On our last day at Mickelson ExxonMobil Teacher’s Academy we had the incredible opportunity to hear Dr. Calvin Mackie speak to us. There was barely a dry eye in the house. A room of 200 teachers listened and were inspired. What did Dr. Mackie share with us that was so powerful? Passion. Believing in our students. Believing that we can change the world, so they will. I left that auditorium, boarded a bus, headed to the airport, and hours later, although exhausted from the travels, I was still thinking about the words he spoke. Light fires in our kids minds. Help them find their greatness. How do we do that? We have to be on fire ourselves.
Society tries to reduce schools down to scores and papers. People want to label us as “good schools” and “bad schools.” Everyone wants to try to put a number on learning. But, the truth of all is that none of it matters as much as one thing: Our passion for educating our children. Dr. Mackie told us the story of his journey and what he accomplished, from remedial reading to a PhD in Engineering. Most importantly, he’s told us about the people that believed in him along the way to make it happen. Somedays, when I feel so bogged down by the state of education, the media’s portrayal of us, and the repeated focus on testing rather than learning, I feel like quitting. But none of those things are as important or matter as much as one thing. Believing in our students. Because when they know that you believe in them, and it’s real, they can believe in themselves, too. That’s our job, the part we rarely get recognized for, paid for, or an article in the paper. But it doesn’t matter, it’s the part that we were called to do. Nothing is more important than that.
