The Soul of an Educator
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What is the soul? What is the soul of an educator? Simply by being alive, each human being has a soul which guides in making decisions, reflects conscience, and demonstrates character. It is the reflection of who we “are,” what we believe, and that for which we stand. It is the ethereal and quintessential part of the human spirit. The soul of an educator must be rooted in love; for to love is an intentionally deliberate act, very much a choice. With practice, we learn to trust this choice in all interactions. Love listens. Love strives to understand. Love positively acknowledges presence. Love forgives. Love is fair. Love laughs and smiles. Love is friendly and welcoming. Love exudes joy. Love is peace. Love encourages and persuades. Love forms the foundation and builds relationships. Love trusts. Love is warm. Love teaches. Love serves. Love is not mean. Love is not selfish and does not force its own way. Love is not hostile. Love does not destroy, or tear down, or ridicule, or find humor at another’s expense. Love does not hold a grudge. Love does not create fear through intimidation. Love does not lie. Love does not hurt. Love is not cold. Love can be emotional but is not tempestuous nor tumultuous. Love does not ignore. Love does not think it is greater than others and does not think of itself higher nor better than anyone else. Educators who work with children know and truly understand how difficult some behaviors can be to change. Sometimes our efforts and attempts to change or modify behavior are successful, and at other times, not. The vehicle schools have to address and intentionally modify or change behavior is generally through consequences of actions. For example, if a student is demonstrating inappropriate behavior, there is typically a consequence for that behavior; and that consequence is generally punitive in nature. In my experience, punitive consequences, while sometimes necessary, usually only add insult to injury. Punitive consequences work for a small percentage of students: i.e., those students who generally don’t make poor decisions or who generally don’t demonstrate behaviors not in their best interest. When students “act out” or demonstrate attention-seeking behaviors, the consequence is part of a vicious cycle often validating those behaviors, for someone is paying attention to the student. In my experience, if we want to change behaviors, we must do so with intentional acts of love. There tends to be a root for all behaviors; and as educators, when we serve students who demonstrate behaviors not in their best interest, we must try to understand why the student is behaving the way he or she is. By establishing, building, and maintaining relationships with all students on a foundation of love, we begin the process of building trust with the students we serve. Through these relationships, we are able to have the conversations necessary to identify how the inappropriate behavior is not in students’ best interests because it is preventing them from having positive educational experiences. We must realize and understand that behaviors will not change overnight, and we may not see immediate results. When we deposit seeds of love into students, for some, the process of fruition takes longer than others.
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About the Book
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Love is defined. This is a real, applicable, and genuine definition of love. As a public school administrator, I have learned that relationships are crucial for students to be successful in school, especially for those students for whom school has been challenging. If educators use love as the guiding force when teaching/interacting/working with and disciplining students, that can often be the deciding factor that keeps a student returning to a school or engaged in a class. The Soul of an Educator is intended for anyone who works with or comes into contact with children on a regular basis—teachers, counselors, janitors, custodians, bus drivers, administrators, and parents. This book explains how to use love when building relationships with students and the positive results that occur.
About the Author
Serving as a public school educator for twenty years, David Maxwell strives to build lasting, meaningful relationships with students, families, and colleagues. He has discovered the basis for the best relationships must have a foundation of love, as defined by 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.