I just finished watching a TED Talk by Margaret Heffernan entitled Why It’s Time To Forget about Pecking Order at Work. She is an engaging speaker who shares her thoughts in a concrete and logical way. At one point she stated, “Bringing out the best in others is how they found the best in themselves.” Doesn’t that statement encapsulate what teaching is at its core? Although Heffernan was speaking about the business world, her words are equally applicable to the field of teaching and learning. Regardless of whether we are pre-K teachers or college professors, each and every educator should seek to help their students become their best selves, and in doing so, we become better teachers and, I believe, better people. A few years ago I received an award for teaching. As nice as it was to receive that award, my enthusiasm over that etched piece of glass that gathers dust on my shelf pales in comparison to the moments that I recall where my students were truly successful. Helping my students to find success, especially in an area where they thought they were incapable, is why I love what I do. I am humbled to have been allowed to do what I love for so many years.
Reference
TED Talks. (2015, June 16). Why it’s time to forget about pecking order at work [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Vyn_xLrtZaY
Growing my Classroom 