Ideas can be both wonderfully dangerous and incredibly
powerful. Therefore as educators we must
be extremely jubilant and at the same time cautious when planting our ideas
because we never know where these ideas will lead. The beauty of teaching is
that we as teachers are also moved and changed by these wonderful, powerful
ideas.
Case in point, several years ago, my students were working on
SMART goals for themselves when one of the students asked me what my SMART goal
was. After some thought and in all
seriousness, I told the class that my SMART goal was to win the Nobel Prize
(probably for science) at least once.
In clarification, my idea was not to win the award myself,
but that one of my students would be nominated and win the award though their
own efforts. My real goal was that my students would not only learn science but
that they would be motivated to change the world. I elaborated that I hoped the student would mention
my name as being one of the individuals who inspired and shaped him or her. As
she accepted her award, I expected another of the nominees would shout out
incredulously, “He was my teacher too!!”
Every year since that SMART goal session I have been sharing
the same goal. I am very confident that
most of my students will do something great and if they want they will win a
Nobel Prize. By planting this seed, I have set in motion an idea that is much
more powerful than the skills and concepts I teach every day. Though the skills and concepts are important,
responsibility and aspiration for personal fulfillment is what is going to
change the world. The probability that one of my students will accept a Nobel Prize is much more likely due to my suggestion.
As educators we must sow our seeds very carefully. I am certain that the idea of winning a Nobel Prize somehow led to my
place in the 50 finalists for the Global Teacher Award. This award is billed as
the Nobel Prize of education for teachers and represents the highest public
recognition. Of the thousands of
teachers who work with children all over the world, I am on a list of fifty who
are being acknowledged. I am humbled and grateful for this honor. At the same
time I am awed at the power of this idea and the other ideas I sow in my class.
I wanted my students to know and believe that they could achieve great things. The idea that I planted grew very
quickly and led to a result which wasn’t exactly the one I intended.
I want my students to take notice. Ideas planted are
extremely powerful. Every day I work with my students to grow our ideas and
realize important goals. Presently we
are working to build our school into the education eco-center for Northeast
China. I am sure that the results of
this project will surprise me. This project will grow into something wonderful
and meaningful, something that will change the lives of many individuals both
in our area and beyond. It is great to plant
a seed and it is even better to see it grow and flourish.
As teachers and students, let us be very thoughtful about
the ideas that we choose to plant. I would like to propose a few ideas to help
shape our thinking about the world:
- Our understanding how the world works helps us make good decisions
- We should never hurt anyone intentionally and we should speak out about injustice and bullying wherever it occurs.
- We all deserve enough food to live. Nobody should starve.
- The ends don’t justify the means. You shouldn’t do something horrible for the benefit of the greater good.
- Maintaining a healthy environment is essential for our well-being.
Furthermore, what we do and think is very important. Our
actions should make the world a better place.
We should be careful about how we use resources and what we do with the
things we no longer need. Just because we don’t see them anymore doesn’t mean
our wastes are being taken care of in a sustainable way. Tread softly in this
world. Our ideas and actions are very
powerful.
My students know they are not off the hook. This is not exactly what I had in mind when I
said that I wanted to be recognized with a Nobel Prize. Our ideas are powerful
seeds and our potential for growth is limitless. I still am waiting for them to
receive the official Nobel Prize; and when they thank me, they should wait a
moment. Even if they don’t hear anyone call out, somewhere someone is saying,
“He was my teacher too.”
