Don’t think you don’t make a difference.
I sometimes wonder whether what I do really makes a difference. Occasionally, when we deliver a workshop or I give a keynote or assembly I do wonder afterwards “did anyone get anything from that session? Do I really make a difference?”
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wring my hands after every session and have an existential crisis, but sometimes I wonder if all this effort is worth it.
Well, sometimes you get letters like this:
“Hello,
This is a bit out of the blue, but I was wondering about something. In 2008, I was a pupil studying Media Studies at a High School for Girls and me and 3 of my classmates were chosen by Andrew Bernard to make an instructional DVD for your Enterprise Soapbox package. We made one under the group name “The Soapy Sisters”. I was just wondering if this film was actually used as part of the soapbox kit?
I know this is a very random thing to ask about, I just wondered how far the video had got?
Even if it didn’t get distributed with the soapbox kits, I want to thank you for the opportunity you gave me as a teenager to make that film. It was a long time ago but I remember it very fondly and it was a really fun experience making the video, not to mention it gave a taste of the film-making experience and nurtured my interest in film-making. I’ve always been interested in the idea of producing films, and although I’m by no means a massive filmmaker now since life got in the way, it is still a hobby I wish to pursue and it started with that video. It was definitely a highlight of my high school experience and I have this company to thank for that. Even if I never make another video again, I will always remember that project with fondness.
Also, making the soap was really fun too, and I am glad to see that your business is still doing well! Anyway, I’m sorry for the long, rambling and completely random message! I wish you all the best with your company and future projects, and thanks again for the experience, even if it was 7 years ago!
Best wishes,
Name Supplied”
WOW! As you can imagine, this was a complete shock and it sticks with me for a number of reasons:
- Yes, we did use the Soapy Sisters DVD in about 200 kits – it was a great, fun, lively and imaginative film.
- It was a fun and positive experience for the students and her friends.
- The experience was a project I put together to see if students could cope with a business brief and tight project schedule – they did!
- The project started a hobby which has persisted for 7 years in the ex-student.
- She notes it as a ‘highlight of her school experience’
- That ex-student has taken it upon herself to find the website and contact us after SEVEN years whilst her university and workplace career is taking off. She did this to enquire about the video and to THANK US for the experience we helped deliver in 2008.
What do I take from this?:
What we do as educators makes a difference. Delivering content with imagination, passion and care really does affect peoples’ experiences and lives. This is REAL STUFF and I for one feel honoured that people invite us into their schools and workplaces to support and develop their people – whether enterprise, personal skills, leadership or for some fun – what we do, what all of us does, makes a difference.
Don’t forget that.
Bernie