[Bob Steele]

I just wanted to add my piece to what has been said.
If you want to get teachers involved, you have to get them to a competition. This is where it all comes together and where they will see that effort on their part will bear fruit.

Being an active participant in this effort is enormously time-consuming and we all want to see some result. I am not talking about awards and such... but I am talking about results from students. When I see my students looking at themselves in a different way, being more confident, becoming leaders in the school and actively pursuing careers in engineering and technology I see what all of my and the other teachers efforts are for.

One other thing to remember, in FIRST most of the attention is given to the volunteer Mentors, and rightly so...they put in extraordinary effort in a situation that is totally volunteer. Unfortunately, most students and parents see the teachers as doing this because its part of their job. This is simply not the case. The teachers are doing just as much as the mentors and working behind the scenes. We don't get paid either... and many times when the team needs that last pneumatic cylinder or those extra fasteners or the extra shipping expense or drayage or whatever, its the teachers that keep it going .. out of their own pockets... so please please please... thank the teachers... write a letter to the superintendant or the principal, mentioning the effort of your teacher, write a thank you, and at the very least... thank them personally yourself... most teachers live for this... they don't want much...

sorry to get on my soap box...
I just know what it is like to make a team happen, take care of everything, and receive nothing but complaints in return..... but when that 1 student says thank you I forget all about the complaints... and I remember why I decided to do this in the first place..

Its a tough job and very intimidating to a teacher who has little if any engineering experience...

Most teachers are not in it for the income,
But they are definitely in it for the outcome


thanks
B