Do what is right…even when no one is watching….

This is what I have tried to instill in my kids from the day they came into the world.  Most of the time, it is a naturally occurring phenomenon.  Especially with kids.  They want to know what the rules and expectations are from the first day they meet you.  They want to know what is the right thing to do because you are their teacher now and for some kids, you are the only adult who ever existed in the world and no one else knows anything except you because you are the teacher.  If you ask my 6 year old, her teachers are the world experts on everything and since I am not a kindergarten teacher there is no possible way I could be right.  I used to get a giggle out of statements like this in parent conferences.  “he says you don’t do it this way so it is not right!”  or “She won’t let me help her because I do it differently and its not the way you do it!”  My favorite of all time is, “could you call Mrs. Sadler to read my bedtime story Mommy?  You just aren’t reading with expression.  Mrs. Sadler always talks like the characters!”  I thought all this was said for my benefit and amusement for so many years but when my daughter started school I realized that in the eyes of the student, I rarely do wrong.  But, I do.  I do lots of things wrong.  I don’t always have all my copies made.  I don’t always have my lesson plans on my desk ready for admin to come in.  I don’t always have my data ready for meetings.  I am a human and I don’t always have it all together.  I do what I can do in a day and then I go home to my own kids to do my second full time job of wife and mom.  But the most important thing I can do everyday is be honest, have integrity and do what is right, even when no one is watching.  I admit to my students when I don’t have it all together, I own up when the plans aren’t out on my desk or the data report is not ready for the meeting and then I make it right.  It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, honesty is the best policy.  Which brings me to my point.  When working with people, whether it be little people or big people…do what is right, not that which is easy or popular.  I read a motivational poster when I was in high school.  You know the ones they hang in the hallways trying to keep highschoolers on the straight and narrow path, I will never forget it either because I thought it was a cool play on words.  “Doing what is easy isn’t always right and doing what is right isn’t always easy.”  It has stayed with me for a long time.  So most of the time, I have my stuff together.  I believe in team work and having a zero G (gossip) policy.  I stay in my room and get my stuff done so I can go home at the end of the day.  Doing what is right is just that.  Teachers work for one common goal, the growth of the student. But when we, the big people in the building, stray from that goal and begin doing things that are not right and we know it, nothing good comes from it.  So, my friends, as you read this commentary on the teacher’s life, just remember to do what is right by all the people you work with…your students, your teams, your teachers.  Taking the easy or more popular road will more often than not prove disastrous trip.  Treat others as you would expect them to treat you and you will get it back ten fold.  And that can go either way because Karma is fickle friend!

Have a great day and talk to ya next time!