I came across this blog post by a former student. If I calculated correctly, she should be in grad school. She and her sister are both phenomenal students and most importantly great people. Every time you think you are not making a difference as an educator, something like this pops up. Here is the link to the whole blog:
Small
Favor
If someone asks you to do a small favor, carry that task out
as if some great king had assigned you a royal errand, and might then toss a
palace your way for a job well done.
When I first read this Hafiz quote it reminded me of something my middle school principal Dr. Frank Rudnesky would have said. My memories of him are numerous, but some that stand out are: if he heard someone say a negative comment about someone else, he would make the offender find five positive things to say and he told us never to walk around with the attitude of "I didn't make that mess/mistake, so I won't be cleaning it up/finding a way to fix the situation" (and urged us to act out this concept by picking up stray pencils in the hallways and bringing them to his office). He told a moving story of his early years as an educator, tutoring a girl with terminal cancer, his Renaissance program brought pop songs, ice cream, and singing teachers to the stage, and he cared, deeply, wholeheartedly, and visibly about anyone in his life - his staff, his coworkers, his students.
Most of all, he lived his words, tried to be a leader every day by setting an example for others, took life's small things as meaningful moments, and he had a smile for everyone.
"Learn now, soar for a lifetime" was the motto of Belhaven Renaissance. The cool part is, many of the students who once learned in his school are still soaring.
When I first read this Hafiz quote it reminded me of something my middle school principal Dr. Frank Rudnesky would have said. My memories of him are numerous, but some that stand out are: if he heard someone say a negative comment about someone else, he would make the offender find five positive things to say and he told us never to walk around with the attitude of "I didn't make that mess/mistake, so I won't be cleaning it up/finding a way to fix the situation" (and urged us to act out this concept by picking up stray pencils in the hallways and bringing them to his office). He told a moving story of his early years as an educator, tutoring a girl with terminal cancer, his Renaissance program brought pop songs, ice cream, and singing teachers to the stage, and he cared, deeply, wholeheartedly, and visibly about anyone in his life - his staff, his coworkers, his students.
Most of all, he lived his words, tried to be a leader every day by setting an example for others, took life's small things as meaningful moments, and he had a smile for everyone.
"Learn now, soar for a lifetime" was the motto of Belhaven Renaissance. The cool part is, many of the students who once learned in his school are still soaring.
