The Power of Teaching

I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a student's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations it is my responsible that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a students humanized or dehumanized.

                                                                                                                        -Haim Ginnot



What do you make?

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argues, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminded the other dinner guests what people say about teachers:
                 "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."
To corroborate his point he said to another guest; "Steve, you're a Health and PE teacher. Be honest. What do you make?"

Steve, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness, replied, "You want to know what I make?

I make kids develop self-awareness, confidence, and character so they won't be influence by the uninformed like you.

I make them appreciate their amazing minds and bodies and desire to take care of them for the rest of their lives.

I makes kids develop thoughts of empowerment.
I make them demonstrate empathy and caring.
I make them develop lifelong fitness skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
I make them willing to accept and respect diversity.

I make kids understand the impact a healthy lifestyle can make on the quality of their life and those around them.

I make them appreciate leaning, invention, and risk taking.

I make them think critically, creatively, and logically to make informed decisions.

I make kids healither.

"I make them understand that ifyou have the brains, and follow your heart, if someone ever tried to judge you by what you makie, you must pay no attention because they just didn't learn.

Now, would you like to know my take home pay? Well, every letter, every smile, every hug, every class picture, and every thank you is my pay checl and any single one is worth ten times what your are paid."

Steve paused and then continued, "You want to know what I make? I make a difference. What do you make?"

What do you make?