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Appreciation post: My kid's teacher changed how I see my own job

I was at a school thing for my daughter last week, and her teacher asked what I did for work. I gave my usual line, 'I fix fridges and washers, nothing fancy.' She stopped me and said, 'That's not nothing. You're the person who stops a family's week from falling apart when their food spoils or they can't do laundry. That's a big deal.' I've been doing this for twelve years, mostly in the Tacoma area, and I always just saw it as swapping parts. But hearing her put it that way... it hit different. She made it sound like a real service, not just a trade. Now when I go on a call, I think about that family's week instead of just the broken thermal fuse. Anyone else have a moment that made you see your daily work in a new light?
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5 Comments
sean_green44
sean_green442mo agoMost Upvoted
Teachers see the real value in things.
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sage_moore37
Used to think teaching was just about facts and homework. Then I saw my kid's teacher point out how the quiet kid in the back was a great mediator during group projects. She wasn't just grading a worksheet, she was spotting the future peacekeeper. Honestly changed how I see the whole job. They're not just covering material, they're reading the room and naming the real skills people are building.
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pat_moore
pat_moore1mo ago
Reminds me of sage_moore37's point about that teacher.
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willowg88
willowg882mo ago
Yeah, I mean sean_green44 is right. It's like we get so used to our own jobs we miss the point of them. That teacher just named the real thing you do, which is way bigger than the task.
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angelaw78
angelaw782mo ago
Exactly, it's all about seeing the bigger picture.
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