Powerful Questions From The Teacher of The Year

I had the opportunity recently to meet Guy Doud, the 1986 National Teacher of the Year, and hear him speak. Guy's speech was very inspirational. His talk centered around his life, and what he has learned from being a teacher. Guy's speech centered around two powerful questions that are applicable to everyone, which were, "Who am I?", and, "What difference does that make?"

Who am I?

Every one of us has one thing in common, and that is that we all want to be liked. From an early age, we ask ourselves, "Who am I?". Some of us can easily answer this question, and others of us struggle with it. It is, however, a question that we all often ponder. As I thought about this, I not only wondered about the answer for myself, but also the people around me.

What difference does that make?

If we are able to figure out who we really are and get in touch with ourselves, the next logical question is, "What difference does that make?" I thought about this question as Guy told us about some of the powerful things that he has been able to contribute to others through teaching. After all, the one thing that we would like to say as people is that we made some sort of difference in the world.

The inspirational aspect of Guy's talk was that each and every one of us can make a difference. He challenged us to look at people in a new way. To try and understand the answers to those questions for ourselves, as well as for others. So, as Guy challenged me, I challenge you to ask yourself the questions, "Who am I?", and, "What difference does that make?"