This is a post about you. That’s right, you and your teaching and the difference you make. It’s not something that we like to talk about. Teachers are humble and hardworking, and behind the scenes we do whatever it takes to support our kids. Butyou make a difference. Every single day. On the good days, the hard days and the days that feel like some kind of crazy chaos, you make a difference.
That conversation you have with your student on the way to the cafeteria, talking with him about his dog? He’ll remember that. The way you slip a few dollars into her lunch account so she can have a hot lunch today? She doesn’t even know you do it, but she feels loved.
The excitement you show when the experiment works out and the liquid bubbles over means they all get excited too. And when that experiment doesn’t work out? They’re looking to you to see how you handle it. You show them that mistakes are what learning is about, and they learn that it’s OK.
Sharing your hobbies, your passions and your goals with your students shows them that you are a learner too. Your example ignites their passions and fires up their desire to find their own hobbies and goals.
The time you took to know each of your students on an individual level, to celebrate their growths, and to remind each and every one in some way that they are a part of your classroom? It matters so much to them all.
Your honesty when you don’t know the answer, or your desire to learn more about their questions? It’s all making a difference. A difference that you may not see for many years, or even ever know in a tangible way. But it’s there. Day by day, moment by moment. One connection at a time, teachers make the world a better place.
Day by day, moment by moment, it’s so easy for this to get lost. Lost in a stack of papers. Lost in a series of conversations about strategies and objectives. Lost in the roller-coaster downhill slope of the end of the school year. But it’s there. Connect with your kids and you’ll be reminded. The best reminder of all. You make a difference.
Krissy Venosdale is an Innovation Coordinator, creative spirit and lifelong learner. She works every day toward making a world where all kids have the opportunities to pursue their greatest passions and are inspired to dream big. She shares her heart and soul of learning at venspired.com.