Last post I wrote about my great-grandmother Ruth. About what it would look like to have just one more conversation. I was challenged during our recent 7 habits training to try and envision this and it felt fairly vulnerable to try and express myself.
The challenge of writing my own personal mission statement though, transparently, seems much more difficult. I constantly feel as though there is quite a gap between who I want to be as a person and who I actually am. I also know that my personal mission statement shouldn’t be 17 pages and a 2 hour conversation, although brevity isn’t one of my strengths. Nonetheless, this is my go at it.
Personal Mission Statement – I will love unconditionally. I will believe deeply and passionately about that which I hold dear. I will invest selflessly in others. Most of all, I will try to be a better man tomorrow, than I was today.
As I write that, I can’t help but think of the areas I consistently fall short. I love my friends and family unconditionally, but often like them selfishly. I often believe deeply and passionately, but don’t always stand strong for what I hold dear. I think about nights when I am consumed by tweets, e-mails, projects, or whatever else I ignorantly justify to myself as more important than simple, quiet (ok I have a 4 year old and a 18 month old, it’s never quiet) time with my wife and kids. I know as I write this that my wife will read this and it feels a bit disingenuous to say that I’m anything but a husband and dad who tries to be great, but often falls short. One of the things I think I have learned on this journey is that I may not always meet my personal mission, but I certainly want to strive towards aligning my life to my mission. *As an aside, I think justifying and qualifying my personal mission statement defeats the purpose of having a short, concise personal mission statement…..
Professional Mission Statement – I believe that all students should have access to and the opportunity for an educational experience that sets them up to be successful in life. I believe that every student has the capacity and ability to learn, demonstrates genius and has exceptional strengths. I believe that all educators, at their core, must love students. In all that I do and all that I pursue, I will work tirelessly to promote these beliefs within the educational realm. I believe that utopia can exist in education.
We must do what we believe is in the best interest of our students. I had a conversation with one of the teachers at my building a few days ago and we talked about the “utopian” vision of everyone working together, in harmony, to help all of our students succeed. I don’t want this to ever become something that is out of reach. I truly believe that we have the potential to create a “utopia” of education. If we view all students within our buildings, districts and communities as our students rather than other teacher’s students it would go a long way. In the end, it’s about the students. ALL of the students. We are on this journey together & each educator brings unique skills, traits and genius to the journey. When we combine this collective genius for the betterment of our students, when we share with each other and invest in the growth of each other, not only do we win, but more importantly our students win. I believe that a utopia can exist in education and each step we take on the journey to get there benefits our students.
Joe Mullikin 