Things I Want to Say to Other Teachers



     I would say to teachers, don’t be afraid.  Don’t be afraid to think differently, don’t be afraid to try new things, don’t be afraid to fail; miserably.  Pick yourself up and go at it again.  It won’t always work the way we believe it will when we are planning it out.  Our students have to know that as well.  We learn from our mistakes.
    I wonder if we interviewed the teachers that taught us, would they say that they were worried about the future?  Would they say that things were changing fast?  That they were worried about the ability of schools to keep up with a changing society?  Would they say that they were worried about us taking care of them in their old age?
    And yet, here we are.  In spite of ourselves.  Giving it a go.  We have become productive citizens.  I believe that our students, today’s students will too.  We have to believe in them.  We have to treat them “as if” they are already the people that we know that they can be.  Maybe, in doing so, we inspire them to be that person that they see inside of themselves.
    So, I would say to teachers, believe in your students.  Believe in their abilities.  Accept these students where they are, and push them to be better.  Challenge them to be become the people we know that they can be.

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