“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
~Henry Brooks Adams
This evening after a long, emotionally challenging day, and a hard set of stairs at 1001 steps I needed to just sit back and do something a bit mindless. You know those days, right?
So… I headed on over to Facebook. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of amazing educators who share inspiring things on Facebook and overall, I find it to be a wonderful place to connect and share. Sometimes, though, you can find some mindless things on Facebook as well. Tonight, for instance, I came across a survey entitled, “Can We Guess Your Job?” Well, that made me chuckle and I thought, “OK, why not!” So, off I went to take the little quiz of 10 multiple choice questions.
Once I finished the quiz, the survey came up with what it thought my job would be based upon my chosen answers…. Psychotherapist. At first I got a bit of a chuckle at this response because, yes, my role as an elementary administrator can be quite challenging. According to Wikipedia, the purpose of psychotherapy
“is the exploration of thoughts, feelings and behavior for the purpose of problem solving or achieving higher levels of functioning.[1] Psychotherapy aims to increase the individual’s sense of his/her own well-being. Psychotherapists employ a range of techniques based on experiential relationship building, dialogue, communication and behavior change that are designed to improve the mental health of a client or patient, or to improve group relationships (such as in a family).”
Yes, that is definitely a big part of my role as an administrator. That would also likely be the role of many educators, including teachers and support workers. That is not their only role, however. They have countless other titles including: mom, dad, social worker, nurse, doctor, psychologist, counsellor, support-worker, cheer-leader, coach, and many other titles as well, I’m sure.
The role of educators need not be underestimated. Our jobs are highly complex and ever-changing and evolving. I can truly say that not one day is the same as the next. Even with the challenges of our job as educators, we need to constantly remember the power we have to make each and every day a new day for our students and colleagues. Each day we start fresh and contemplate,
“Teachers who inspire realize there will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping-stones; it all depends on how we use them.”
~Author Unknown
And remember also,
“What a teacher writes on the blackboard of life can never be erased.”
~Author Unknown
We, as educators, have a very important, complex, every-changing and evolving job. Our job is challenging, and yet, can be very rewarding as well. It can make us upset, but also fill our hearts with joy. We can be frustrated or we can figure out a way. We can stumble on the rocks ahead or use them as stepping-stones.
Thank you to all you amazing educators and leaders in education for the difference you make in your many roles and “jobs” you take on each and every day. You truly do make a difference in the lives of your students and colleagues!
Happy belated World Teacher’s Day!
It's All About Learning 