Leaving your mark

It's interesting that sometimes one will see the same theme in statements from totally different places. That's what happened to me recently.

First, I received a note from my father mentioning this quote. "Every man is either making a mark or leaving a scar. We need to make sure we leave the mark God desires." (Freddie Scott) I found this very insightful and moving, repeated it to a few people and Twittered it to my "network." Didn't think much about it again for a week or so.

Then, I noticed this theme again in, of all places, an introduction to the Oct/Nov 2009 edition of "Handy" magazine, published by Handyman Club or America. In it, Larry Okrend, Executive Director of HCA says (page 6) "In a world where so much is soullessly churned out in factories, it might be good practice for all of us to sign our work in some fashion. If you derive a sense of accomplishment from your projects, leave a maker's mark as a small reminder of your creativity, productivity, and dedication to a job well done."

Even though neither of these quotes were intended as guides to us as educators, they can be directly applied. Replace "man" with "teacher" in the first quote, and re-read it. It emphasizes the awesome responsibility we have to shape young minds in a positive manner, or risk damaging them if we do it wrong. I don't know about you, but to me that's a very sobering thought, one that none of us should take lightly.

Then, think of being proud enough of your work in the classroom to "sign" it. Is it just "...good enough for Government work..." or a real work or art? Are you bringing energy into the classroom, or simply going through the motions to get through the day/week/quarter/career? Are your students better for having been in your class today/this week/year?

We should make this an "objective" in every lesson plan taught in every classroom every day. What type of mark will you leave in YOUR classroom this week?