Reaching our children

I believe that nations whose welfare are tied to those of their children place a high premium on building relationships with them. This is probably even truer for adults whose welfare are tied to those of their children. Parents who need their children take care of them ensuring that these children are well placed to do so. I wonder what would happen if the future of teachers particularly beyond retirement were tied to the future of their students. I believe they would have vested interest in the lives of these children and what happened to them.

Our welfare is no longer tied to those of children because we live long enough,work hard enough; make money enough, and we are healthy enough, and for longer to take care of ourselves. Who needs these children? We can secure our own insurances and governments have taken over our social security. We have 401Ks and retirement funds, who needs children? Children, therefore, have become liabilities not assets. This perception of children appears to permeate our values.

Increasingly, I am beginning to believe that our security and safety are tied to those of our children - the next generation. We have a responsibility to teach them our values and reach them or risk them adopting the value of others or being reached by others. The best way to reach them is to befriend them, treat them with appreciation, treat them like they matter and that they occupy places in our classrooms that no one else can duplicate. To feel loved, appreciated, wanted and celebrated is what draws children to us as educators. This leaves them open to our guidance and prodding and influence. We must reach before we can teach them. It is in reaching that our welfares become entwined. After all they will become what we are to them.