If you are thinking about being an educator or already are an educator (teacher, administrator, tutor, coach, parent, etc.), then you are committed to changing the world, because that is what educators do. As an educator, you have great influence over the hearts and minds of the people in your care. Throughout your education career, you will affect the lives of hundreds of people. A career in education is not for the faint of heart. It provides some of the biggest challenges you will ever face, and the most rewarding experiences you will ever receive. Make no mistake that educating people is hard work. In the words of Jaime Escalante, “…you do not enter the future, you create the future, and the future is created through hard work.” In so many ways educators create the future through their interactions and relationships with our most precious and vulnerable future—the children we teach.
Educator and poet, Sigmund Boloz, writes about the power and influence of educators in his poem, Be Dangerous. During the occupation of Poland in WWII, Sigmund’s mother, then a young girl of 14, was imprisoned with her parents who were teachers. When asked why teachers were incarcerated in the concentration camps, she responded that,
In the College of Education Health and Human Services, we have an unprecedented opportunity to work together with our health, social work, and other colleagues and community partners to create innovative learning environments for children. Those environments provide a comprehensive system that addresses the education, health, cognitive, and emotional needs of children and families. A primary goal of our educational programs at CSUSM is to make a difference in the social justice gaps for underserved children. We have a long history of positive impact and influence in the educational communities of North San Diego County. Building on that history and strength, and with innovation and opportunity the School of Education continues to prepare the highest quality educators possible. “You, the [educator], are freedom’s greatest hope…be dangerous.” (Boloz, 1997).
Sincerely,
Patricia Stall, Ph.D.
