Becoming and then, being a teacher, has been one of my proudest accomplishments.
Over the last quarter century as an educator, I’ve learned and grown, and improved both as a person and a teacher turned principal.
My values have also evolved. I used to think it important to be all-knowing and a source of information. It was easy to play the role of “the smartest” person in the room, especially since I was surrounded by eight year olds.
I’ve also evolved in my thinking on what’s most important in school.
Spoiler alert:
It’s not homework, or grades, or compliance.
It’s learning.
And it’s more than learning for the Friday spelling test that we practiced for all week. nor is it the math or reading unit test two times a quarter.
That said, there are several values that, should a teacher instill in students throughout a school year or a career of teaching, that will prove to make that teacher’s legacy one of honor and respect. And these values transcend any classroom or school an any school year for that matter.
Be curious.
Be empathetic.
Be a person who can take aspects of learning in one area to another.
Be someone who is always wanting to learn more, outside of school.
Be someone who thrives on and is fueled by their continuous curiosity and desire to learn, without pressure that there is an end to it that results in a final grade or score or an obligation to anyone but themselves.
If, as a teacher, this is the kind of student that results, a lifelong learner, than I will have considered myself s success in the classroom. Students should never remember more about the content they learned than the memory of the feeling they got when they recall it.