I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the
decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather.
As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or
joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can
humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that
decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child
humanized or de-humanized. ~Dr. Haim Ginott
I have been teaching now
for twenty-one years…twenty-one long, challenging and extremely rewarding
years. During this time, I have seen
many changes in education - on local, state, and national levels. I have taught through a number of administrative
changes – from principals, superintendents, governors and presidents. They all seem to come and go, but here I
remain…same little town, same little school. My journey is with these students…these
siblings and, now, children of former students.
After so many years, I
have come to know their stories - their struggles, their triumphs, their challenges,
and their celebrations. I have seen their
tears and heard their laughter. I have
felt both their anger and their hugs. Even
the children and families I am meeting for the very first time…their stories
are familiar.
All teachers know these
stories because that’s what we do…we listen, we watch, we wait, we nudge, …we
are present.
Over the past twenty-one
years, I have had children who were homeless, hungry, abandoned, ignored, angry,
violated, and medically fragile. I have
conferenced with parents who were discouraged, addicted, overwhelmed, suicidal,
and illiterate. Despite all these
barriers, my job remains to educate these children –to motivate, encourage,
support, inspire, and nurture them. But, like Chicago teacher, Allie Griffin…
"I teach…. because I leave my job every day knowing
that I gave a lot, but was given [so much] more".
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