Our Why.
As spring break winds down and we find ourselves contemplating how we are going to navigate the torrent that is the spring semester, I wanted to take a moment to share a brief story from over the break that served to me as a reminder as to why we do what we do.
I could not tell you what time of night it was when we touched down in Venice, Italy, but, as I stood exhausted waiting near the baggage claim, I was approached by a young woman from our plane. I asked if I could help her because she was staring at me. She said, “Actually, yes. I think you were my coach.” I said I don’t think that is possible. I mean, we are in Italy. What are the odds? I asked from what school, and she stated Dulles. Dulles was my second public school position. I was an assistant volleyball, basketball, and softball coach there from 2007 to 2010. Chynasia was on my freshman volleyball team in 2008. I was floored. We chatted a bit. She filled me in on her life. She is an educator still in the Houston area. She was traveling to see her boyfriend who is stationed in Italy. We hugged and said our goodbyes. I was still in shock.
I once had a superintendent who would often say that we needed to be mindful of our interactions with our students. He was big on greeting each one we could while in the halls as our “good morning” could be the only one they got that day. He is right. We never know what our short time with each of our students really means to them. We do not recognize the importance or the role in which we play in the lives of our students because we are focused on the end goal and they are focused on lunch and P.E.
When we were students, we did not think about acknowledging those who are influencing and encouraging us. It isn’t until much later that we reflect back on those who impacted our lives, and then we rarely get the opportunity to let them know. I have said it many times before, and I will say it again and again. Teaching is a tough gig. And, though you may not know it just yet, you are making a difference.