Excellence
"Excellence is giving your best to any task you do or any relationship you have… Excellence is effort guided by noble purpose. It is a desire for perfection. The perfection of a seed is the fruit which grows from it. Excellence in your life is bringing your gifts to fruition."
-excerpts from the Virtues cards with permission from The Virtues Project™
My heart and voice shouted YES! when I read the first lines of Parker Palmer's fabulous book, The Courage to Teach. Parker says,
"I am a teacher at heart, and there are moments in the classroom when I can hardly hold the joy. When my students and I discover the uncharted territory to explore, when the pathway out of the thicket opens up before us… then teaching is the finest work I know."
On this 14th day of June, when the days of the school year are winding down, I dedicate this Virtues Moment to all of the teachers, those dedicated, loving souls who have worked purposefully, enthusiastically and patiently to encourage their students to strive for excellence.
I have known excellence in teaching. With careful planning, creativity and always some risk-taking, the magic of excellence can happen. Teaching is such a blend of heart, soul and mind. It's a balancing act, an art rather than a science. When everything works, it's sheer joy, and when it doesn't, it's full of self-recriminations.
Right now, I want to focus on the excellence, not the lack. I can see my teaching as effort guided by noble purpose. I can sometimes see the fruits of my efforts, but often, as a teacher, I don't see the fruits, except in small ways: the child who shows kindness to another student, the smile of recognition when the student knows she has discovered a new idea. I then must trust that my efforts are enough, that the work I have done will result in many fruits, even if I don't see them.
Questions for reflection:
How have I developed my own gifts?
How do I keep my desire for excellence from becoming perfectionism?
What will I do to acknowledge my own excellence?
Take time today to acknowledge your excellence.
The Virtues Project™ strategies help children, youth and adults develop excellence and other virtues.