I know the true purpose of the teaching profession is to educate children. I get that. However, I've always felt there is an equally important goal--not just educating them, but caring for them; not just nurturing the mind, but caring for the overall well-being of a child. I also get that there's a balance between the two that every teacher has to find. If I tried to fix every child's problems, we'd get no learning done at all. But still... I feel like it's a priority.
It made my heart smile to know I came to a student's mind during a discussion of "who we go to with our problems." While it's not in my job description, if my kids know I'm there for them, in a sense that's more important to me than knowing I taught them the most Spanish they've ever learned.
I have a paper taped to the side of my computer that faces my seat at Sims--"Teacher's Prayer." It has been a huge encouragement to me, especially here in a semi-difficult environment with more-than-semi-difficult children. The first few lines are particularly fitting for how I feel as a teacher.
"Lord, let me be just what they need.
If they need someone to trust, let me be trustworthy.
If they need sympathy, let me sympathize.
If they need love (and they do need love),
let me love, in full measure."
A few lines down, it says, "Help me to... temper the rambunctious with a gentle attitude." Yeah... that's the harder part.
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