Do All The Good You Can
Teacher As Leaders Reflection
Red Cedar Writing Project
July 12, 2011
Do All The Good You Can…
Sheila Sims Iding
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
John Wesley
This quote was the theme for our school staff last year because I suggested it to our principal. My leadership role at school is a subtle one but a constant one because it involves the whole staff…the whole year. I am one of the people in charge of what we call our H.U.G.S. committee. HUGS is an acronym for “Helping Us Get Spiritual”. It helps us develop and unify our spiritual life of prayer and faith as we teach in a Catholic school. However, HUGS can also stand for “Helping Us Get Social” which involves a happy hour, a staff luncheon, a party or a fun staff gathering somewhere. So the HUGS committee is made up of 8-10 staff people and its purpose is to help our staff work together as we serve the families and children of St. Gerard School.
The above quote was our staff theme last year. I chose it because it was the favorite quote of a family friend who was like a father to me. When he died last summer, the quote was part of the funeral celebration of his amazing life of serving and leading others to serve. His life was the perfect example of leading others in a quiet, yet strong way. So the words became part of our staff last year. To me it describes the life and responsibility of a teacher:
“Do all the good you can” – ALL the good. Simple acts of kindness.
“By all the means you can” – Be creative…everyone learns differently.
“In all the ways you can” – Be supportive, encouraging, nurturing.
“In all the places you can” – The classroom, the meeting room, the home…
“At all the times you can” – Doing good work does not take a time out.
“To all the people you can” – Students, parents, colleagues…all need you.
“As long as you ever can” – Don’t grow weary in your efforts to do good.
Prayer services, staff gatherings, songs and inspirational readings and reflections all revolved around this quote and it was beneficial in helping us become better teachers as we served families, students and each other.
My other leadership role is more by example than by action. I have a special passion for children with special needs. I know most teachers do. However, I have not only witnessed it in the classroom, I have lived it in my own life. I have been blessed with three sons who had special needs:
Joey, my oldest son, is now 30 but he was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was in kindergarten and only given the life expectancy of 15 years. We were told he would never go to high school. He not only went to high school, he went to college on a soccer scholarship at the University of Michigan. He was a Big Ten Scholar athlete and the only three-year captain the University of Michigan has ever had in their prestigious athletic program. Joey’s life lesson to me was about determination to beat the odds. He played a year of professional soccer and then got a masters degree from New York University. He is amazingly healthy continues to work hard to beat the odds. I am learning from him still.
My middle son, Timothy, is 29 and also has cystic fibrosis and a high function autism called Asperger’s Syndrome. He was told if he made it to college age that it wouldn’t be feasible for him to go away to college and manage both CF and Autism. Tim not only went away to college, he has two masters degrees in theology. Even more, he did a year of missionary work in China and now Tim is returning to China to teach in a seminary there. Tim has taught me the life lesson of the courage to carry two crosses. Whenever I am in need of courage to endure, I still look to Tim.
My youngest son, Adam, is 27 years old and he does not have Autism or cystic fibrosis. Adam has a double learning disability in language and reading. Learning disabilities make every classroom a threatening place. Adam never let any disability stand in his way. He made every honor roll in school and went to college and made the Dean’s List and the President’s List. He not only graduated with honors, he is one semester away from his Masters Degree. Adam’s life lesson is a powerful one. He taught me that LD should stand for learning DIFFERENTLY, not learning disability. He helped me realize that those who learn differently are actually brilliant as they fight to learn in our traditional ways. He worked so hard to raise his own expectations. He taught me about perseverance and if I ever want to give up or give in, Adam’s life has taught me to fight harder.
I don’t tell my sons’ stories because I am proud mom (although I am). I tell their stories because what they have taught me has helped me be a better teacher and a better leader. I have learned that children can do amazing things. As teachers it is up to us to raise the expectations for all children; but especially those with special needs. As a leader, I have to help parents and colleagues believe in my philosophy that children with special needs can do amazing things and exceed the expectations previously attached with their diagnosis.
