Back in the day, another life, a different career, I was a
university professor preparing undergraduate and graduate students for their
teaching careers. I taught them how to teach reading, writing, listening, and
speaking to pre-K through eighth grade students.
I began each class with an introduction to me that included
the quotes I used to guide my life and decisions I made, specifically as it
related to education and teaching. I challenged them to write in their class content
journals the words they chose and to explain why and how those words influenced
them as teachers/future teachers.
I was disappointed, most of the time, at the lack of
reflection their choices showed. Most of them had clearly never considered
guiding words beyond their sacred texts. Not to diss sacred texts, but there
are other sources as well. But if the choice were words from their holy books,
I expected more than “These words are true.” I would push back with, “Why these
words in particular? What truth do they speak to you? How does that truth play out in your teaching choices and
decisions? Personalize this so it is not so generic.”
Orally, I modeled what I expected from them. I spoke my
words (as they were displayed) and told how my quotes guided me. How I was not
perfect at living up to my set of guiding words, but that having a moral
compass reflected in my guiding words meant that more often than not I acted in
concert with them.
Here are the quotes, that even now, years away from my
former profession, I resonate to:
I am only one.
Still, I am one.
I cannot do
everything.
Still, I can do
something.
Because I cannot do
everything,
I will not refuse to
do the something I can do.
Edward
Everett Hale
Treat every child as
if he already is the person he is capable of becoming.
Haim
Ginott
Even if I knew
certainly the world would end tomorrow, I would plant an apple tree today.
Attributed
to Martin Luther
What words guide you
in navigating the rapids, shoals, and still waters of life?
No comments:
Post a Comment