in and day out to do their duty–helping students reach their personal and career goals. The classroom teacher is the grunt of the academic world, following orders and taking the risks for the sake of their students with little hope of reward. Yes, those who become tenured professors may see good salaries or if they are in a “high demand” area such as nursing or engineering, but many of the least paid general education instructors take the brunt of the criticism from students, parents, and administrators, even fellow instructors, because they teach the gateway classes like math and English that are often the hurdles that many community college students have trouble getting over.

Maybe teachers can’t do the one thing society values more than anything, making a lot of money, but the good community college teachers, the true teachers, do one thing that many are not willing to do these days. They show up.

• creating new lesson plans
• learning and using new educational technology
• enforcing academic integrity, when allowed
• entering the classroom daily without tenure, sometimes without contracts
• continuing despite unclear or unfollowed policies and procedures
• going on despite constant criticism and little praise
• enduring someone else’s idea of professional development
• sticking with it in the midst of distrust
• risking their livelihoods with few administrators whom they can turn to for support

Yes, they show up every day for people who often ignore them, despise them, or even mistreat them.

Many are choosing not to stay, and who can blame them? Others are staying, but any passion they had has cooled. Teaching has just become a job. However, I have found that more than a few, dare I say many, soldier on and fight, wondering to what purpose–until that student comes along–the one who stops by the office to ask a question, who brings an essay in to be honestly reviewed, who stays in the writing center until the knowledge breaks through. Once and a while, a teacher can make a class smile or laugh and learn all at the same time. Then, it is a good day.

Why do they do it? Why do they keep on keeping on?

The good teacher answers: “I can’t do much, but tomorrow, I am willing to walk into that classroom again and teach, because that is something, by God, I can do.”

And do well.