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A Higher Calling Deserves a Friendly Answer

My mother knew I was going to be a teacher when she tripped over my stuffed animals and me in the narrow hallway of my childhood. Of course I had them in a perfect straight line.

“But my Cabbage Patch Kids have to go to the bathroom, Mama”, I protested as she sternly asked me to pick them up from the floor. Later that afternoon I was placed on punishment for writing the alphabet on my closet door with a Magic Marker. I thought the commercial said they were washable.

When I watch young children play, I can almost always tell who is going to be a teacher. It’s like they have a special glow around them. So often they are the child explaining the ever changing rules of hide-n-seek or they’re the ones holding up the game because, “We have to wait for Chucky!” This unique child is quick to show their friends how to play a new game and often says, “Now watch me”.

We teachers are a unique breed! Our fraternal order steps to the beat of a different drummer and answers to an ancient calling. It is our mission; no it is our duty to preserve this honorable tradition.

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Madison Paine and I intend to nurture, enlighten, and motivate my fellow educators, especially the newest among us. I am honored The Apple.com has extended an invitation to me to be a guest writer. There are already so many wonderful writers inspiring you daily, therefore I was hard pressed to come up with something original you probably have not already seen.

So I decided to just be available to encourage you, offer insight when needed, and definitely be a strong voice in your corner on those days you really feel like walking away. We’ll call it A Moment with Madison and I hope my column will be for you what so many veterans have been for me, a genuine source of inspiration.

Use this column as an opportunity to share observations or ask advice about a pressing issue you are facing as a teacher. I will in turn share my thoughts as well as seek out wisdom for us all. This column seeks to tear down communication barriers and build a positive environment where teachers can openly express themselves while gaining helpful insight.

Send your questions to my account on TheApple.com or to mrsmadisonpaine@gmail.com. Join A Moment with Madison group on TheApple to post questions. I hope to leave no question unanswered. Thank you for the opportunity to speak into your higher calling, the teaching profession.

Special note: Madison can be followed on Twitter (http://twitter.com/madisonpaine), Facebook Fan Page (The Poisoned Apple), Goodreads.com, and BlogSpot (The Mad Apple Forum).

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