Would You Rather Make a Buck or Make a Difference?

“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.”
- Tom Brokaw

Tom Brokaw certainly made plenty of bucks, and with his work on books such as The Greatest Generation also made a difference in the lives of many of our veterans. He also provided our veteran’s families’ a certain level of understanding of the trials and tribulations that their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents faced in the World War II era. The quote above transcends media and finds its place in many circles of people who are gathered for the benefits of others, which includes but is not limited to those who teach and work directly with our children.

Very recently Mahar’s Principal, Mr. Goodhind unveiled a process by which students can show their teachers, coaches, and Mahar staff gratitude for their time and effort in teaching them and/or making this school a better place for them to learn. The Appreciation Stations are two boxes – one in the Middle School Office and one in the High School Office. Our students are able to place the name of a teacher or staff member who has helped them in some significant way and write a sentence or two about how. Each week Mr. Goodhind selects one of the submissions and has it read during announcements so that the whole school can be made aware of the efforts of those who work in our school community.

Each Monday, Mr. Goodhind will publish via E-mail all of the “Appreciation Notes” that were dropped in the box during the week prior. I have to applaud this mechanism as it not only allows our students a way to say thank you but it also affords them the opportunity to return the kindness that they receive from our faculty and staff everyday.

These types of activities generate a positive and uplifting energy when they are talked about in school. We spend so much time worrying about the budget, focusing in on test scores, and engaged in school improvement efforts that sometimes we forget to be grateful for the hard work and genuine level of care that is exhibited by our teachers, administrators, and staff. Let us not forget that these people chose a life of working with children – and in most cases with the intent of “making a difference” in their lives.

Don’t get me wrong though. A school can be like any workplace….at times at least. Complaints, criticisms, and what I refer to as “people downgrades” happen just as frequently in a school as they do in an office building. A “people downgrade” is simple gossip – a conversation about a person who did a thing – and in order for it to qualify as a downgrade – it must be negative.


“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.”
- Dale Carnegie


Carnegie identifies what it takes to be a fool, and what it takes to establish that one has character. I think he might have added that it also takes a certain level of character to say “Thank-You.”