Tyrone Greene wrote the following:
During the Christmas holiday while shopping for gifts I ran into a few former students. To my surprise, not only did those students remembered me, each greeted me with the same courtesy and respect as if I were still their teacher. The old verbiage about students remembering “certain” teachers came to mind. I will always remember my third grade teacher Mrs. Jennings for always pushing me past my comfort level and not allowing me to give up on myself. After running into those former students, I wondered if I had left each of them with something that would be of some sort of significance in their lives in the future. Becoming a teacher, I never thought of myself as a leader, but after spending time in and out of the classroom and recognizing the impact I was able to make to help shape a young mind, changed my perspective on my career goals. I realized how much influence a good or bad teacher can have on a student’s life.
Having had the opportunity to teach in public school and instruct students for a 180 day school year, gave me insight to how I might be able to make a difference in a young person’s life. A nudge in the right direction, or a bit of advice about career paths or college choices could mean all the difference in the world. I’d like to think I’ve made a difference and led someone down a successful path.
Tyrone, like you, I never really thought of myself as a leader. Still to this day, I think of myself as having more of a co-pilot type personality. However, I do believe you are right in that if we are a teacher, then we are indeed a leader. I teach Language Arts, and I do have the ability to impact a child’s life every single day. It is amazing to think that we get the chance to help shape the live’s of several children each day.
I too have a few favorite teachers that inspired me, or helped me become the person that I am today. Whether it was academics or sports related, they taught me a lot, and I am thankful for each and every one them to this day.
You can view Tyrone Greene's Blog @ http://tygre1.wordpress.com