I recently updated my personal philosophy of teaching in which I included a quote by Jean-Paul Sartre.

This simple quote Existence precedes essence had me thinking about my future students and my own
purpose/use as a teacher.
A pencil was forged by the need of a pencil. Its use and concept were there before its physical form.
Every object we create has existed in our mind before taking physical form. For objects, essence
precedes existence. We can find other uses for a pencil if needs be, but its primary use will always be
the one we should expect of a pencil. It's use will also always be dependant of what we want it to be, it
cannot choose to become something else.
The difference with human beings is that no purpose is intended for them before their creation1. Each
and every one of us has the ability to choose his/her essence, meaning of existence. The notion of
possibility then makes itself preponderant, huge and sometimes overwhelming.
As a teacher, I should be attentive to my student's strengths and weaknesses. I should help them further
hone what they can do well and develop what they have trouble with. I should ultimately help them
discover their possibilities and associated purposes without guiding them too much and narrowing their
view.

This is who I am,

This is where I stand,
This is what I think.
This is the essence I chose.

Note: Some people have children for an intended purpose or a particular mission they wish him/her to accomplish; I do
not believe this kind of pressure should be encouraged. It may be too much for a kid and may lead to problems with
time. And those who conform to these hopes may be happy but leave out so many possibilities undiscovered.