Commentary: Teachers spend a lot of time preparing for the new school year

They packed up their papers, ran back to pick up that one last thing for the bulletin board and got in their car.

They got out of the car again to run in their house or apartment to grab something to eat. They didn’t sleep much. They were up half the night thinking of everything they did not get done in preparation for the year.

They arrive in their classrooms, probably an hour early to get organized, add that one last thing to their lesson plan for the day and check the seating chart. They take time to wipe off the desks one more time, and then run to the restroom, which is usually yards away before the bell rings.

The bell rings and they stand at the door, greeting each student as they walk through, looking shy, looking questioning and looking excited and happy. The teachers just then start to breathe and feel the apprehension that they have felt for the last week melt away.

The year has begun.

In this one year, they will be frustrated over new programs they will have to learn, probably without the materials they need to teach it. They know that these programs will not help Jake who wears the same jacket every day and can’t make eye contact, Sheila who has evidence of cutting herself, Max who is a bully and Kyle who is bullied constantly.

In this one year, these teachers will spend hours investigating the reasons behind Jake, Max, Sheila and Kyle’s issues. They will call home many times, have conferences with parents, contact psychologists, speech teachers and sometimes have to call the authorities.

In this one year, teachers will bring clothes for kids, buy lunches, help families, shelter kids in their classes at lunch and, after school, listen, listen and listen to kids.

In this one year, teachers will spend hundreds of dollars on materials, hundreds of hours making plans for what they think will be great lessons and occasionally be disappointed in them, and then turn around and create the greatest learning experience on the spot.

In this one year they will follow the new plans for preventing horrifying tragedies. There will be new rules regarding entering school. There will be new plans for protecting students, and these teachers will think every day about what they would do if the warning is sounded.

What will happen to Will who just went to the bathroom, or Kate who had to go to speech and might be in the hall? They will wonder if they will have time to follow the instructions, and only then they will spend a second being concerned that something might happen and worry about being brave enough.

In this one year, these teachers will inspire, excite, enliven, stimulate and enlighten their students. Experts project that robots will take over a third to a half of the jobs of real people in the next 10-20 years.

What robots will never be able to do is to create a real teacher.

Retired teacher SANDY ASPER lives in Newport Beach.