As I said before, we did our best to make our office a warm safe place for everyone –not just those in trouble. My philosophy of teaching and guidance counseling was a little bit of a twist on the golden rule (which incidentally is addressed at great lengths in a future book). My golden rule was to treat every student the way that I would want my children or grandchildren to be treated.
My philosophy also included the belief that my job was to be an encourager – not a discourager. That meant to me that I never dashed a student’s hopes or dreams no matter how impossible they might have appeared at that time. I always remembered a cartoon that I had seen years earlier in which a man stood in front of a judge’s bench with the judge looking down with these words, “Oh, I remember you. You are the counselor who told me that I was not smart enough to get in law school.” That cartoon guided my words and actions for a lot of years.
We made every effort to send our seniors off to the next level after graduation as prepared as possible in every way. This consisted of too many things to even begin to list. Things like finding answers to questions they had about any subjects, writing letters of recommendation, working with the community to develop new scholarships to make available to graduates, whatever they needed. It also often meant helping first generation college students to locate and complete applications and apply for financial aid and scholarships. The Lord put me in a position in which I was able to pass on what had been done for me (one individual) by that home economics teacher and principal those many years ago to literally thousands of students.
Biblical Inspiration: Matthew 7:12 – So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Biblical Inspiration: Let all that you do be done in love.
Biblical Inspiration: Proverbs 11:15 – A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Biblical Inspiration: Ecclesiastes 9:10 – Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning, or knowledge, or wisdom.
Lesson in a Nutshell: God expects us to work hard and help others with the opportunities that HE provides.
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