So at the end of last school year I helped to facilitate a leadership team activity that asked each of us in the room to think about one simple thing that we, as career educators, know to be true about ALL kids. We spent a few minutes organizing our thoughts and then we went around the table and shared our “truths” with each other. It was meant to be a short connecting activity to begin the meeting, as a way to ground us in the purpose of the discussion ahead which related to student belonging. This short activity however, turned into a beautiful and much longer conversation highlighting our favorite things about our students, and it resonated deeply with all of us.
I want to share the seven truths that we came up with and discussed during that activity, and below I tried my best to capture the sentiment of what was shared by each of us. I also want to recommend that you try this activity at some point in the year with a team that you belong to. I’m sure that you will come up with many, many more than the seven listed here, and I can guarantee that the activity will bring you back and reconnect you quickly to your meaning and purpose as an educator. It turned out to be a fantastic inclusion activator that we titled, “What I Know to be True”. Give it a try…you won’t be disappointed 🙂
What we know to be true about kids…
They’re Curious – We should marvel at the curiosity of our kids every single day. The way that they look at the world, the questions that they ask in class, the perspectives that they have on something that completely opens up our minds to another way of thinking, and the attention to detail that they give to things that we sometimes take for granted. Curiosity is something that some adults tend to lose as they grow older, and as they get set in their ways, but kids never ever lose sight of the wonder, and the beauty, and the mystery of our world.
They Want to Achieve – Every student wants to learn, and every student wants to feel some measure of success each and every day. Kids are thirsty for new knowledge, and they are secretly (and not so secretly) clamoring to showcase their knowledge, inspirations, talents and awesomeness to you and to their peers. We need to structure our classes, our daily student experiences, our units, and our assessments to allow for daily student success. Every one of our kids needs to have the opportunity to find success in some school space every single day. All kids want to achieve, and as educators we need to consistently set up structures and experiences to allow for that to happen. Set the bar high and watch them rise to the height.
They Make Mistakes – This is where authentic learning comes from. It’s the process of learning from these mistakes that is so powerful for kids. It’s also how we as educators choose to react to these mistakes which will frame the experience in the mind of a child. Are all classrooms and spaces conducive to risk–taking and failing forward, and how do our students view their mistakes when they happen? Are they seeing mistakes as opportunities to grow and to learn and to develop, or are they ashamed or afraid or hesitant to take a risk and to stray outside of their comfort zones? Mistakes should be true celebrations for our students because this is what learning is all about. If you’re not making mistakes then you’re not growing as a person. We need all students to internalize this.
They’re Malleable – As we all know, kids are constantly learning and growing and questioning, and therein lies so much of their beauty. We have the opportunity and the responsibility to help develop them into not only the amazing adults that they are destined to become, but into incredible change agents for our world right now. We need to be heroes, role models, and searchlight souls for each and every one of our kids as they meander through their adolescent years. We need to stretch their thinking, challenge them to break out of their comfort zones, hold them accountable for becoming their best selves for others and their community, and guide them through this difficult journey…that’s our job as educators. We need to leave a lasting and positive impact on them simply by being who we are as the adults in their lives. Every experience that we have with a child is a chance to have them walk away a better human being, and a chance for them to feel better about themselves.
They Want/Need Feedback – They are desperate for it actually, even if they say otherwise. Kids are constantly watching us as adults, and trying to figure out who they are as people, and where and how they fit into the world. They need honest and authentic feedback about their learning, about how to become better human beings, about how to problem solve and how to make friends, and about how to approach difficult situations. Feedback is paramount to the relationship that we develop with each and every one of our students. Good feedback sets the stage for students to learn on their own and to find some independence and agency in their young lives. Everyone wants and needs feedback, and if we deliver it well it will make all the difference.
They’re Beautiful – (This was my truth) If you don’t have our breath taken away by the beauty of a child at least once a day then you’re in the wrong profession. Any time that you feel yourself running out of patience, or feel your mood starting to sour, or if you simply need a “pick me up” in the middle of the day, then pop out to where kids are hanging out and open up your eyes and ears. The laughter, the learning, the interactions, and the unadulterated joy that spills out of kids truly is beauty personified. Children are a gift that all educators have been given, and sometimes we get so busy with our planning, our grading, our own professional development, and our relationships with each other that we forget to stand back and marvel. Nothing in our world compares to the beauty of a child, and it doesn’t cost a thing to be inspired by it. Stand back and take it all in.
They Need Us – Being a quality educator is like being a chameleon of sorts. You need to be different things to different kids at different times throughout the day. You may need to be their teacher, their surrogate parent, their mentor, or their role model, all in the span of seven or eight hours. We need to be giving them the best hours of their day, and we have to work tremendously hard to develop strong enough relationships with each of them so that they trust us to wear all of those hats effectively. Especially the kids that are the most difficult to connect with, because the kids that are the hardest to reach are the ones that need us the most. You can tell a lot about yourself as an educator by the relationships that you have with your most difficult students.
Okay, there you have it. A good start but certainly not an exhaustive list by any means, so try this activity for yourselves and see what you come up with…I bet it will resonate with you like it did with me, and at the very least it will put you in the right frame of mind to talk about students and their learning before any meeting. Have a wonderful week ahead everyone and remember to be great for our students and good to each other.
Quote of the Week…
The greatest use of a life is to spend it for something that will outlast it
-William James
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I’m so glad I connected with you here, because I love these!
I can’t wait to see you soon!
It is wonderful that this “simple” opening activity was allowed to advance into the meaning conversation it became and to produce the beneficial report that is so significant to who we are as educators to our students each and every day. We’ll done Dan, in continuing to be the excellent leader you are for teachers, students & families.
Thank you! Shanghai seems like yesterday…so nice to hear from you 🙂