William Stafford wrote this wonderful poem. Today, as I wondered what I should post, I came across it. It is weird in a way, but I am rarely concerned with what people think about me. More accurately, I do not place much emphasis in quantity. I prefer quality in my relationships, people who think of me for the right reasons. They care and their words are true.
People are aware I am leaving the profession. It is to hear words of gratitude from students and their families, including former students. I do not hear the whole world say, “Good job”, but I hear the right part of the world saying it.
To be a mountain you have to climb alone
and accept all that rain and snow. You have to look
far away when evening comes. If a forest
grows, you care; you stand there leaning against
the wind, waiting for someone with faith enough
to ask you to move. Great stones will tumble
against each other and gouge your sides. A storm
will live somewhere in your canyons hoarding its lightning.
If you are lucky, people will give you a dignified
name and bring crowds to admire how sturdy you are,
how long you can hold still for the camera. And some time,
they say, if you last long enough you will hear God;
a voice will roll down from the sky and all your patience
will be rewarded. The whole world will hear it: “Well done.”
About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope, nonviolence and its anticipatory relationship with the future, as essential elements to teaching and learning.
Academic publications can be found at Ivon Gile Prefontaine on ResearchGate
Teacher as Transformer 
Well done Ivon.
Thank you David.
Very inspirational ,Ivon .We often stumble,lose hope and start self doubting ourselves and then we read such posts,we realise that we are alone and that there are many out there who probably share the same sentiment as ours and that is what gives us the hope to rise back with hope and move forward…these lines are so true and encouraging.
I agree. We are less alone than we realize. Thank you for the great comment Swati.
Beautiful! 🙂
Thank you.
This is wonderful Ivon – both this amazing poem as well as your wise observations. Thank you so much for sharing this. Best wishes, and well done! ~Gina
Thank you Gina for the comment and likes today and you are welcome.
Ivon ~ I love to read uplifting and thoughtful posts ~ as a former teacher, I understand. ♥
Thank you for stopping and commenting multiple times today. I am glad you enjoyed the posts you chose. I love Rumi as well. He is timeless and transcends the ages with his wisdom.
I loved that I got a chance to really sit down and catch up on my reading ~ I really enjoy your blog! 🙂
We have featured this particular post on our Facebook fanpage. It is simply beautiful ❤
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spread-Information/182778828417013?ref=hl
Thank you Madeline. That is appreciated.
Interesting post. Amazing message. Thanks for posting!
You are welcome Josephine. I appreciate your stopping and taking a moment to comment. I look forward to following your blog and your passion for writing.
Take care,
Ivon