How becoming an Educator at the age of 50 changed my life

Many years ago, I heard the tagline “Change the world of a child, and You change the world. “Then, I was coaching baseball and basketball but not working directly in education. I thought about the tagline, how it applied to what I was doing.  I realized that changing the world was a maybe but, changing the world of children did change the world for me.  My work with young people has changed me in several different ways. 

1. I have become a much better listener. Over the years, I have come to understand that children have significant contributions to make in any conversation. But only If you are willing to listen to them. For example, a child will spend 10 minutes describing what is bothering them in great but emotional detail.  Only to have the adult doing a reverse Charlie Brown, instead of the students hearing WA-WA-WAH when the teacher talks, the teachers hear WA-WA-WAH when the student talks.  I have learned to Listen to learn rather than listening to respond.
2. I have become even more open-minded and empathic. As I became a more active listener, I could see the world through teenage eyes with teenage logic.  As a substitute teacher, I realized that trying to establish a dominant position traditionally does not work for a substitute.  I quickly understood my post on the respect ladder as a substitute teacher was below everyone else in the building.  I learned to accept that the student’s truth is their truth as a starting point to building trust.  I lamented because I had no shoes until I met the person with no feet. 
3. I have improved in being patient. I have a more precise awareness of the tremendous changes that teenagers go through during their high school years.  I can appreciate seeing seeds that teachers planted in 9^th grade come to bloom in 12^th grade.  I have come to realize that results come over time if you stay consistent.  Consistency requires being patient.  One of the coaches’ saying I have “What you are trying might not work for the first 100 times you try it, but it will work the next 1000 times after you master it”
4. I have stayed spiritually young while maturing mentally. One of the best things about being one of the oldest people in the building is the energy that young people (50s,40s,30s,20s, and teens) supercharges my spiritual batteries. Every conversation that I have has a different generational perspective.  If I am doing the job as an active listener, I can experience an issue from eyes born in each decade from the 1970s to the 2000s.  The remarkably diverse school population further enhances my experience.  When you see the world thru teenage eyes, you will see a ball of confusion, but if you can look past that ball, you will see their shine of hopes, dreams, ambitions, and creativity trying to breakthrough. I continue to learn something new every day.