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Wednesday, September 16, 2015

A Reminder for Educators


The recent passage of the anniversary of the Tragedy of Terrorism of September 11th prompted my memories of that day. Here's a brief message I shared with our staff as we assembled the next morning before school in an effort to get back on our feet and regain our composure: (I happen to believe that the theme of the speech is one which teachers should subscribe to as a matter of course on a regular basis - which is also why I am sharing these thoughts)


"This is a day that will define us – not as educators – but as people. This is a day that we were not prepared for by college, but by our parents, family and friends. This is a day to ignore the scores on a test and concern ourselves with the test of our mettle.

Our school is special because of the people within it. You were each hired because of your care and compassion, commitment and cooperation. If we are determined to pursue a mission borne of fostering hope and feeding dreams, then we must sustain that belief throughout this day and those that follow.
Let us conduct ourselves with dignity and civility, sensitivity and faith. We must serve as purveyors of information, and reservoirs of understanding. Rest anchored to facts, not fiction; objectivity, not opinion.
When the school bell rings, on this day that the nation mourns, we may be judged - not by grades and points, but by hugs and tears. If we are resolved to a future of freedom, then we must remain strong, speak as one, and act for all.
Remember, people don't care about how much you know, until they know about how much you care."