Despite Budget Cuts, There's Lots to be Proud of in Education

August is my busiest time of the year as I am asked to be the keynote motivational speaker in schools all over the country. As both a member of the National Speakers Association and a missionary, my husband and I have been to all 50 states and 60 foreign countries.

I assure you that curriculum and rules may change from place to place, but the hearts of teachers, students and their parents are all the same. We all feel that the summer was too short, and school is starting way too soon. But we also get that year-to-year excitement about a new year and a new beginning.

I have been in education for 35 years and one thing in particular has changed. I know I am getting old when the new teachers look like they are 12, and both they and the students are wearing shorts and carrying cell phones. Yes times change, but the human heart doesn’t.

With all of the recent budget cuts from state and national funding for education, morale can indeed go down. And yet, there is so much to be proud of in all the accomplishments academically, athletically and personally. I still see teaching and learning, but I see more creativity in the classroom; I notice more individualized instruction; and more teachers keep giving more time, more encouragement and more love.

When I retired from teaching at Lindbergh High School, I began teaching teachers in various masters programs, and speaking at conferences and workshops from Peru to Africa to Australia. I have spoken to more than 100,000 teachers now, and believe me I have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly. I must admit that I have been the good, the bad and the ugly.

Every teacher worth his or her salt, or Pepper in my case, has mixed feelings once August is here. If they have a teaching position, they are grateful, excited and a bit nervous. However, they also have a bit of angst at not getting everything accomplished they had hoped they would during the summer, and they always have more preparation than days left until school begins.

I used to dread the “Back to School” signs and commercials that began the middle of July. I just wanted my full summer time to vacation, read, catch up with friends and families and just do NOTHING for a couple of days. But it seems now that school begins in early August, and all of us are getting older, time goes by more quickly and summers are shorter and shorter. Plus, I teach most of my masters courses and workshops in the summer when teachers are working on certification or advanced degrees, and I no longer get summers off–even though I am supposedly retired!

One of my favorite composites to share with my audiences is a list called THE TOP TEN QUALITIES SHARED BY TEACHERS AND LEADERS OF EXCELLENCE. This is an opportune time for self-examination by any of us involved in any type of leadership, management or supervisory capacity. I am the first to admit I have never perfected it through the years, but I never cease my efforts to improve. See how you relate in these top ten qualities:

1. Others see them as “real.” They are trustworthy, safe and respected.
2. They are good listeners.
3. They see subordinates as real people.
4. They have clear, consistent expectations.
5. They seek solutions from many sources.
6. They are flexible and willing to change.
7. They have developed a good sense of humor.
8. They can motivate those under them to succeed as well.
9. They find the “good” and praise it.
10. They live a life of balance personally and professionally.

The last number is broken down into the Carl Jung psychological profile of balancing one’s life in six categories: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, family and work. I don’t know anyone who has yet to perfectly balance his or her life in all six categories; I sure do admire those who consistently try.

This year as you bid your children, grandchildren or other friends and relatives a happy school year, don’t forget to include the teachers in your sphere. It is not a job, and not even a profession; I believe that teaching is a calling. And our schools are the largest mission field on the face of the planet. So a prayer won’t hurt either. After 35 years in education, this has been my daily prayer:

Our lives will touch a hundred lives before this day is done,

Leave countless marks of good or bad before the setting sun;

So let this be the wish I always wish, the prayer I always pray;

Lord let me leave the mark of love on those I touch each day.

Debra Peppers, a professional speaker for 25 years, was one of only five inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame upon her retirement from Lindbergh High School. A member of the National Speakers Association, she has traveled to all 50 states and 60 countries teaching others that if she can go from being a 250-pound high school dropout, to Teacher of the Year there is hope for every child and adult. For info, visit www.pepperseed.org