Your Legacy?

3 Replies


cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Hamed Saber

Today while doing a presentation, I referenced a Ewan McIntosh post on Martha Payne and some of the awesome stuff that she did through her use of blogging and raising money for a school in Malawi. In it, Ewan has this great quote:

Martha shows every facet of great learning: real world change, making the environment around her better, sharing her thinking with the world, having a conscious for the world beyond her immediate horizons, and robustness in the face of incredible media and social media pressure.

While I was talking, I just thought about my legacy, and the legacy of others as a teacher.  How would I want to be remembered?  How would I want the teachers I work with to be remembered by their students?  Not many kids (if any) talk about how awesome it was that some teacher inspired them to kick butt on tests in their adulthood.  There is much more than that.  Yes kids need knowledge to do well, but what will they do with it?

What would you want your legacy to be after you are done teaching?

  • ttherosoto

    This summer I ran into a student I taught 8 years ago. I recognized her and she smiled and told me all the amazing things she's doing in her life. I was so proud of her. As we parted, she said, "You know what I loved about you as a teacher? You really care about your students." That stuck with me. Isn't it nice not to be remembered for one cool activity, or the grade you gave a student? What's wonderful is that she remembers that warm and loving feeling of being cared for. I couldn't tell you what I did or how I did it but that stuck with her and now, it sticks with me.

  • http://www.tonybaldasaro.com Tony Baldasaro

    George,
    I have often thought about what I wanted my legacy to be and, I must admit, as I have gotten older it has become less grand. Yes, I want to leave my footprint in education and the life of kids, but more important to me is that my own children are proud of my work. Truthfully, I'm not sure my legacy will be measured until they make their own impact on the world. I hope I am teaching them to be the difference they want to see. I hope I make a difference, but hope even more that their impact is greater than mine.

  • Tom Whitford

    George,
    another inspiring post. I have pondered this as well. Like Tony says above, My idea of my legacy has changed over the years. No matter which building/district I have worked in, I have always had the goal of leaving it a better place. As I start to work on my certification to become a District Administrator, I begin to see the broader picture of not only my building, my students, my teachers, but the community as a whole. I don't mean to make it seem grandiose, but I think sometimes in the smallest ways, good leaders can make lasting impact, and if nothing else I still want to leave my community a better place. Yeah, I hope my wife, my children and other family members can be proud of what I have tried to accomplish (and hopefully did), and that they can respect the time and effort it may have taken away from them, but mostly I want my legacy to have helped others out in some way, no matter how small. I Guess I hope to promote the circle of caring and that the circle continues after I am gone thanks to those I have cared for.