Father forgive me...

Now, I'm akin to a Catholic priest. I'm a pedophile, I get away with it and that's how I like it.

According to an article by The Associated Press teachers are nothing more than a festering sore of pedophilia and sexual misconduct. I am not trying to make excuses for those people who abuse their roles as an educator. In fact, I believe people who perpetuate the myth that it is okay to have a personal relationship with their students should lose their license to teach.

One so-called expert stated that in each school district in our country there lies a predator just waiting to get his/her teeth into the right student. I know most of the people I work with on a daily basis, but I confess I don't know what is in their hearts. Truthfully, can we know the thoughts of any person unless they act upon them?

In my school district, a number of years ago, a teacher was charged with having an inappropriate relationship with a ten year old female student. The guy lost his certification, license to teach, and was sent to prison for two years. I realize it does happen. It is sad to say, but mostly the family was excited by the large settlement they received from the school district in compensatory and punitive damages. The school system decided to settle the case quietly, after it became quite a media spectacle. The family had bigger lawyers than O.J. Simpson did during his murder trial. And, you guessed it, they worked pro bono, just waiting for the money to roll in and get their names on the television.

But it is unfair to characterize an entire profession based on the actions of a few questionable individuals. There are people who will abuse their position in ever profession, from doctors, to lawyers, to ministers. I have been guilty of making jokes about priests in the Roman Catholic Church, but do I honestly believe they are a cesspool of perverts?

Of course not.

I have worked very hard for my station in life. I put in many hours of study, years of hard work, and took many, many standardized exams to wear the hat of an educator. Each morning, I put on my teacher I.D., which hangs around my neck. It may sound silly, but it represents my authority and my charge. I show it to students when they misbehave or question my decisions and authority. Many times, I simply have to touch it with my finger and a troublemaker settles down. There are no words, just an understanding. Like a king or queen of long ago, who might have worn an obscenely large gold necklace around his/her neck holding a pendant representing their authority, or a coronation ring on their finger to remind their subjects of their absolute sovereignty, my teacher I.D. is the same to me.