Revealed Riches in Your Classroom
“The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches,
but to reveal to him his own.”
I’ve been pondering how Disraeli’s wisdom applies to the teaching profession. Most teachers work their whole careers to become masters of the first half of the quotation, but only a few even consider the second half. Most of us adults can name only one or two teachers who truly impacted our life – who were able to reveal to us our own riches.
Over the years, I’ve worked with thousands of teachers. The vast majority were deeply motivated to make a difference in the lives of their students. But what does that mean? Does it mean teaching them to read? to solve math problems? to learn historical trends? to conduct scientific investigations? to write a well organized essay? or – at the college level – to teach concepts and skills to become effective professionals and adults. Is that like teaching them how to fish?
Most teachers would say their calling is bigger than that. We don’t just teach “how to” knowledge and skills. We teach the underpinnings of how to learn. We open the door to future possibilities.
Our joy and reverence for learning is contagious. We know that curious lifelong learners with a growth mindset are more likely to continue their own education well beyond us. When we awaken a hunger for learning in our students, I believe, we have shared our riches (the first part of the quotation).
But what does the second part of the quotation requires of us?
Before we can reveal a student’s own riches, we must discover what they are. It’s not enough to know his name or where he sits in our classroom. Are we active listeners to his words and those unspoken in his heart? What path has he personally walked on his way into our classroom – his family, his heritage, his traumas and triumphs? and how has that path shaped his responses? How does he relate to others? Where does he struggle? Most of all, what are those special gifts he brings to his life journey?
And then, once we have discovered these special, unique aspects of him, how do we reveal those riches to him? This is not a one size fits all process. What works for one student will not work for another. We can’t simply compliment him. Revealing comes from the heart. How could we shine a light on those special gifts so that his heart can see? Our impact will show up when he is empowered to bring those riches into action.
This is truly the art of a master teacher. Have you been lucky enough to be touched by one? Are you on the path to becoming one? Maybe you have begun with just one student. Maybe you have expanded your reach beyond your classroom walls. Who else could you touch – your colleagues? your spouse and children? the families of your students? What if we all looked for the riches in others? What about you? If you have read this far, I suspect this message resonates with you because you have a huge loving heart. I would enjoy learning from your quest. Thank you for being part of my learning community.
