“Being a contribution” is a concept that should ring true for just about any adult. We put a lot of stock into our careers, our families, our relationships. We judge ourselves by these things, as well as measures as silly as the money we make.
The truth is, it’s hard to get away from these types of measures. Even in judging ourselves by our relationships, we’re valuing our selves based on other people. There are times when people in our lives are going to let us down, and we have very little to do with it. We have to learn to decide how much personal responsibility to take, and how much responsibility others should take.
In education, I think any teacher is automatically a contributor. So long as we take individual responsibility, and realize that what we do is very important (and not make the mistake of feeling self-important) for our students, we’ll be a contributor. In simply choosing a job where we are in a service type of position, we are contributing.
I was speaking with a friend years back, explaining to her how I had offended this waitress I worked with. I explained how I had said , “I don’t want to be a waitress my whole life,” and how another waitress, overhearing what I was saying to another young co-worker, defensively butted in and asked “why?” I immediately felt defensive myself, because what I had said wasn’t meant to pertain to anyone but myself. I hadn’t thought how it might sound to someone else standing nearby. The older waitress waited while I searched for an answer, and all I could come up with at that moment was that I wanted to do something more with my life. The other waitress stalked off, not satisfied with my answer. In explaining the situation to my friend, she didn’t understand my reasoning, either. She and I were currently working together, and I was trying to explain why what I said to the waitress shouldn’t be offensive. There is just a certain mindset that people who become teachers have that we need to do something more, give something back, to work a job that makes us feel like we’re making a difference. When I was in junior high, my best friend at that time totally understood. We both talked about becoming teachers “when we grew up,” and we both did just that. There is something about doing a job that is about a little more than making money, or chasing goals or attaining small scale rewards. I never did make my friend or that waitress understand what I meant, but at least I tried.
Reading this chapter summed up what I meant to say better than I ever could. I have a desire to be a contribution. To have the importance of my career not be everything I am, though it is a huge part of me. My contribution is determined by me, and I can give anything I want. The great thing is, as a young educator, I have a long road ahead, much to contribute and keep contributing, and a long way to grow.
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