Teachers have been on my mind a lot recently, probably because of the movie "Waiting for Superman". So here is my own personal ode to those who continue to educate myself and others everyday.
I come from a family of teachers. My mom, my aunt, my cousin and countless friends are all in the business of educating our children. Recently my young daughter had the pleasure of being in a class with the passionate teachers pictured above, Matthew Wagner and Monica from Kidville. It was in this moment, as she became eager to attend class; I realized again exactly how powerful an amazing teacher is. Teachers have the ability to command attention and impart learning as if it is a gift.
Creativity expert, Sir Ken Robinson, says school should be children's bliss; a place to discover your passion. I wish that for this next generation. For a while, school was that for me. One of my favorite teachers was Mrs. Dixon. She taught my eighth grade history class. Her balance of compassion and love of her subject translated into a safe and fun place for me to shine.
I recently read an article by Tony Schwartz, President of The Energy Project, that listed four qualities great leaders have in regard to business but I think every great teacher has mastered these amazing gifts too. These are his words:
1.Great leaders recognize strengths in us that we don't always yet fully see in ourselves.
2.Rather than try to get more out of us, great leaders seek to understand and meet our needs, above all compelling mission beyond our immediate self-interest, or theirs.
3.Great leaders take the time to clearly define what success looks like, and then empower and trust us to figures out the best way to achieve it
4.The best of all leaders-a tiny fraction- have the capacity to embrace their own opposites, most notably vulnerability alongside strength, and confidence balanced by humility.
I've had other terrific teachers, including my mom, my friends, many co-workers and employees. I'm always eager to learn what life has to offer and I'd like to take this time to THANK all of the amazing teachers out there who inspire me and countless others all over the world to find their bliss.
Here are a few teaching websites I'm learning from now;
Teacher Christy Crawford's Top Teaching blog on Scholastic's website about technology in schools.
Jeffrey Bussgang and Dina Kaplan introduced me to DonorsChoose.org, an online charity connecting you to classrooms in need. You can donate money to help teachers right now!
And, the article that gives a personal experience regarding learning leadership skills I quoted above is here from the Harvard Business Review.
Thank you teachers!