For a school teacher to be successful, he or she must be innovative, flexible and patient. In many ways, today's teachers must not only instruct their students, but perform lesson plans in ways that stimulate and take hold of young minds. In the course of one school day, an educator may act as tutor, entertainer, counselor and reassuring friend.

According to a government report released this week, the federal stimulus packaged has helped to save or create about 4,000 education jobs in Texas alone, over the last several months, the Houston Chronicle reports.

The successes in job preservation are notable because the state has only doled out $29 million, or less than one percent of its $5 billion in education stimulus funds, to school districts. Thus far, the spending has created new jobs for teachers, counselors, nurses, librarians and aides.

"We will ultimately spend every penny and our job creation numbers will rise rapidly," Debbie Ratcliffe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency, told the news source "It's just early in the process for us."

Nationwide, states have reported saving or creating 325,000 education-related jobs due to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.