Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.
~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
I have always kept this quote on my desk. I moved it from school to home when I retired because it reminds me to treat people in ways that help them grow. I think it is a really important quote for educators.
As a teacher, I wanted my students to believe they could do anything they set their minds to do. That meant that I needed to treat them like real writers, readers, scientists, historians, mathematicians, artists, singers, and musicians. Our conversations needed to be thoughtful. Their experiences at school needed to be authentic. The workshop model promoted the most authentic experiences for my students.
When we opened a new elementary school, we were determined to treat our students like leaders. We established a student leadership team that helped make decisions about our school and the way we would live and work together each day. We even included a group of students in our summer retreat after our first school year. At the retreat, teachers and students brainstormed what was going well and what we needed to improve. We gave our students a voice in our school because we believed they could be leaders.
When we opened a new elementary school, we were determined to treat our students like leaders. We established a student leadership team that helped make decisions about our school and the way we would live and work together each day. We even included a group of students in our summer retreat after our first school year. At the retreat, teachers and students brainstormed what was going well and what we needed to improve. We gave our students a voice in our school because we believed they could be leaders.
This quote has guided me in all aspects of life. When we treat our family, our friends and others we meet along the way like they already are what they ought to be, the world is a better place.
This is a great quote Karen -- your leadership style is incredible. I wish I had a chance to visit your school and learn from you in action! Thank you for sharing -- we will share this with our leadership teams.
ReplyDeleteClare
Oh yes! I love you. I love your thinking and what it does for our kids. Thank you for believing in others' potential and writing about it.
ReplyDeleteThat's the kind of thinking that enriches and motivates students and teachers alike. Thanks for sharing this, Karen.
ReplyDeleteAt my school where I taught until this year, it was important to include students in the decision-making too. I admire you and the staff who have made this a priority. Thank you for sharing about this, and the beautiful quote.
ReplyDeleteKaren - this quote is a great reminder to us all. As I have listened to candidates on the campaign trail, fans at sporting events, colleagues at school with differing views, angry people on social media -- your quote would be a great one to serve as a norm for all humanity. What a better world this would be.
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