Teaching success simplified

Career success in any profession or vocation is not only a legitimate and reasonable objective but an effective way to motivate oneself to excel. But one should have first of all a clear definition of career success.

Many today define success by pecuniary standards some in terms of fame and personal prominence. If you measure success in terms of financial gain, I say teaching may not be for you. If it’s by renown and personal fame again I say teaching may not be for you.

Trite, hackneyed and worn-out as it may sound teaching as a career is a noble call. One who enters it should be conscious of the reality that what it lacks in terms of personal eminence and economic rewards, it more than compensates in terms of the opportunity and privilege of molding, shaping and directing minds, and hearts if not lives of others.

“Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.” I know I’ve read that somewhere. Whoever said that is right, right, right.

Doing what is right – Simple? Yes, that is, if you have a clear comprehension of your priorities based on your career goal which is founded on your definition of success. We all have 24 hours a day to put our work in, and so it’s quite important to establish what the essentials are.

I believe it was in one of Stephens Covey’s book that I read of the sketch about a professor who did an experiment; he took a large open-mouthed jar placed several big rocks until it was “full” then goes on to fill the spaces in between those rocks with smaller gravel until it was “full” and then again filled the spaces left with sand. He then made a simple yet profound question – what happens if he filled the jar with sand first? There wouldn’t be space for the bigger rocks! Doing what is right starts by identifying those bigger rocks of our teaching career and putting first things first.

Doing it the right way – the only way I suggest is the way of excellence. Excellence in both skill and attitude. Upgrading oneself through further education not only opens doors for possible promotion but shows ones love and respect towards ones career.

The right time? All the time is the right time. Every moment available to learn something new and to keep ourselves updated to the fast-changing development in technology and how to best utilize them in our own teaching milieu. All the time; grabbing every teaching moment that presents itself to us, what I mean is never limit the teaching moments during class hours. One thing I noticed by experience is that sometimes those “out-of-the-classroom” moments are conducive in imparting knowledge, particularly in communicating values.

Do what’s right… Do it the right way… Do it the right time. DO IT NOW!

(Rev. RICMUN G. VIRATA teaches Values Education at Trustworthy Learning Center in Silang, Cavite and haplain of Shalom Akademeia of Cavite in GMA, Cavite.)