Today, the Amazon Kindle store recommended to me a book called The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time by by Steven R. Covey. Always game to read something that will help me become a better teacher and a better parent, I bought it.
I have complained for so long that the problem with our educational system is not educational at all, but societal, that it has become habit. I still believe it, of course -- too many of America's children are raised with no boundaries and no responsibilities, so that this generation of school children has more than its fair share of coddled, enabled brats. But I've come to rely on this mantra a bit too heavily. I spout it without even thinking whenever someone mentions longer school days (or school years) or performance-based salaries for teachers.
Reading even just the first few pages of this book has made me remember something very important: Why I became a teacher. Being an athlete had made me a role model for others whether I wanted to be or not. As it turned out, I liked it, and I decided that I really wanted a career that served others. I wanted to be a hero, in my own way. I was in the process of sorting out how to become a firefighter when a teaching position fell into my lap. I loved it from the start.
I realize that I may be the only positive influence in a child's life. There have been times when this has made me feel a little bitter. Why should I have to be the one who teaches this kid right from wrong? Who encourages the kid to do his work and give his best effort? How can I be expected to do that without any support from his home?
What I need to remember is that, while this is a responsibility, to be certain, it is also an opportunity. Every child is capable of good character. Every child is capable of his best effort. Every child is capable of leadership in some way. And it is my privilege to help them realize that.
It's easy to blinded by behavior issues, unsupportive parents, and academic apathy, but I see the start of this school year as a gift. It's my chance to be a hero.
I have complained for so long that the problem with our educational system is not educational at all, but societal, that it has become habit. I still believe it, of course -- too many of America's children are raised with no boundaries and no responsibilities, so that this generation of school children has more than its fair share of coddled, enabled brats. But I've come to rely on this mantra a bit too heavily. I spout it without even thinking whenever someone mentions longer school days (or school years) or performance-based salaries for teachers.
Reading even just the first few pages of this book has made me remember something very important: Why I became a teacher. Being an athlete had made me a role model for others whether I wanted to be or not. As it turned out, I liked it, and I decided that I really wanted a career that served others. I wanted to be a hero, in my own way. I was in the process of sorting out how to become a firefighter when a teaching position fell into my lap. I loved it from the start.
I realize that I may be the only positive influence in a child's life. There have been times when this has made me feel a little bitter. Why should I have to be the one who teaches this kid right from wrong? Who encourages the kid to do his work and give his best effort? How can I be expected to do that without any support from his home?
What I need to remember is that, while this is a responsibility, to be certain, it is also an opportunity. Every child is capable of good character. Every child is capable of his best effort. Every child is capable of leadership in some way. And it is my privilege to help them realize that.
It's easy to blinded by behavior issues, unsupportive parents, and academic apathy, but I see the start of this school year as a gift. It's my chance to be a hero.
