Leadership and Development Trainer
A number from the musical Bye Bye Birdie poses the question, “What’s the matter with kids today?” From a historical perspective, Aristotle was one of the first to ask that, so concern by adults about the state our young peoples’ attitudes and values is nothing new.
António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, says, “Our hope for the future is in the generation coming up.” I have the privilege of visiting with so many of our young people, and I can confidently say, “Relax, folks. We’re in good hands.”
In so many ways, our students today are far ahead of where we were at that age. Not that we were bad; we did create a pretty decent society, but we can be encouraged to know that many of today’s student leaders are working hard at fostering a school climate that is safe, caring, inclusive, and welcoming for everyone. We know that we have a ways to go before we achieve our ideal end result, but we are making great strides and as one prominent politician reminds us, “When enough of us get on board. the rest will follow.”
The Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young rendition of Teach Your Children Well encourages us to inspire children to become themselves and to have a code to live by.
“Feed them on your dreams.
Just look at them and sigh
and know they love you.”
They also admonish kids to “Teach your parents well,” which reminds us of the insight and wisdom that we as adult mentors can gain by listening to and learning from our student leaders.
It is such an honor to be a part of the Leaders Forum. I have a bird’s eye view of the wonderful things happening in our schools because of educators like you. You DO believe in kids. You dedicate your life to molding and shaping our future by molding and shaping the young people you serve. As one administrator pointed out, education isn’t a job or a profession, it’s a calling.
As we complete another successful year, we are buoyed by four of the most satisfying words in education, “Have a good summer.” Enjoy the leisure of summer, relax and refresh, and as you greet your staff and students in the fall, you can smile and say two as equally invigorating words, “Welcome back.”
Have a good summer!
Denny Smith is a former teacher and coach, a motivational speaker, and an author committed to making our schools safe and welcoming for all people. His latest book, Always Be a Class Act, is written for high school and youth sports athletes, their parents, coaches, and other adult mentors. Other books include Emotional Intelligence 101: How to Carve a Duck and Coaches Make the Difference, all available on Amazon. For more information visit www.dennysmith.com.