Commitment and Service

     Commitment is defined as a “continuing investment in a particular career” by some educational researchers and they have come up with a few general predictors for this type of fidelity and adherence to our profession:

• Genuine love for our learners
• Awareness of the impact of a teacher's work on community and society as a whole
• The strive toward excellence in all aspects of a teachers' role and responsibilities
• Upholding basic human values through genuine and consistent practice

     All of these ideals and more are handed to us along with our teaching certificates and the demands over time start to be significant, requiring great personal investment that are part of our professional identity and that most of us balance with our personal lives.  However, some teachers begin to view it as a “job” that can” take over your real life” and start to limit their commitment and engagement with the school as a means of survival. How can we not feel a little "boxed in" with these type of expectations?  It’s not an easy profession-its been compared to a marriage- and we all have to rekindle the “romance” for our career at critical intervals. 

     There's an old saying “Check yourself before you wreck yourself” that comes to mind when I start to run out of steam.  Yes, it happens to us all.  There are days when my romantic teaching/coaching has started to feel like a bad date and I have to "check myself" by reassessing and reflecting on my options to overcoming barriers in delivering support. First, I ask for help when I need it.  Secondly, I remind my colleagues and myself that teaching is worthwhile by collaborating, participating in school events, attending conferences, creating clubs , and joining professional organizations. Finally,  commiserating after hours with friends is helpful because the way to a happy ending keeps changing every year and it helps to hold hands and "wish on a star" together.  It’s tricky but we will work side-by-side to solve this edupuzzle. 

Shedding Light: How do you stay committed to teaching? How can we mentor each other?

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home.  ~Author Unknown