New school year starting - a message for teachers....

The vacations are almost over and the new school year is starting - at least in Northern Hemisphere calendar schools. Those outside of education have little understanding of what teachers have to do to prepare for a new school year.
It requires great effort, it is an exciting time, yet can also feel daunting.
But know this. What teachers do is the most important job in the world - causing learning to occur in the newer generations. Not just "brain" learning, but "heart" learning too. How to get along with others, how to build good habits, how to learn in the future... and much more.
Here are two messages to inspire you, to show your worth and to recognise the supreme act of faith, the sacrifice that teachers make.
The first comes from Bak Fun Wong who I had the privilege to work with on a school visit recently:
"Anyone can see the seeds in an apple, 
but teachers can see the apples in a seed".
Here is his version in Chinese characters:

And the second comes from the ESSARP 2017 conference I have attended in Buenos Aires (which had the theme Learning with Mind and Heart), putting together a statement from Sir John Jones' great presentation about how teachers are weavers of magic:
"Teaching is a supreme act of faith - you will never sit under that tree", and I add "nor will you eat its fruit".
But rest assured, you will make a fantastic difference in the most important job in the world.
Good luck with the preparations - good luck with changing the lives of your students for ever, weave that magic and never stop learning.