Changing Lives

     It is no surprise that teachers change lives through actions that encourage learning in and outside the classroom. They also change lives because of who they are as human beings; how well they listen, encourage, and inspire. Dictionary.com's definition of a role model is, "A person who serves as an example of the values, attitudes, and behaviors associated with a role. Role models can also be persons who distinguish themselves in such a way that others admire and want to emulate them". A role model can be anybody in our lives such as a parent, a sibling, a friend etc..but some of our most influential and life-changing role models are educators. At six to eight hours a day, five days a week,  teachers become one of the most influential people in a students’ life.

     After their parents, children will first learn from their educators. Students who are inspired by their teachers can accomplish amazing things, and that motivation almost always stays with them. Inspiration can also take many forms, from helping a student through the academic year and their short-term goals, to guiding them towards their future career. Years after graduation, many working individuals will still remember and talk about a particular educator who fostered their love of what they currently do and talk about their accomplishments because of their learning experience with that teacher.

     Back in the day, teachers were told what, when, and how to teach. They were required to educate every student in exactly the same way and were not held responsible when students failed to learn. They were expected to teach using the same methods as past generations, and any change from traditional practices was discouraged by supervisors or prohibited education laws and regulations. Moreover, many teachers just stood in front of the class and delivered the same lessons year after year not being allowed to change what they were doing. The relationships built between educator and student were almost non-existent.  However today, teachers are encouraged to adapt and adopt new practices that acknowledge both the art and science of learning. They understand that the most important factor of education is a close relationship between a knowledgeable, caring adult and a secure, motivated child. They grasp that their most important role is to get to know each student as an individual in order to adapt his or her teaching style to meet the child's unique needs, learning style, social and cultural background, interests, and abilities.

      Reinventing the role of teachers inside and outside the classroom can result in much better schools and better-educated students. The rest of us must also be willing to rethink our roles in education to give teachers the support, freedom, and trust they need to do the essential job of educating our children. As educators, they have this immense role in a child's life. For they are not only the educator, they are a role model, a confident, a friend, a caregiver, a provider and so much more. The ability they have as individuals capable for providing change a child's life through what they can offer through a learning experience is far beyond amazing.


     The video below is what an individual named Jeremy Anderson does to inspire teachers and individuals and reach out to them. " Jeremy has made it his mission to reach out to today's youth that are caught up in the temptations, frustrations and expectations of the world. Jeremy has an ability to connect with with them on a level that they can relate to. He is hailed as the best youth motivational speaker of his generation". - J. Anderson Ministries

" There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning".

 

Jiddu Krishnamurti

Links:

www.dictionary.com

 http://www.jeremyanderson.org/ministry.html

  jeremyanderson.org

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gylC7ihqUzU

 http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_inspirational.html