Surrogate Teacher Moms

“Do you have any kids?” I once asked a teacher friend. “Absolutely,” she said. “I have a classroom full of them.” I laughed and walked away, but that thought stuck with me. Let’s face it – some of the best mothers in our lives weren’t our mothers, in the biological sense, at all. A surrogate mother is a person who takes on all or part of the role of a mother. That sure sounds like several educators I know.

Over the course of several decades I have talked with countless teachers who have uttered some variation of the same phrase to me – “Dan, I’m really worried about one of my kids.”  Of course, they were talking about their students. In response, I would listen, encourage, and offer some of the same advice I would give to parents. 

And as long as we are on this topic – I believe some of the best teachers in our lives were individuals without formal teaching degrees.  The point of this rant?  There are a whole host of “moms” who don’t get the credit they deserve.

Mothers nurture, support, teach, encourage and love. I’m guessing you know individuals who don’t have the “mother” label, but fit this description. I certainly do. And today I plan to reach out, tell them how I feel they are making a difference in the lives of their “kids” – and wish them a very happy Mother’s Day.

God bless all our mothers.