This is one of my greatest challenges as a teacher and a leader. I have to prove this philosophy every year, mostly by example. I believe that many times a diagnosis can be a crutch to a student, the parents and other teachers. Once a diagnosis is given, things are put in place to lower the expectations of a child’s performance. That is where I take a different approach. Instead of lowering the bar of expectation, I raise the bar of support and work ethic. I have a favorite quote that supports my philosophy:
“Prepare the child for the path NOT the path for the child.” Unknown
I agree that some children need accommodations. I agree that some lessons may need to be adjusted. However, I do not take the cookie cutter approach and because of this diagnosis or that diagnosis this is what we have to do. It cannot be automatic. You have to look at the child individually and discover how you can prepare the child for the path. If you prepare the path and make it smooth and trouble free for the child, it may be easier at first, but the child has few skills for problem solving or critical thinking.
If the child has been prepared for the path, you have given that child coping skills to say “Now what?” if he/she gets stuck with a lesson that is too hard or a concept they can’t understand. They know what to do if the path has a rough spot. They learn to have the determination to work hard, courage to fight through challenges and perseverance to never give up. The three life lessons taught to me by my sons’ paths I can now pass on to my students.
Truth is, I believe all students have special needs and not all of them come with a diagnosis. The child whose grandma is dying…special need. The child who has a bad cold…special need. The child whose mom is away on a business trip…special need. The child whose dad moved out last year…special need. The high achieving student two grade levels above in reading…special need. Even the middle-of-the-road student who competes with the high achieving student and the “needy” student…has special needs. If you prepare the child for the path then you can help every student in your classroom.
The leadership part comes in trying to convince parents, colleagues, administration and students that preparing the child is more advantageous than preparing the path. The problem? Preparing the path is easier. It’s easier to give a crutch than to help the child walk without one. However, the child that walks with a crutch learns to use the crutch. The one that walks without a crutch, learns how to support that wobbly walk and becomes stronger because of it. It is a life long lesson…not a crutch.
One of the ways I try to convince others about the “prepare the child” philosophy is by giving a presentation about teaching students with Asperger’s Syndrome. I give the presentation to college students in education (usually grad classes). It is based on my experience as a mother and a teacher and it goes outside the box of helping these special students…and all students. It helps teachers learn how to visit the world of an Asperger student and help that student perform in our world; while still respecting their own world. It gives examples of how Asperger children think and then I provide teaching strategies to respond to those situations. It helps others know how to make the classroom world more compatible with their world. Basically, I tell others it is not an official Asperger presentation but rather one from a mother’s heart and a teacher’s soul.
The book, How Teachers Become Leaders”, was helpful in some ways but not all teachers can be leaders. Not all teachers aspire to be principals. Not all teachers have energy outside of their own classroom to try to lead others. Not all teammates can be captains. Not all cooks are meant to be the master chef. Some parts of the book made it seem that all teachers should be leaders and I disagree with that. However, the book helped me understand there is a responsibility to this profession to have a voice and to take a stand.
You can have a subtle leadership and I have learned to lead carefully. In trying to advocate for students with special needs, I have admittedly not always convinced others to take my approach. It’s easier to take the “path” approach…not the “child” approach. Just recently I have learned to do what I can in my own little corner of the world and hope that others learn by example. In the book, the authors states “Teacher leaders put forward a vision…Their vision grows out of their day-to-day experiences in their own classroom…” (Lieberman. Friedrich. pg.96. 2010) That is my leadership billboard now…my classroom. I will continue to advocate for all of students hoping in makes a difference in their lives. I will continue to prepare the child for path and “do all the good I can in all the ways I can….”
Works Cited
Friedrich, L. & Lieberman, A. (2010) “How Teachers Become Leaders” Teachers
College Press. New York, New York.