I am, of course, a teacher. Always have been and always will be. But in June of 2000 I took the terrifying step of leaving the regular classroom in search of another way to make a difference. Another way to teach.

And on that day I set myself a goal: To direct 1,000 people into the field of teaching through poetry, persuasion, perseverance, and passion. Teaching is the most important job there is. It may not pay what it should, but there are other rewards; and if you think you have what it takes you should consider it. In the beginning, my record keeping was a little haphazard. And my standards were vague for what qualified as “creating a teacher.” But for the most part, everyone on The Teachers list claims my work is at least partly responsible for why they chose to walk the noble path of teaching.

Many veteran teachers want to be included on the list. They write to me saying that although I may not have influenced their decision to teach, I certainly inspired them NOT TO QUIT! I am honored by such comments, and I may well start such a list in the future, but this list is only for new teachers. So it would be cheating to count anyone who was ALREADY a teacher when they discovered my work.

So What About You? Click the link and fill out the web form if you think you should be counted. I have no idea how long how long it will take me to achieve this goal. I had originally intended for it to be completed by 2006. I failed. But I’m still plugging away, and I will gladly do so for the rest of my life.

If you’re a journalist, and this story appeals to you, I invite you to help me spread the word.