Friday, February 19, 2010

Teacher's Aid: "I Don't..."

This month I am doing a sermon series called "I Don't" couched around the concept of marriage.  Oftentimes, you will hear the phrase “I Do” at a wedding, so we’re used to that, but not “I Don’t”.    Examples are: “I Don’t Want Anyone Else” and “I Don’t Want You to Be Unprotected”.

As I have that on my mind, I thought about taking this into another realm, on of educators.  So, I have come up with a few “I Don’t” phrases for you to consider as you transform young minds…
I Don’t…Know All the Answers     ...Want to Give Up    ...Think You Can’t Do It     ...Want to Prejudge Students
You’ve went to school, you’ve experienced life, and you may have taught for a good while, but should you know all the answers?  Have you ever given an answer that you actually didn’t know?  I have.  However, there have been times that I’ve had to swallow my pride and say “I don’t know”.  You don’t look unknowledgeable, even thought you may feel it.  Rather, you appear real.  No human can know all the answers, even if it is in your field.  Try it sometime, don’t let pride get in the way.

I think all teachers, administrators, and staff have those days where they just want to pull their hair out.  Or those times in your life when you can’t wait for the school year to be over so you can  interview for another job. You are hoping to find a better place.  You rarely will.  You have the        opportunity to transform many lives in the place where you are teaching.  Don’t give up and keep on making a difference to the many kids you see each year!

Sometimes it is easier to give advice than to take it.  You may be compromising your values when you want to throw in the towel, but you try to tell kids not to give up. Each student has their   different needs and you have the opportunity to bring out the best in each child, even when they want to give up on themselves or say “I can’t”.  Maybe they cannot accomplish something right now, but they might be able to build up to accomplishing that feat in the future.  You’re belief in that child can make a world of difference.  The movie “The Ron Clark Story” comes to mind...great show!

I don’t know if it is true or not when I hear it, but I hate hearing students say that a teacher “hates” them.  I know the teacher never said that to them, but it is the student’s belief. It could be for a number of reasons.  Sometimes it may be because a teacher is creating boundaries that the student is crossing and the student doesn’t like the consequences.  However, if one, after looking at a student, decides to dismiss their learning abilities based on how they dress or carry themselves, then that can lead to bigger  problems.  May you see each as individuals, coming from different backgrounds, and different circumstances, even daily and help transform that young mind the best way you know how.

Pledge to say “I Don’t” this month as you continue on in your pursuit to transform young minds.

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