Seven Degrees Of Education

I listen to your radio show every Friday morning and only miss the beginning in order to deliver my grandson to the school bus.

I have been debating for months if not a year to contact you about my career. I have to make a decision very soon about the direction of my career as a special educator or a special education administrator. I love and thrive with kids and they are so special to me, but I also have some influence where I am and I want to know where you see me going in the future.

Thank you so much,

Cheryl

Dear Cheryl,

First, thanks so much for your kind words! I enjoy the radio and am glad you do, too! J

Your career opportunities may appear to be in conflict, but in reality they are harmonious. The end result is always going to be what is best for the children. If you teach one-on-one, you will have a direct positive influence on those with whom you personally interact. If you pursue the administrative route, you will still have a teaching role in terms of mentoring, guiding, and supporting special educators in the classroom, who in turn will make a difference one-on-one. So, the good news is, there is truly no down side to either opportunity. This is clearly a "free will/free choice" question.

That said, the energy around this question reminds me of the "feed me a fish/teach me to fish" parable. Your reach, your influence to make a difference - which is your true motivation for entering this profession - is broader and farther reaching when you are in a position to share your considerable knowledge and expertise with other educators, creating a ripple effect.

There is an additional component to the choice to pursue the educational administrator route that is an important part of the decision, as well as an integral part of your energy. You need to write, Cheryl! You need to quantify your techniques and share your anecdotal evidence of how the techniques work. Think workshops, conferences, etc., and not only in your own backyard, but also on a broader scale. Ultimately, this will be the arena that will be your professional home. It will satisfy your need to contribute and touch the lives of those who need you and what you have to offer. The first step on that journey is the role of administrator.

Nan

√ ∙ Checkpoint:
Teaching is one of the most noble professions a person can embrace. Yet often, souls define "teaching" as being in a classroom, not realizing that the energetic lesson attached to being a natural born teacher is simply to facilitate the exchange of information through communication. When you impart information to others in a way that that information can be heard and utilized, you are teaching. When you offer thoughts or insights you have experienced to others for their use and understanding, you are teaching.

Stepping back from the traditional characterization of teaching as being in a classroom, and enlarging it to mean seeing oneself as a communication grid, routing information to where it is needed and can be used, we can see that many people who have the urge to teach can find spiritual congruency with that energy in various career manifestations that do not necessarily involve being in a classroom. Writing is often a component of this energetic life lesson.

Remember that when contemplating a career decision, the core energetic gifts are merely the starting point. Do not become attached to the perception of what that gift should be or how it should be used; instead, focus on the talents, the abilities, and let the opportunities for using those gifts come to you.

Intuitively Yours,
Nan O'Brien