I have a weakness.
I always cry when I see another human being being abused or disadvantaged. My heart always goes out to the less fortunate. I was crying while watching Dream Potter on channel 8. I was sad when I see that one's dream cannot be fulfilled within his ability. I was touched when I see the kind hearted souls come forward to lend a helping hand and fulfill his dreams.
Everyone has dream. Everyone has plans for the future. Every parent has high hopes and big plans when their babies were born and wants the best in everything for their child. I can really understand this after my dear Nicole is born. So when I searched for an infant care centre for her, I made sure that it is a care centre that I can trust and put my heart at ease while I am away working. I chat with the care givers at the centre to check their knowledge in caring for infants and observed how they work as a team to take care of the babies.
Trust is something that the parents give when they send their children to our school (either by choice or not). So what will ensure that this trust exists or sustain? When the parents know that their children are in good hands. Meaning, good facilities, good educational programs and more importantly care givers who have sound knowledge of teaching and learning, care givers of good moral standing who are good role models for their children. Not much different from choosing an infant care centre, isn't it?
Since trust is bestowed upon the staff in the school, the staff should be the children's dream potters. But have all of us been truely the children's dream potters?
"With great powers come great responsibility". I truely felt this way today due to an incident in school. That is another story.
We know we are dream potters when we feel worn out at the end of the day, when we bring a smile to their face, when they are able to pursue their dreams when they leave school, when they continue to further study the subjects that we taught.
We fail to be dream potters when we stop reflecting deeply on our teaching practice, when we stop mentoring and grooming the young teachers, when we act in contradiction to our core values, when we stop encouraging them when the children falls, when we see them cry at the release of results.
Have you been a dream potter today?
This is a well written and thought through reflection on our core responsibility as an educator.
ReplyDeleteI was recently asked about my philosophy on educating pupils. I thought this was odd because I had assumed that my philosophy is clear and obvious. Apparently it wasn't. My core belief in education is our role as educators to build character in our pupils. The only single function that must remain central to all we do as teachers. Looks like we need to reiterate so that all teachers are clear again.
Your reflection points to the core value that teachers must have in order for trust to exist; the core value of Care. If teachers care enough for their pupils, they would
1. want to ensure that their pupils grow up anchored in sound values (R3ICH in our case). 2. ensure that they are taught the knowledge they need to develop into useful, contributing citizens.
3. admonish pupils with dignity.
When all these happen in a school, we can build trust amongst pupils, parents and teachers.
I am heartened by the reflections, from SMC and Maths department, that there is a growing positive culture being built. The challenging classes, 4N1, NAs, NTs, seem to be responding to the teachers who have
1. set high expectations and enforced them,
2. encouraged them with possibilities, believing in them,
3. sincerely reaching out to them to ensure their lessons are engaging.
This is a beginning of a trusting and caring culture they are building.
Here, you are on the spot about us being Dream Potters. We are (supposed to be). But are all of us?