Fox Tamer?

There is a story about a boy prince who sees a fox that tells the prince to tame him.

"One only understands the things that one tames...if you want a friend tame me..." Finally the little prince agrees. The fox then details a procedure in which he will come everyday to the spot in the woods and the fox comes also. There they would view each other from a distance of safety for several days. Over time they would draw closer and closer until they had built a bond of trust. Then they would have tamed one another. 

What does this have to do with teaching? 

As teachers on the first day of school we are a little bit scared and nervous to venture out and see what the coming year has to offer us. The same goes for the students. 

Throughout the year we become closer to our students and get to know each of them better every day. We build a bonding and then the time comes that we have to move on.

The little prince and the fox proceed to follow the taming process and at the end of it the fox is overjoyed. When the time of departure of the little prince arrives, the fox says "I shall cry." The little prince laments that the taming has done the fox no good. But the fox responds, "It has done me good." And then he refers to the color of the wheat fields (which are the color of the little prince's hair) that will always remind him of the little prince and the joy he has brought him. 

Even though at the end of each school year the students will leave and progress with their lives, they will always be reminded of there teacher that tamed them. As for teachers, we will always be reminded of our students who tamed us. 

It takes time to build trust and time to get to know another person. Over time, we become fond of one another. We grow affectionate one toward another. We begin to depend on that person and they us. This is a bond that is precious and fragile. And we are now responsible for the other person because we have encouraged them to depend on our being there for them.

This is the basis of all my significant relationships. We must build trust, accept and live up to that trust, and accept responsibility for our part of the relationship.

There is a quote in this story that I like it says:"You become responsible , forever, for what you have tamed."

Remember that your students look up to you and you may become their role model. Be responsible for being that kind of teacher to your students. You will build great relationships with them and they will build a great relationship with you as well. 

Story Adapted From: http://www.mindspring.com/~mshall/stories/little.htm