The Gift of the Memorable
Child
The child that is my challenge is a gift.
Only he can give me
the gifts of patience,
tolerance, and acceptance –
If I let him.
He will be the one to make
me into a true teacher.
And challenge my very
soul.
I can learn more from this
child
Than from much of my
college coursework –
If I choose to.
A child is not something
that is “broken”
For me to “fix”.
This child comes to me a
unique individual
Worthy of love – just as he
is.
Or be yet another to throw
my hands up?
Do I have it in me to maybe
be the one
that can make a
difference?
Is he maybe the one
that
will make a difference in me?
Will I choose to let him?
Cathy Abraham
(No child needs fixing but working with to mould to them to allow them to each their potential and find a safe place in the world)
Unity
I dreamed I stood
in a studio
And watched two
sculptors there.
The clay they used
was a young child’s mind
And they fashioned it with care.
One was a teacher
the tools she used
were books
and
music and art;
One was a parent
with a guiding hand
and a gentle
loving heart.
And when at last
their work was done
They were proud of
what they had wrought,
For the things they
had worked into the child
could never be
sold or bought.
And each agreed she
would have failed
if she had worked alone,
For behind the parent
stood the school,
and behind the teacher
stood the home
by Ray A. Lingenfelter
(Sometimes we think we are working alone, and have arrogance to think we are right as educators yet only the best outcomes occur when there is a partnership)
Searching
for Gold
Look
beneath the freckles
Look
beneath the grin
Look
for that which sparkles
Buried
deep within.
Look
beyond the whining
Look
beyond the tears
Look
beyond the runny nose
The
frowns, the mess, the fears.
Search
for that which glitters
Treasures
to unfold
Search
beneath the surface
Search
and find the gold!
by
Jean Warren
(Sometimes, just sometimes a child is difficult to love yet we must search beyond the difficulties to find what is precious and in doing so we find treasures in them and ourselves)
Drop a Pebble in the Water
Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is
gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on
and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out
to the sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going
to be.
Drop a pebble in the water: in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's
ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave
have grown;
You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a
stone.
Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is
gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on
and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the
center as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you've started
them to flow.
Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute you
forget;
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's
ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears
you've stirred,
And disturbed a life was happy ere you dropped that
unkind word.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it
is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on
and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing,
dashing wave
Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind
word you gave.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you
forget;
But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's joy
a circling yet,
And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music
can be heard
Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one
kind word.
James W. Foley
(In everything we do everyday we have a major impact on those around us especially children, this is a huge responsibility and sometimes we forget the little things we do have far reaching consequences in their lives others around them and in to eternity.)
Molder of Dreams
Teachers …
You are the molders of their
dreams,
the gods who build or crush
their young beliefs of right
or wrong.
You are the spark that sets
aflame the
poet's hand, or lights the
flame
of some great singer's song.
You are the gods of the
young, the very young.
You are the guardian of a
million dreams.
Your every smile or frown can
heal or pierce a heart.
Yours are a hundred lives, a
thousand lives,
yours the pride of loving
them, and the sorrow, too.
Your patient work, your
touch, make you the gods of hope
who fill their souls with
dreams
to make those dreams come
true.
(I do not believe I am a god, totally against my own beliefs by whether we like it or not in the eyes of children we can create this, think of the impact for good, bad and ugly we can mould. Never forget our position)
Anyway
People
are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive
them anyway.
If
you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be
kind anyway.
If
you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true friends;
succeed
anyway.
If
you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be
honest and frank anyway.
What
you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build
anyway.
If
you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be
happy anyway.
The
good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do
good anyway.
Give
the world your best anyway.
You
see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It
was never between you and them anyway.
Mother
Teresa
(In all things remember this, you may not see the results of this even in your lifetime and you may become complacent please do not!!)
