You are making a difference, Teach!

Have you ever felt like you're not making a difference as a teacher?  Have you ever doubted the impact you're making?  Educators, I hope this message helps motivate and inspire each of us to know that our teaching is making a difference.

Meriwther Lewis (of the Lewis and Clark expedition) may not have been an educator in the traditional sense, but he did a lot to educate the world about the West.  We can learn a lot from him about not doubting the positive impact our teaching is having.  If you want to learn more about him, here's the link to a book or audio book about him.  I've also linked a recognition desktop decoration you can get yourself or a colleague to remind you that just like Lewis, you are having a positive impact and making a difference.

 

Anyway, following is the lesson we can learn from Lewis: Lewis did a lot to lead to our current happiness as a country as well as to advance our knowledge. . .Yet a few years after the expedition he felt like a failure in these ways specifically, stating that “I had as yet done but little to further the happiness of the human race, or to advance the information of the succeeding generation.”  This statement was AFTER the expedition where he created maps, named and illustrated wildlife and plants, developed peaceful relationships with Native Americans, paved the way for the settlement of the West, and so on. 

In other words, Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition felt like a failure--even though he has gone down in the annals of history as one of the most accomplished explorers of all time.  

Most of us educators also feel like failures at times as well.  We fail to help a group of students; we fail to reach testing demands; we fail to please administrators or parents; we fail to help a student reach the potential we see inside; the list can go on and on.  Whatever the reason--to borrow the terms of Meriwether Lewis--we feel like we’ve failed to advance the happiness or the information of the next generation.  

Lewis advanced the happiness and information of the next generation to an immense degree—even though he didn’t feel like he had.  THE SAME GOES FOR YOU! You are making a difference--even when you (or even others like admin or parents or colleagues) don't see it.   Again, I say you are making a difference regardless of whether or not you feel like you are.  Keep it up!

If you are looking for more encouragment for teaching, you might enjoy my blog post entitled "You are one, Teach". (Click here to view it.) You might also enjoy just browsing my blog archive to read all the uplifting messages

As always, hang in there, Teach!
Happy Teaching,
Frank

P.S. If you enjoyed this content, you can receive each post I publish by filling in the "follow by email" box at the top right (on the desktop version of the site)

(Click to see the resources I've created)