American musician and songwriter Louis Armstrong wrote, “I hear babies cry. I watch them grow. They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.”
As an educator, a parent and an adult functioning in our society, I can think of no higher ideal than this. It is a statement that is empowering, humbling and challenging at the same time.
There are many things in the world that are not wonderful. We see disease, destruction and despair in the news every day. Having lived numerous decades, however, I cannot help but notice the significant progress we have made as humanity. Powerful despots are powerful no more. We no longer fear the real possibility of nuclear Armageddon as we did when I was a child. And, at the very least, we have written down the kind of world we hope to create in internationally accepted human rights documents.
As a teacher, I can work with my students to study where we are and how we got here. We can discuss where we might want to go, but I cannot tell my students how to get there or how long it will take to arrive. The truth is, I don’t know. The truth is, we must entrust our young people with the future. They too will likely never arrive at the ideals we are striving for, but they will bring humanity closer.
Giving our children the tools they will need to move the world forward is the greatest and most valuable investment we can make. It is our most empowering and meaningful contribution.
While it is important to give our children the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics, it is far more important that we spark their curiosity and encourage them to learn beyond what we can teach them.
It is also very important to not only discuss the kind of world we want to create, but to model it to them to the best of our ability. If we want them to be respectful, we must show respect for all. If we want them to value truth, then we need to be uncompromising in our quest for truth. If we want our children to learn, then we need to be constantly learning as well. If we want them to self-correct, then we need to humbly embrace our own mistakes.
Admittedly, teaching in the 21st century is very challenging, but the best educators have always embraced these same ideals.
There are also many joys in being an educator. Having taught for over 30 years in the same community, it is rare that a day goes by when I do not see a former student. They are salespeople, roofers, mechanics, electricians, doctors, dentists, accountants, artists, actors and musicians. They are my teaching colleagues and teachers of my own children. They are the parents of the students in my classroom. The magic of social media even allows me to interact with many who are far away.
Today when I see young people sitting in front of me, I may not know what they will become, but I can confidently tell them that they will discover their gifts and do great things. They will encounter a hurting world and change it with their goodness. I’ve seen this happen for decades and I know it will continue, despite my own limitations as an educator.
My former students have all learned so much more than I’ll ever know, and my current and future students will do the same.
When I reflect on the future being in their hands, “I think to myself, what a wonderful world."
