Two of Three

Below is a quote that has passed in and out of education circles for the past few years. It is a powerful, strong, true quote. It is on the wall in my classroom by my desk so that when I think to look at it, I am reminded of the intensity of my job. It was "dressed up" for the classroom by the addition of a couple of key words.

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in my classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized." Haim Ginott

I thought I had put it on my blog before. . .I did a search and didn't find it, so I will put it on for the first or second time with the following changes.

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in my home. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make my family's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and my family humanized or de-humanized." Haim Ginott

Very overwhelming, very intense, very scary words. And very true.