“It is our job
as educators to help children. In all
that we do, if we cannot help a child grow, then we should certainly not hurt
them in their exploration of growth.”
This school
year begins the journey of nurturing another group of students! When we consider all of the responsibilities
of education, one of the greatest of these is our ability to help and protect
the students that we encounter.
When I began
teaching, I worked with a seasoned educator that would ask students often, “was
that to help or to hurt?” This resonated
with me on so many levels because I don’t think we begin the process of
internalizing our impact on children as much as we should. Or, I should say, maybe I don’t!
When we ask
children to learn a new concept or challenge their views on a subject, we are
asking them to step outside of their comfort zone and trust that our way is “stronger”
or “more effective”. However, many times
we don’t realize the amount of trust that a student has to have in order to take our “word for it”.
As educators,
we help our children so much when we open our minds to their need to see our
investment in their development. This
certainly provides a level of interest that is beyond simply saying, “I believe
in you.” It involves the action of
actually believing!
When we teach
with passion, we help our students grow and trust in our actions. When we help them grow and trust the learning
process, we become a participant in their overall growth process. If we can’t do anything but involve students
in the process of growth this year, let’s do that! In all that we do, let’s encourage our
children to explore their ability to grow beyond their imagined potential.