The Law of the Future

I realize this is a bumper sticker cliche, but it doesn't make it any less true. You really do "touch the future" with your students.

The Law of the One

Most people can remember the one or two teachers who believed in and took a special interest in them. For many of us, these special teachers made a tremendous difference in our lives. Might you be "the one" this year?

The Law of Learning

Whatever subject you teach, if you can foster a love of learning in your students, you have done more than perform your job well.

The Law of the Three P's

Politics: In teaching, as in any other profession, there are politics. You don't have to be an integral part of all of it. You do need to be aware of it, however.

Paperwork: Many teachers complain about the overwhelming amount of paperwork that keeps coming at them each year. I'm certainly no fan of paper work. The most important thing is to not let the first two Ps interfere with the third P.

Passion: When you bring a sense of passion to what you do inthe classroom, it will spread to your students. Not to all of them, of course. But enough of them will pick up on and catch your passion to make a huge difference.

The Law of the Role

Too many times, I hear someone say, "I'm just a teacher." Stop right there. You are so much more. Instead of concentrating on your job title, focus instead on your role. You are so much more. You are a: Counselor - Confidant -Influencer - Future-shaper - Preparer of minds - Future changer - and much more.

The Law of a Difference

All the roles listed above, and many others, contribute to you making a difference in the lives of your students. It was said best by a few lines on a framed picture my lovely wife Lauren gave me:

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove ... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."

The Law of the Visit

If you are one of the folks who have been truly blessed by "the visit," you'll be able to relate to how powerful this is.

It may come in the form of a phone call, e-mail, letter or actual visit. It's when one of your former students comes back and lets you know what a difference you made in his or her life. It may not even be something you remember saying, but the former student does because it made a difference. It can make your day or even your year, and reminds you why you are doing what you are doing.

The Law of the Starfish

Later this year, if you find yourself overwhelmed, stressed out and just tired of it all, you may wonder if you're making any difference at all. Save this story for those times.

A man was walking down the beach one day and came across hundreds of tiny starfish that had washed up on shore. He immediately began to pick up as many as he could and throw them back in the ocean. He repeated this over and over, until another man walked up and asked him what he was doing.

"Isn't it obvious," said the man. "All these starfish will die if we don't get them back in the water. Please help me."

The second man replied, "What's the use, you'll never be able to get them all back in the water. So what difference does it make?"

The man bent down, picked up just one starfish, and tossing it back into the water said,

"It makes a difference to this one."