There is no national monument for teachers. I have never seen a statue of a teacher. But we all build monuments for teachers in our hearts.
Teachers change our lives. Teachers draw us out of our own tiny little worlds, and give us a broader worldview. They open our hearts and minds to new possibilities.
Everyone has a story about a teacher who changed his or her life. Everyone has a story about a teacher who had a huge impact on his or her life. And people wish they could reconnect with that teacher and thank him or her.
One of the reasons teachers have such a profound impact on our lives is because their work is tied so closely to the meaning and purpose of life. Every parent has the same dream for their They want their children to become the-best-version-of-themselves. Teachers share this dream. At the heart of this gift, we call teaching is the very same dream.
Matthew Kelly is a best-selling author, speaker, thought leader, entrepreneur, consultant, spiritual leader, and innovator.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
I decided to read this "book" because I was looking for something to help me overcome my burnout and spark an interest in becoming a better teacher. I was hoping for stories from teachers and students about the relationship that forms between them. I got neither. Unfortunately, this was not a "book." There are no stories. This "book" is a dressed up quote-of-the-day calendar. Most of the quotes were not even that inspiring. After reading through all of these quotes, I feel even less inspired than over and more burned out. I guess I will keep reminding myself that I need to go to work in order to get a paycheck.