" How important are we?" :A Reflective Teacher 9

A Reflective Classroom Teacher 9 There seems to be a general consensus that teaching is an important function in our society even though the financial rewards do not reflect that belief. As educators, we are responsible for the formal socialization process. Parents trust us to help prepare their children to be productive, well adjusted and informed members of our society. This is a tremendous responsibility and the vast majority of educators approach this task with a very serious intent.
In addition to the traditional core curriculum, we as educators have tried to keep our student competitive in an ever-changing world by adding many contemporary courses of study. We have extended our school year in hopes that it will better serve the needs of today's students. Teachers have also assumed some of the responsibilities that were once exclusively the rights and responsibilities of parents. We don't provide this additional service to all children but to enough, that many school districts are considering the addition of character education to their curriculum.
Picture an apple, if you will; a beautiful, red; well-formed and complete apple. It was formed as a blossom by the parent plant and it was dependent on that parent plant for everything required, in order to reach maturity. There was a solid root system that nourished that apple to full potential. Without that early nurturing, the apple would never have developed properly.
Compare your students to that same apple. Inspect each one and you will find that some are bruised; a few, you will notice have no core. The parent plant did not complete its task. There is no real core; no since of self; no completeness of being. These students are hollow and have few incentives in life other than those that meet their immediate needs. They have become what was modeled at home. The stability that home is to provide is not always there and often times, these students look to us, their teachers, for direction in their lives. There will be days when we will teach more on the playground than we will in the classroom. There will be times when no text-book is adequate for instruction. Compassion and concern will become the standards to be taught.
At times, our students consider us a valid replacement for their parents. We are often observed by our students and our behaviors are internalized by them without our knowledge. Perhaps, we are the only source of a positive role model the child looks to for guidance. If as teachers, we are not willing to accept this additional responsibility, then we can assure you the child will seek validation elsewhere from sources that are much less favorable.