I have a friend who abbreviates his considerable work responsibilities thusly: I get paid to think.
Huh. Obviously his work isn't encompassed by that brief infinitive, but this is apparently his true north.
Naturally this gets me thinking about me (ALL roads lead me back to me. What? You haven't noticed this?) and wondering.
What am I paid for?
Like everyone, I think about my tasks. Then I think about the tremendous responsibility I have to deliver skills and knowledge. And then I think about the privilege it is to be trusted with shaping the futures of these precious children. I hope I never, never lose sight of the bigger mission. I can't be concerned only with "teaching."
My true north has to be standing for something that is right, and productive, and joyful.
Sorry. Heady stuff for 6:00 AM. (MDT)
I have said to my student teacher that when she is faced with the choice of plunging on with her planned lessons, or confronting a class problem with ethical implications, she must stop and think about her higher goal. We have public education so that we can have productive, honorable, contributing citizens.
I made a point of saving this quote from an emotional middle school teacher:, Doug Wilhelm.
"I see my charge, public school to me, the whole idea of public education,is to create citizens who are self-sufficient and who have a sense of civic virtue. They have rights, and everyone talks about that, but they also have responsibilities, and I take that seriously. That's what I try to instill in my students. I want them to have inquiring minds. Ignorance isn't OK."
My true north might be that I get paid to inspire.
2 comments:
Once when I worked at the French school, one of the French teachers and I were doing recess duty together. After yelling at a couple of kids she turns to me and says, "In another life we could be standing at a water cooler and talking. Instead we're paid to tell kids to quit throwing pine cones at each other."
xoxo
Hi! I Found your blog and would love to talk to you regarding your daughter and how she is doing. I am 20 weeks pregnant and my baby has been diagnosed with dandy walker. I am a mess and not sure what to do. my email is crismarch7@hotmail.com. thank you!
Post a Comment