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Honor is a vital action. But we’re not talking about glory here. Neither are we talking about fame and fortune. We’re talking about honoring people who chose education as their profession and who do their work well. We’re talking about people serving in a noble career and choosing to make a difference for young people. A life in education is, indeed, a life well spent. Tweet this We need to honor education by honoring educators for making a choice that’s beneficial to millions of young people. Honoring our colleagues should become one of the joys in our life. As administrators, it’s hard to believe that one could do the right thing, for the right reason, in the right way, without honor being a part of the work environment.

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Honoring is the way we celebrate the commitment, dedication, service, contribution, effort, and achievement of individuals, groups, and an entire organization.

We honor that which we approve and need emulated.

We honor that which we want and need perpetuated.

We honor that which represents the best of us. Tweet this

 

HOW WE HONOR

Fortunately, we can honor all kinds of people in all kinds of ways. We can honor by word and deed, spoken or written, privately or publicly. Honoring can be our daily practice as well as reserved for official and formal events or occasions.

Bestowing honor on those involved in the work and mission of our schools and education should be common and frequent if it’s warranted, appropriate, and deserved. It should never be reserved only for those who are retiring and leaving. If we only honor at the end of careers, we miss a lot of opportunities to honor—and lose the positive impact and influence of honor.

As administrators, it is both our responsibility and privilege to know who, why, when, where, and how excellence is being achieved. We should welcome the leadership prerogative we have to honor the deserving in our midst.

 

THE POWER OF HONOR

It is in the act of bestowing honor on others that we reveal who we are and what we cherish, as well as what we stand up for and believe in. The honor we bestow upon others serves both them and us. A close look will reveal, the act of honoring is inspiring and motivating to the person being honored, those bestowing the honor, and those witnessing the honor.

 

WHY WE HONOR PEOPLE

We honor:

…to show appreciation, gratitude, and respect.
…what we appreciate and value.
…what we want noticed and embraced.
…to recognize and identify effort, work, and achievement.
…to say thank you, good job, and you are important to us.
…to inspire, motivate, and create a culture of caring and giving.
…because we feel it’s deserved, believe it’s the right and proper thing to do—and because we want to do it.

 

WHO SHOULD WE HONOR?

We should honor students and everyone involved who has made a contribution of time, effort, achievement, service, or resources to facilitating the work of educators, the opportunities and successes of students, and the work and mission of the school. Those we honor include all—and exclude none:

  • Students
  • Teachers
  • Principals
  • Superintendents
  • The Board of Education
  • Counselors
  • HR Directors
  • Professional Development Personnel
  • Special Education Staff
  • Advisory Groups
  • Parents
  • Office Personnel
  • Librarians
  • Nurses
  • Paraeducators
  • Secretaries
  • Bus Drivers
  • Teacher’s Aids
  • Cooks
  • Custodians
  • Volunteers

 

 

 

WHEN SHOULD YOU HONOR SOMEONE?

Whenever appreciation, recognition, or a thank you is in order. There is never a time when it is inappropriate to honor reaching a goal or achievement. There is never a time when it’s inappropriate to honor a deserving person. When it comes to honoring an achievement, a person, or a group, we should never have regrets for what we failed to do.

We also need to be aware that what we choose to honor is a reflection upon ourselves, our colleagues, our school, our profession, and our community. The honor we bestow on others always serves many. Education is an honorable profession, maybe the most honorable of all. It is packed with people who need to be honored at various points for difficult efforts and distinctions. The number of people who have “made a difference” to students, parents, colleagues, schools, our community, and our nation is staggering.

To honor is to celebrate. To honor means you don’t just value work, you value the people who do the work.

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is to celebrate.”
—Oprah Winfrey

Thought for the Week

We need to remember that what others say and do is less important than how we choose to respond.

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