Reach. Educate. Inspire.

The week of November 12th is American Education Week.  In 1919, the NEA and the American Legion got together to think of a way to build public support for education.  We had just come off World War I and it was found that over 25% of the draftees who fought in the war were illiterate.  These organizations viewed this a need for our nation to bring an awareness to the importance of education.  In 1921 at the NEA Convention in Iowa, it was recommended to designate one week a year to educate the public on what was occurring within our public schools.  The first American Education Week was held in December of that year with the Legion and the NEA co-sponsoring the week.  The following year, the US Department of Education joined as a co-sponsor and the PTA joined in 1938.  There are currently over 10 more additional agencies which pledge their support to this week.

The theme for this year is "Reach.  Educate.  Inspire".  Three little words.  Three amazing things.  Three things that can be difficult to do.  Three tasks that can be overwhelming.

Reach

We are called to reach students of various backgrounds.  Our students vary in race, sex, socio-economic status, IQ, emotional well being, family backgrounds...this list goes on.  How do we reach students who vary so differently...not just from each other but also from us?  It is hard to tell a student "I understand" when so very often we don't.  We can't imagine what it is like for some of our students.  Despite all of this...we do end up reaching students.  We make relationships.  We show we care.

Educate

(Please see the paragraph above as all of that applies here too!)

You mean we have to do this on top of that? THIS is what our job is:  to educate.  But we know that it is SO much more than that.  We have to build relationships, help students find their voice, ensure they feel safe, know what they like...we have to do so many things before we can even begin to do what is considered our job.  We are so much more than educators.  For some students, we may feel like family.  Perhaps that is why we are exhausted.  We are doing so much more than just educating our students.

Inspire

Which of the three is the hardest?  If you do the first two, does this one just follow?  What is the recipe for this one?  As I have typed and retyped my thoughts on this one, I am thinking you have to have a big dose of reach in there to inspire students.  But then I think about when I was in school, it seemed teachers has a secret life we knew nothing about.  I think about all the things we know about our students and what they know about us.  When things are tough for us, our students know.  When things are tough for our students, we know.  I don't remember that as a student.  Was I less inspired by my teachers?  I don't know.  What do you think it takes to inspire?  Is it something that happens when you have all the right pieces in place or is something entirely different?

Is there another profession where we ask so much of people?  Maybe not.  We get the great gift of working with the future of our country.  We need to make sure we are reaching our students...that we are educating them...and that we are inspiring them to be the best they can be.

And remember to do the same for yourself...reach your goals...educate yourself...and inspire yourself to be the best you can be.