Group Project

Question

How would you like to be remembered?   

Story

It was an icebreaking activity.  You know, the kind that you sometimes have at the first In-Service at the beginning of a new school year.  "Randomly draw the name of a colleague from this basket and identify a characterisitc that you associate with that person."  Steve got my name.  He taught history in both the middle and the high school.  He was considered to be an excellent teacher:  creative, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his subject, very beloved by the students.  All fine qualities for a young and relatively new teacher.  He was the lead teacher in the high school.  I was the lead teacher in the elementary school.  I anxiously awaited his contribution to the activity.  "What does Steve think of me?  What will he say about me in front of everyone?"   Oh, I knew he wouldn't say anything negative.  That just wasn't the nature or purpose of this activity.  No one would say anything negative that day.  But don't we always wonder what  people really think of us?  Aren't we curious about how we are being perceived?  It seems that we seldom get feedback from the investments that we make into the lives of others: our students, their parents, our fellow teachers that we serve with in the trenches each day.  If do we get feedback . . . it's not always pleasant (if you know what I mean). 

It was finally Steve's turn.  He stood up to speak.  "I got Kathy Shaffer's name, he said."   "When I think of Kathy, I think of professionalism.  Kathy is the most professional teacher that I have ever worked with."  He went on to name specific interactions and experiences that we had together that gave him that impression of me.  I should have been pleased by his words, and I was, sort of.  Of course I want to be known as a professional educator - who wouldn't.  But when I really thought about it, that is not how I most wanted to be remembered.

I teach in a Christian school becuase I am a Christian, and truly feel called of God to be a teacher.  I believe that God gave me whatever gifts and talents that I might have to use in service for Him.  I don't suggest that is true for everyone who is both a Christian and a teacher, but I believe it is true for me.  Because of that, I desire to be known and remembered as a Godly teacher.  One who emulates the characterisitcs of God in my teaching:  wisdom, kindness, creativity, patient. One who knows my subject as God knows all things.  One who knows my students as God created each one.  One who loves my students as only God can love.  One who is a peacemaker amongst my peers since God's Son is the Prince of Peace.  One who is joyful even when circumstances would seemingly dictate otherwise.  That's how I would like to be remembered first and foremost:  Kathy Shaffer was a Godly teacher (in a professoinal kind of way, of course). 

Feedback

Nice.  If you were trying to develop further you could go into why you think he says you are "professional" and not Godly.  It might not be your actions, but his view of your actions.  Interesting to think about how people will remember you and even more how you want them to remember you. 

Thanks Mike.  I appreciate your input.  I don't think Steve didn't think I was Godly or a Godly influence, it just wanted the first thing he thought of. :).

Wonderful!  Did you mean patience when you wrote "patient"?  I love how you used the author's craft of repeating beginning phrases to connect you thoughts at the end (One who...).  Very nice.