Why is it that we chose this profession? Surely it is not so we can disseminate information to children? To be carriers of curricular knowledge? Doubtful. We chose to be educators because of the influence we have in the lives of children. For many of us, there was an adult who had this same influence on us when we were young, drawing us into this profession of care.
I recently heard Bishop Motiuk speak about Pope Francis. As we left for the afternoon, he challenged us to, “Go be Pope Francis.” Go out and live the gospel. Go and add a smile and some warmth to someone’s day. Do what is right even when no one is looking.
Each day we teach our students. Some lessons can be found in the curriculum. Many more though are incidentals: timely life lessons taught day in and day out. Lessons about fairness and patience, cooperation and care, humility and hope. With Pope Francis as our guide, we reach out to those who need us most. In his words, “Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us. This is what I do. And I do it with my heart.”
An apt piece about inspiration in terms of having it and “being” it! This is what makes teaching so important, as one never quite knows his or her own power.