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From the Editor

Educators’

Health:

The DKG Answer

The mission statement of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International—indicating
the organization’s quest to promote “professional and personal growth of women
educators and excellence in education”—provides a tripartite emphasis that is uniquely
evident in this issue of the Collegial Exchange. As it came together, I found this particular
issue rather “intense”—a bit more personal and reflective than some other issues in overall
tone. Writers seemed to be stretching to find the balance point between personal and
professional growth—or perhaps understand the twining of these two concepts around the core goal of
promoting excellence in education. I wonder if readers will sense, as I did, a certain wistfulness to some
of the pieces … a longing to find answers to the challenges of current life (not just the core challenge of
providing educational excellence but also the corollary challenges of isolation, war, inequity/bias) and a
sense that DKG may provide some of the answers by its unique blend of collegiality and professionalism.
The image that kept coming to my mind as I considered a way to introduce the issue was that of the
caduceus—the symbol of the medical profession—that features a central winged staff with two snakes
intertwined. Snakes, with their ability to shed and regenerate skin, were ancient symbols of health and
healing; the staff itself was a symbol of ambassadorship in those same ancient times. Imposing the DKG
analogy, the staff is our core role as educators—carrying our message and promise of excellence in
education. The two snakes become professional growth and personal growth—components that support,
promote, and provide balance to that key role. The intertwining begs the question whether an educator
can have one without the other—can grow as a professional without growing personally… and vice versa.
Readers will note a recurring message about meeting personal needs in this issue—ranging from
ensuring mental and physical health, to understanding the unique impacts of trauma, to developing
leadership focused on service to others, to tailoring professional development for incoming teachers, to
sharing tips and tricks for connecting members … and more. The issue seems to be saying that promoting
excellence in education is not just about being a talented and skillful educator; it is equally about being
a realized individual who connects with others in a meaningful way and whose consistent personal and
professional regeneration and growth—whose “health” as an educator—is structured and supported by
our unique Society.
For the key women educators of DKG, the analogy to the caduceus is not as unusual as it may seem
at first. The unique blend of opportunity for professional and personal growth is indeed what undergirds
our health as educators—and, in turn, of the Society as a whole—as we pursue excellence in education in
service to the world.

Judy Merz, EdD
Editor

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