At times my efforts seem futile. As a school psychologist I am sometimes up against barriers that seem unsurmountable.
I haven't blogged as much about my internship as I had originally anticipated, but I've made up for it with the many things I have learned in such a short time.
One of the most profound things I've learned is that administration is much more powerful than I originally thought. I have found that it is the administration who tends to set the tone for the atmosphere of the school they manage. The ideals and attitudes of the powers that be tend to trickle down even so far as to impact significantly the lives and education of the children who attend their school. Administrators set the stage for working relationships among teachers and other staff, how they problem solve influences how smoothly the school will run, and their general demeanor towards others impacts how the rest of the school will act toward each other.
I've had the opportunity to work in two different school districts and they are as opposite each other as up is to down. With the two different schools it is easy to distinguish the differences and where these differences stem from.
The part that breaks my heart the most is seeing how it impacts the children in these schools; their education, their emotional well-being, and their personal values. Now I know I can't blame it entirely on administration as the community around the schools makes its mark as well, but for the most part these children spend a large amount of their life under the influence of those who are educating them. So it is profound.
In schools with poor administration and old school beliefs about special education versus general education, people like me who wish to make a difference tend to feel somewhat helpless in making change. So in the end I have to ask myself..."What small places can I make a difference?" Sometimes it is only in those small, and sometimes very brief moments, that I can make a difference in the life of a child. Like a hug when a child is having a rough day, words of encouragement when a child has accomplished something they struggled with, a simple smile and hello, and sometimes just listening. So I must seize it with vigor and tenderness.
I will end on that note with this very inspirational quote that I think ties in well with the topic of today's blog.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."~John Wooden
I haven't blogged as much about my internship as I had originally anticipated, but I've made up for it with the many things I have learned in such a short time.
One of the most profound things I've learned is that administration is much more powerful than I originally thought. I have found that it is the administration who tends to set the tone for the atmosphere of the school they manage. The ideals and attitudes of the powers that be tend to trickle down even so far as to impact significantly the lives and education of the children who attend their school. Administrators set the stage for working relationships among teachers and other staff, how they problem solve influences how smoothly the school will run, and their general demeanor towards others impacts how the rest of the school will act toward each other.
I've had the opportunity to work in two different school districts and they are as opposite each other as up is to down. With the two different schools it is easy to distinguish the differences and where these differences stem from.
The part that breaks my heart the most is seeing how it impacts the children in these schools; their education, their emotional well-being, and their personal values. Now I know I can't blame it entirely on administration as the community around the schools makes its mark as well, but for the most part these children spend a large amount of their life under the influence of those who are educating them. So it is profound.
In schools with poor administration and old school beliefs about special education versus general education, people like me who wish to make a difference tend to feel somewhat helpless in making change. So in the end I have to ask myself..."What small places can I make a difference?" Sometimes it is only in those small, and sometimes very brief moments, that I can make a difference in the life of a child. Like a hug when a child is having a rough day, words of encouragement when a child has accomplished something they struggled with, a simple smile and hello, and sometimes just listening. So I must seize it with vigor and tenderness.
I will end on that note with this very inspirational quote that I think ties in well with the topic of today's blog.
"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."~John Wooden
