April 14 , 2015 /

THE BIG PAYOFF

Many of us go about our work without being concerned about the rewards of what we do. We have chosen a profession (or been chosen by it because it called to us) of serving others.  The point here is why we do what we do and that what we say and do are simply reflections of what we believe to be important and worthwhile.
I received a letter recently from a former student who claims to have been influenced by my “leadership” and while I believe that I was acting on behalf of the mission, vision and values of the school where he was a student, those were also my closely held beliefs about what is right, what is good and how people should treat one another.
This student of 25 years ago said that “the learning environment was electric. We were encouraged… to gain multi-cultural literacy and to follow the school’s motto,  ‘Courage for the deed, Grace in the doing’.  The assembly talks that you delivered were inspiring to those of us who were actually listening!  If my memory serves me correctly, you had a picture on your desk taken with the late Martin Luther King, Jr. , which made a significant impression on those of us who knew the story of your Detroit days. 

“You … inspired me to teach.  It has been 15 enjoyable years thus far, teaching such subjects as professionalism, ethics, and clinical practice to dental students and residents.  You also taught me to help those less advantaged in life.  I have dedicated a significant portion of my practice to treating children with intellectual, neurodevelopmental, physical and social disabilities.  These kids are often marginalized and over-looked in receiving the primary and specialty healthcare they deserve. “

The former student went on to relate a more personal story that was very meaningful and touching and then concluded by saying, “Please accept this short note as a token of thanks for your everlasting impact on my life.”   This kind of letter comes every now and then when you have had such amazing opportunities to be in this kind of environment of teaching and learning.   I was both surprised and humbled to receive the letter and shared it with my son, an outstanding science teacher in his own right of over 25 years.  And this is what my son wrote back to me:
“What a lovely letter. It is such an honor to be in a place of creating possibilities for students to recognize more of themselves, empowering their voices to speak up in support of truth seeking. I am amazed so often at the impact of the little things we do that are simply an expression of doing what is right. Nothing special, just the ordinary practice of being kind, of speaking out for justice, of sharing encouragement or offering understanding, celebrating courage or unique accomplishment – these simple ordinary acts can mean so much to someone when they happen to take place at just the right moment in just the right place. What a gift and privilege to be able to stand in that place over many years and keep up the care, keep conducting the Great Experiment in human learning and development. Thanks for sharing that marvelous expression of genuine gratitude and appreciation. It’s not why we do this work, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to get some acknowledgment every now and then that what we have done made a difference to someone.”
My hope is that every teacher and every educator can experience this kind of affirmation to know that what they do every day makes a difference and sometimes you might not know the results for years afterwards.  But, know this; it’s all worth every moment you have the chance to interact with your students and colleagues.  I had the blessings and benefits of 50 years of service and leadership.  May you enjoy much the same!

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