“You’re never wrong to do the right thing.” (Mark Twain)

Last Sunday was Easter, so I took that as a sign that I needed to resurrect myself by quiting a job that had become completely dysfunctional. It took me almost six years to reach this point but staying was no longer an option. As I said my goodbyes to numerous employees I was met with an almost universal, “Congratulations on making a good decision.” I didn’t need any extra validation but it was nice to hear it anyway. Honestly, I still feel sorry for the ones I left behind. They’re all still stuck in a difficult position. Much higher expectations for less pay is not a good situation and they’re all feeling the pressure. I’m lucky that I saw this coming a year ago and made other arrangements as a backup plan.

So now I’m going back to working with kids but this time they won’t be in state custody, just ordinary kids from all over the town I live in. In our local school district and many others statewide there is a huge need for substitute teachers. So much so that they lessened the requirements. At this time, a four-year degree is all that’s required to qualify for emergency substitute teacher. That and a background check gets me the opportunity to recapture some of what I lost when I left the foster care agency. I always missed the kids but I never regretted my decision to leave the state system.

Next Monday I will report to a high school at 7:30 AM to start my first shift as a para-educator. I will most likely be assigned to one kid with special needs and then spend my day studying the teachers. I need a lot more training to be able to do what they do so well. I admire anybody who chooses that career path. Teaching, especially with this generation of kids, has to be extremely difficult. Between smartphones and social media, it’s a miracle they can get these kids to focus on subjects that aren’t nearly as interesting as TikTok videos. I can’t wait to see what’s going on in the classrooms these days.

I’m actually considering writing a book about this experience. My working title is “Each One Teach One” because I think it best describes my own personal belief system. It’s probably a consequence of being older and having grandchildren to teach but I do think it’s a bigger cause than just my own family. The world in general needs one on one education. This generation, more than any other, has been taught to be dependent on electronic devices for everything. They all seem to be great with technology but their interpersonal skills are not nearly as well-developed. They struggle with actual conversations and expressing their feelings in a meaningful way. I want to help them overcome that failing.

I sincerely want to keep finding new challenges as long as I live and this one seems to fit my needs perfectly. I like kids of all ages. It will be challenging to find ways to connect with them on their level not mine. Hopefully, once I build that bond of trust with them, they will see me as someone to be looked up to and someone they can seek out for guidance. That would make me very happy. I know it won’t be all of them but those few who feel the light go on in the back of their brains when they talk to me will get a friend for life. And when they do come looking for me, then we will talk about the need for them to do the same for someone younger than them. ,

If you’re older and wiser like me and you’re reading this blog, please feel free to take this mission statement and make it your own. Each one of us needs to teach one younger than us and instill that same sense of urgency in the next generation. We can still change the world for the better if we just reach out and connect with these kids as often as possible. Let’s not give in to the irrational belief that it’s a lost cause. These are the most important causes of all – our kids, our grandkids and the whole world.

Just give me a couple of years to connect with the kids, hear their stories, compile it all into something worth publishing and then we will have the textbook for future generations to learn from. Let’s take Mark Twain’s advice and make the commitment that comes with doing the right thing no matter what it takes, “You’re never wrong to do the right thing.”

©Guy R. Horst and grhgraph.wordpress.com, 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Guy R. Horst and grhgraph.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.