This week I had the opportunity to spend some time with counselors from the Regina Public School system in Regina, SK, Canada – a group of fun and dedicated professionals working with children and families. It was a relatively small group and they all knew each other so the environment was relaxed.
One of the re-certs was supervising a group of young students as they enjoyed a school sponsored camping trip in the evenings and then coming to our workshop during the day. How do you spell dedication (or sleep deprivation)?
Hearing him talk about the importance of the camping trip – despite the extra work and lack of sleep – was really an inspiration. It reminded me of a recent Ted Talk I watched (thanks to my co-worker, Tim Geels) during which Rita Pierson talked about how children in the school systems need to have a champion. The Mandt System makes a similar reference in Chapter 4 about how people who have suffered trauma need a hero.
In Mrs. Pierson’s talk she describes the importance of relationships…that kids need an adult that will never give up on them. This week with those educators we had several conversations about similar ideas. They spoke of students living in poverty and in unsafe homes who come to school every day wanting to learn and starved for the attention of the teachers. We have all known plenty of educators who keep a stash of granola bars in their desk and buy art supplies for their classrooms. Men and women so dedicated to their students that they spend their free time in the evenings and on the weekends doing paperwork and preparing lessons for the young minds they are shaping.
Champions.
Heroes.
Teachers.
Nikki Wince – Mandt Faculty Supervisor
