Inspire!

I think this is the desire of all teachers. We want to "inspire;" we want to guide students to realize what they are capable of. That is my philosophy. Sure, I want students to learn, but without them knowing their own potential, what good is feeding them information? What are they going to do with the information? Why do they have to learn this "stuff?" As educators, we are blessed with the opportunity to nurture. Children are faced with thousands of stimulants each day. Don't you think they are overwhelmed? I know I am, and I don't even have to fit extracurricular practices/games into my day, social drama, unstable home life, and the mounds of other distractions students are faced with on a daily basis. I know there will be a hot meal sitting on my table at home each night when I get home. I know when I walk into my home after a long day, it is safe. Wouldn't it be nice if all of our students got to have that security? Sometimes, the only stability and security they get is when they walk into that school every morning. Students need to know that just because they are faced with a current situation, that is not their destiny. It is our job, as educators, to care for these children and show them the way or better yet, that there is a way. The bonus is, we get to love them.

Our students have the power to be successful, sometimes, they just don't know it yet.