Taking to this post, I realize that I haven’t put pen to paper in quite a while. Reflecting on the reason why; I suppose I have been preparing my heart to pour out what it has been longing to say for quite some time now. It is my humble and honest hope that I can use the platform of this blog to not only share teaching ideas and knowledge of matters relating to remedial and inclusive education, but also to inspire and uplift a community of those educators who feel the every day pressures, doubts and fears that go hand in hand with the weight of our responsibility. For I too am on a journey, one that sees me riding wave after wave of emotion daily, and it is in sharing my real life experiences and thoughts that I hope to relate to and enlighten others. So after a a brief hiatus from writing…here it goes….

As a South African, a teacher, a Christian; a war has been raging on in my heart for a while now. It is with a deep sadness that I acknowledge the plight of so many women, children and foreign nationals in my beloved homeland at the moment. I have constantly found myself in a position of defending my country and my choice to stay and not teach elsewhere because myself and my husband feel called to do a greater work in this country that we choose to still believe in. However, recent events have really challenged me to my core. As shocking headline after shocking headline seemingly steamrolled South Africans and the world over this week, negativity, fear, anxiety and frustration washed over and I, like many others, felt drained by the sheer emotion of it all. Having shared previously about my nature as an empath, I often find myself struggling under the weight of the fears, anxieties and frustrations of others as well as that of my own. Part of my journey has been reaching a point of embracing this side of me for it means that I as a person and a teacher truly DO care. I care with a deep passion but acknowledge that at times, (many a time in fact), I do lack the courage and boldness needed to actively pursue what needs to be done in the fight for social justice within our greater society. Do I think I make a difference in the lives of those I teach and I have taught? Yes. Do I think I could be making more of an impact towards a greater society as a whole? Definitely!

For every pebble thrown into the water, there is a ripple effect. I choose to see the children that cross my path as pebbles, pebbles that when dropped into the ocean can create far more than just a ripple but a tsunami of change and positivity. I have to believe this if I am to have any faith in the future generation of leaders, parents, caretakers and change makers. It is with this image in mind that I feel how we nurture and care for those pebbles before we release them into the ocean is heavily dependent on what we as the adults in their lives choose to model and focus on.

Teachers, rather than focusing on producing A+ students and a praiseworthy reputation, let’s shift our focus onto producing a generation of critical thinkers and morally driven doers. Instead of focusing all our energy on teaching children to count, let us teach them what counts the most…living a life of:

Honesty

Integrity

Accountability and responsibility

Respect for ALL life

Kindness

Generosity

Politeness

Diligence

Yes, I am aware that it is NOT the sole responsibility of us as teachers to instill these values and principles in our children alone, but as those who are in a position of direct influence – let us never underestimate the value of our purpose. Strive to create meaningful relationships with each and every one you teach in an environment where they feel they belong and are understood. In helping them to feel loved, valued and understood, we are planting seeds of sincerity, respect and kindness from which all others values can flourish and bloom from the same tree. Get to know your children by name and heart, encourage character building and acknowledge acts of good deeds and kindness rather than praising high marks alone. Let us discipline with love along with consistency and fairness and not with frustration and misunderstanding.

Parents, may you seek to work side by side with your child’s teachers in support of them and not against them because believe it or not, we do all have your child’s best interests at heart for we wouldn’t be in the poor paying profession that we are if we didn’t feel that our purpose far exceeds the fee. We are in fact humans too, and we don’t always get it right but we try and we should not stop trying. As adults, we all bear the responsibility of modelling to the future generation what is needed in this world.

“The world is changed by your example not your opinion”

Paul Coelho

I am not a perfect person and teacher – I do not claim to be. In fact, in writing this I felt compelled to search within my own heart and character and challenge myself to do better. There is no more time to contemplate making a change, it is time to be the change – it is time to shift our perceptions of what we value most and invest in the lives of those who are to be immeasurably valued.

“Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its life believing that it is stupid” – Albert Einstein

In a world where so much of our school system is focused on getting our children to fit inside the box and collectively swim upstream, we as teachers and parents tend to forget sometimes about those who no matter how hard they try, will always swim against the current. Those young minds that hold all sorts of greatness but because of how they are forced to think and act and learn, that greatness remains unlocked…untapped…. and unrecognised.

Enter the best selling children’s novel “Fish in a tree” by Lynda Mullaly Hunt which tells the story of Ally, a young girl who sees the world through mind movies and colourful pictures but whose struggles with reading has become a self-defining feature in her life. Until she meets Mr Daniels…THAT inspired, enthusiastic, caring and supportive teacher whose input helps to unlock a world of possibilities against a backdrop of impossibilities and labels. Along the way, Ally discovers that her dyslexia is not something to be ashamed of and that in fact, it makes her smarter. Having to work that much harder to achieve what comes relatively easier to most, Ally gains a profound confidence and develops an inspiring resilience that earns her the respect and admiration of so many around her. In Mr Daniel’s words, she learns to have “GRIT”. It is a heart warming story of a young girl’s journey from self-doubt to self-acceptance, from struggle to triumph and from invisible to INVINCIBLE!

Ironically, I was given this book by a young girl in my class last year, a girl who in so many ways reminds me of Ally. She had given it to me with a card that read  “Dear Mrs Kirk, this book is about an amazing teacher, and I think that you are an amazing teacher”. Touched by her heartfelt words, I thanked her for the book and promised to give it a read. Little did I know that what I would get out of it as a teacher would leave a lasting imprint on my heart and a window into the world of what is like for so many of the kids the teach. Feeling like an outsider looking in, a wave of responsibility washed over me as I found myself drawn to the relationship between Ally and Mr Daniels. A relationship built on a genuine desire to make a difference and a genuine response to want be helped. The power of words became a resounding theme throughout as I was reminded of just how much of an impact our words as teachers can have on the impressionable young hearts who fill the seats of our classrooms.

The book is just filled with nuggets of wisdom on every page, one of which really got me thinking;

“And I think of words. The power they have. How they can be moved around like a wand – sometimes for good, like how Mr Daniels uses them. How he makes kids like me and Oliver feel better about ourselves. And how words can also be used for bad. To hurt. My Grandpa used to say to be careful with eggs and words, because they can never be fixed. The older I get, the more I realize how smart my grandpa was.” – Ally

Everyday, we have the power to inspire or to deter, to build up or to break down, to show interest or turn a blind eye, to define an identity or to encourage self-definition. Ally’s journey to self-acceptance was not once defined by the pressure to fit in but rather the encouragement to stand out. As teachers and parents, this will in all likelihood mean that we need to learn to loosen the reigns and allow our children to colour outside of the lines and to seek alternative means of unlocking potential. Not every great mind thinks alike, so why force it to?