FREE printable of Haim Ginnot’s famous inspirational poem for teachers and mothers.
It was my first year teaching when I stumbled across this amazing inspirational poem for teachers by Haim Ginnot. Not too long, not too short, but its message went straight to my heart.
I printed it out and hung it on my classroom wall so I would see it and read it every morning. The next year, I slipped it into the clear pocket on my 3-ring teacher planner so it would be staring at me each time I reached for it, which was pretty much every single day.
I pondered it often, letting the words roll around inside of me like hot soup on a cold winter’s day. I drank them in, I embraced them, I lived them, I taught them. My classroom was a happier, stronger, healthier, safer place because these words constructed the foundation of our moments together.
And then I lost my poem.
I quit teaching school to homeschool my kids. When I packed up all my teacher stuff, my prized 3-ring binder with my #1 inspirational poem for teachers got shoved into a box somewhere. I thought I knew how to be a mom and didn’t equate my teacher experience with the mom experience. Who needed Haim Ginnot after all when you were burping babies and wiping bottoms?
Well, me, it turns out. And my kids.
Somehow, I forgot the secrets wrapped into these 12 short lines. Daily moods, misery and joy, humiliation and healing, tools of torture? Yep, moms can be all that, too, just like a teacher. After all, a mom is a child’s first teacher and their most constant life-long teacher, too.
So, several years later when I reopened all those boxes I had packed, I re-discovered my poem! It was like I hadn’t tried the hot soup on a cold winter’s day in ages and ages! I was famished and drank it in. Once more, I let the words roll around inside me and discovered the wisdom and humility tucked into this poem.
Haim Ginnot’s Inspirational Poem for Teachers (and Moms!)
I have come to a frightening conclusion that
I am the decisive element in the classroom.
It’s my personal approach that creates the climate.
It’s my daily mood that makes the weather.
As a teacher, I possess a 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 heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decides whether
A crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child
Humanized or dehumanized.
You Have Tremendous Power
You – the mom reading this blog right now – you are the decisive element in your home. If you are the teacher reading this blog right now – you are the decisive element in your classroom. You create the daily climate, and you have tremendous power over the little beings that God has placed into your care today. How are your responding to those children? Are you bringing hurt or healing to your home? Are you escalating or de-escalating the 1,001 little crises that pop up each day? In each crises, you have a choice to make.
Be inspired by Haim Ginnot’s little inspirational poem for teachers (and moms!). Read it often and let the words roll around inside you and build a foundation for your moments together with your children.
I made you a free printable so you can hang it up on your wall or slip it into the cover of your 3-ring binder.
Psst! – There’s a pin, too, so save it digitally, too! Just hover over the pin image and click the Pinterest button.