I dedicate this to dedicated teachers.......

Upon pondering the other day and observing my at-the-time teacher associate who is amazing, I realized that the teaching profession is not just that, not just a profession per-se but a lifestyle.  Being a teacher doesn't require a dedication but IS a dedication.  It is a dedication that I am pondering whether or not I am fully prepared to embrace, whether or not I really can embrace it.  Don't get me wrong, I am in love with teaching and guiding, inspiring, leading, caring and all the many other wonderful things involved with being a teacher.  What I am talking about is the always-in-the-forefront of your mind, dedication to students.  I am not sure as I am writing this if dedication is really the right word.  To be more specific, while supervising our class of students in the gymnasium I noticed that my mind was wondering at times to things like: what was I going to make for dinner that night, or when was my five year old's tooth was going to fall out or how many hours of sleep was I going to catch up on over the weekend.  While I was doing this mind-wandering I was jolted back into reality regularly when my associate would yell across the gym "great try" or "you did such a great job on that one" or " how are you today?" as a student would pass by.  Why wasn't I thinking or saying these things?  It seems to me that a teacher is someone who gives their whole "being" to others.  They are so self-less.  Am I prepared to be that?