SPEAR2Lead 2020 Summer Summer Series Passions & Purpose – Teaching & Education

The second week of the SPEAR2Lead 2020 Summer Summer Series Passions & Purpose is a spotlight on Teaching and Education. SPEAR2Lead is joined by Saturday Spotlight Speakers and Blog Contributors Imani Simmons and Timothy Chen. 

Imani Simmons is a 6th Grade social studies teacher and Timothy Chen is a 7th and 8th grade math teacher. Their biographies will be shared along with their views and experiences on teaching and education. There will also be an exploration of their thoughts as it related to passions, purpose, and professionalism. Lastly, we will get a glimpse into their perspectives when it comes to success and a focus on key concepts and terms that are important in their line of work.  

Meet Imani Simmons 

 

Meet Timothy Chen

 

” Education is multifaceted and the Merriam-Webster dictionary deconstructs its various aspects accordingly: “to provide schooling for” and “to train by formal instruction and supervised practice especially in a skill, trade, or profession.”  Education is equally defined as “to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction” and “to provide with information.” The last definition of educating that may be the most prevalent today is “to persuade or condition to feel, believe, or act in a desired way.” Teachers are on the frontlines day in and day out. They serve as mentors, supporters, provide guidance, instill value, shape minds, and inspire the future. The work that educational professionals do everyday should be valued, acknowledged, and appreciated. They deserve to be respected, recognized, and remembered for the contributions they make within their schools, communities, and the world. SPEAR2Lead wanted to share the story and journey of two remarkable and inspiring Education professionals. Together, we will learn more about their passions, personal purpose, the work that they do and how they are changing the world in their own rights. We hope you are excited to learn more about these wonderful educators, through exploring starting with passions, then purposes to professionalism and success.

Passions

Passions are what fuel a person; , they help each of us to strive , they are the soft skills that make each person unique.  Passions are important and they help inform the decisions that people make. Ms. Simmons and Mr. Chen parallel their personal positions and professional passions. Ms. Simmons shares, ” Since the age of fifteen, I have worked in positions centered around children and families, such as camps and schools. I am passionate about working with children of all ages and assisting in the discovery of new knowledge, skills, interests, and talents.”

Mr. Chen notes, ” I am passionate about learning. While education and learning are often used interchangeably, I think that education is generally associated more with the formal institutions of learning. While I am passionate about formal education, I recognize its flaws. I also recognize that true learning does not always occur in a formal educational setting. Overall, I am passionate about LEARNING. Whether that is a child learning how to fish from his father, a young couple learning how to love, or a student learning how to calculate percentages. As much as I can, my passion is to help students to actually learn while they are taking part in the education system. I’d rather have my students learn how to think mathematically and get an 70% in my class than have them get a 100% without truly learning anything. And outside of the classroom, my passion is for learning as well. I love to learn languages, cultures, cooking, geography, history, and just about people.”

Purpose 

Purpose is your why , purpose is your reason, and purpose is what helps the path each person takes. Ms. Simmons indicates, ” Purpose is what wakes you up in the morning and motivates you to keep going. Purpose guides your decisions and the goals that you want to accomplish.” Mr. Chen defines purpose as “the reason that you do something, or should do something.”

Professional & Professionalism 

What its means to be a professional and to demonstrate professionalism looks different to everyone . To Ms. Simmons, ” Professionalism involves having content knowledge and willing to enhance and deepen skills and expertise within your profession. For example, in teaching, I must know my subject matter and how to teach in ways that support all students’ needs. Professionalism is also having excellent communication and listening skills and willingness to ask for help and support colleagues to achieve a common goal. Professionals should always remain poised in challenging situations and should arrive to work prepared.”

To Mr. Chen provides a personal take on professionalism by recounting some of the things he does . He says, ” I focus on three things regarding professionalism: competency, good interpersonal skills, and a growth mindset. Firstly, you need to be well-versed in your field and able to perform your job well. Secondly, you should be able to relate to and work with different kinds of people. Lastly, it is essential that you always recognize areas for growth and keep improving yourself.”

Success

Success is not a one-size- fits- all commodity. Each person has their individual goals, visions, dreams, hopes, ambitions, and aspirations. SPEAR2Lead understands the value of personal and professional success and wants to change the connotation of success. Ms. Simmons describes and defines success as, ” Success is discovering and living your true purpose in life while also having a positive impact on others. ” Mr. Chen attributes the definition of success to ” making progress towards your goals, in spite of whatever obstacles you may face.”

Words to anyone interested in Teaching and Education 

When passions are combined with purpose and practiced in profession it is the perfect combination. Flexibility, aAccountability, and dDedication are major keys and attributes to keep in mind when pursuing a teaching and education related profession or career. 

Tune in this Saturday at 1PM EST to watch the SPEAR2Lead 2020 Summer Stories Series : Teaching and Education Saturday Spotlight with Imani Simmons  & Timothy Chen moderated by Ms. ODA !