Love them First (www.lovethemfirst/watch) is a very powerful documentary. The principal and teachers at Lucy Craft Laney Community School did wonders in creating a safe, loving, and caring learning environment for the students and the community. Yet, the school continues to be on the list of failing schools. It really takes a lot of resilience and strong conviction for the teachers to be able to continue the momentum and rush to do wonders despite all odds.
Know your why and take that as your compass if you want to be a life-longer teacher and learner is crucial for a sustainable life-time career.
I had a successful career in Information Technology and Digital Business before decided to embark into the education field to become a teacher. While I was happy with what I was doing. Feeling satisfied with my career success and compensation, the job was not fulfilling altruistically. That was not a job I died happily doing. I know teaching will be a job I would die happily doing.
I do well in almost anything I put my heart in it because I believe in myself. This is the way I taught my two boys and coached my staff. I believe anyone can do really well, given proper guidance and the commitment to do their best to reach their potentials. And it is often the lack of guidance, opportunities, and environment that caused one not able to reach one’s potential.
Thus, I see teaching as a light pole to guide our children, to assure them a safe harbor, and give them the confidence to navigate their journey of life to reach their potentials.
Another reason I wanted to enter into education is that I want to make a change to the school system. School systems in most of the world only care about academic achievement by way of the standard test scores. They often neglect the emotional and social development and well-being of our children.
I want to be part of the force to change the education system, to make the system care about the emotional, mental, and social development and well-being of our children. If I cannot change the system in my living life, at least I can help my student one child at a time.
This is my compass, this is my anchor: to help my students to develop and grow in all aspects of their well-being and to help them reach their potentials, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnic and economic background. — Mai-Wah