Teach & Serve IV, No. 15
First Responders
November 14, 2018
Good educators pay attention to the tenor of their classrooms or meetings, they perceive who is in crisis and try to assist them as they can, they react with kindness and compassion and love.
For all manner of good reason, people venerate first responders, those people who rush into action, into danger, into fire. Society rightly praises those who look after others first and consider themselves second. Society elevates first responders who place their needs behind those of others and are grateful for this work and sacrifice.
While people in these professions should absolutely be singled out for praise, we can look to our schools and see the same type of actions each-and-every-day. The military and police and firefighters are not the only people in whom we uncover examples of selflessness.
Teachers and administrators are first responders too.
Good educators look to the needs of their students and staff first, they put themselves on the line for them, they protect them. Good educators pay attention to the tenor of their classrooms or or the temperature in meetings, they perceive who is in crisis and try to assist them as they can, they react with kindness and compassion and love.
So very much of the work we do calls us to recognize challenges before us. It calls us to analyze situations and to understand people. It calls us, sometimes in split seconds, to act for the good of the student, the teacher, the department, the class. Excellent educational professionals have the reflexes and insights to make spur-of-the-moment decisions that improve situations for individuals and for groups. They have the ability to diagnose and respond quickly for the good of others.
This is a critical part of our shared work.
Good educational professionals are absolutely first responders, making split-second decisions that affect, change and, yes, save lives, every moment of every day.