What if...
What if we went to school tomorrow without the baggage, without the attitude, without the bias, without the crap that all adults seem to bring along with them? What if we went into our school and really strove to care, to love, to encourage our students?
This question has been on my mind for some time. I have sat and listened over the years to teachers and admins both show off their baggage. Guess what?! We are not invisible, our students see what we do. We are models for all students, even the ones that seem to not care or have that enormous chip on their shoulders.
This was on my mind today, and after I read Jose Vilson's excellent post "An Open Letter From The Trenches: To Education Activists, Friends, and Haters" (2013), I really felt compelled to ask all teachers and school administrators out there. What the hell are you doing if you think that this job is about you and the negative crap that you bring with you. Yes, I get that it is hard to work in an environment that does not appreciate you, but some times life is hard. Grow up and get over yourself. Change the situation if it doesn't agree with you.
We are suppose to be here for the students, but sometimes our hands are tied by policies, administrative decisions, the law, and the community. BUT, I have not seen one policy, administrative decision legal precedence and community pressure that condemns being a teacher or administrator who cares for all of the students at their school, who strives to be there for the students every freaking day, who will ignore the negative bureaucratic stuff in order to uplift a student, or who believes in all students can succeed. Unfortunately, I have witnessed gossip, lunch/staff room conversations, hallway conferences, and even district ran professional development spout the negative about students, staff, the district, the mandated tests, the community, the Department of Education, and other stuff that does not even deal with the education of the students at school.
Jose Vilson has a quote that I rather like: "The key here is, whoever walks through my door, whenever, and however, I accept them. That’s how we build communities of learning" (p. 1). I would like to add to that.
It is also key that no matter how I feel, I am a professional educator and I will leave my problems at the door, because no matter how I feel, every student needs me right now. That's how we sustain communities of learning.
So...lets try it! Let us adults all go to our schools and district offices tomorrow and let us all be there 100 percent for the students!
#bepositive #doitforthestudents
Vilson, J. (2013, April 13). An Open Letter From The Trenches: To Education Activists, Friends, and
Haters. Retrieved from http://www.good.is/posts/an-open-letter-from-the-trenches-to-education-
activists-friends-and-haters.
Capurso, Alessandro. (2008). Baggage. [Online Image]. Retrieved from
This was on my mind today, and after I read Jose Vilson's excellent post "An Open Letter From The Trenches: To Education Activists, Friends, and Haters" (2013), I really felt compelled to ask all teachers and school administrators out there. What the hell are you doing if you think that this job is about you and the negative crap that you bring with you. Yes, I get that it is hard to work in an environment that does not appreciate you, but some times life is hard. Grow up and get over yourself. Change the situation if it doesn't agree with you.
We are suppose to be here for the students, but sometimes our hands are tied by policies, administrative decisions, the law, and the community. BUT, I have not seen one policy, administrative decision legal precedence and community pressure that condemns being a teacher or administrator who cares for all of the students at their school, who strives to be there for the students every freaking day, who will ignore the negative bureaucratic stuff in order to uplift a student, or who believes in all students can succeed. Unfortunately, I have witnessed gossip, lunch/staff room conversations, hallway conferences, and even district ran professional development spout the negative about students, staff, the district, the mandated tests, the community, the Department of Education, and other stuff that does not even deal with the education of the students at school.
Jose Vilson has a quote that I rather like: "The key here is, whoever walks through my door, whenever, and however, I accept them. That’s how we build communities of learning" (p. 1). I would like to add to that.
It is also key that no matter how I feel, I am a professional educator and I will leave my problems at the door, because no matter how I feel, every student needs me right now. That's how we sustain communities of learning.
So...lets try it! Let us adults all go to our schools and district offices tomorrow and let us all be there 100 percent for the students!
#bepositive #doitforthestudents
Vilson, J. (2013, April 13). An Open Letter From The Trenches: To Education Activists, Friends, and
Haters. Retrieved from http://www.good.is/posts/an-open-letter-from-the-trenches-to-education-
activists-friends-and-haters.
Capurso, Alessandro. (2008). Baggage. [Online Image]. Retrieved from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justcrono/2256084758/
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