As I sweated through my suit in my 95-degree classroom, it occurred to me that I had never been truly nervous for the beginning of school until I became a teacher. As a new teacher, I lacked the experience to have good judgment, but I made up for it with perseverance. As a teacher, I want to be the mentor to my students who breaks down barriers, rather than builds them up. I want to teach kids to break the line, rather than stand in line. It is not enough to teach kids how to read when the natural world that sustains us is in critical condition.