Where We Need the Best of the Best
From the desk of Alice…
“Gentlemen, you are the top 1% of all naval aviators — the elite, the BEST of the best. We’ll make you better. Fly at least two combat missions a day, attend classes in between, and evaluations of your performance. Now in each combat sequence you’re going to meet a different challenge. Every encounter is going to be much more difficult. We’re going to teach you to fly the F-14 right to the edge of the envelop, faster than you’ve ever flown before — and more dangerous. Now, we don’t make policy here, gentlemen. Elected officials, civilians, do that. We are the instruments of that policy. And although we’re not at war, we must always act as though we are at war.” ~ Commander Metcalf (Viper) from the movie Top Gun
I love this movie. There are so many classic quotes from it that run through my mind on occasion and what I love about this particular speech is that Viper validates the incredible talent he has in front of him and reminds them that their experience at Top Gun can make them better. And it’s not going to be a cake walk. I feel this way about teachers in at-risk schools.
One very talented teacher recently talked to me about his frustration of working in an at-risk school because he was overwhelmed. He didn’t have parental support. He didn’t always have administrative support. He didn’t think his colleagues were as committed as he was. He had to spend time on paperwork when he wanted to be teaching kids. He felt like he worked harder than others and wasn’t always appreciated. He ended our conversation with, “but I love the kids. The kids are the best part.”
I hear this same theme in many, many schools and this time of year seems to exacerbate feelings of hopelessness. My response to this teacher (who could be in the Top Gun of teaching) was that all those reasons are EXACTLY why we need the Best of the Best working in our at-risk schools. With all the variables these particular students are dealing with, who better to teach them than the most elite teachers, the very BEST?
Many of you know my passion is working with these students and I understand it’s not for everyone. However, I want you to consider a few key ideas. When I switched from a traditional school to one that was 100% at-risk it changed everything for me professionally. I had to dig deeply into pedagogy in order to reach students and constantly work on staying connected to my students in a way that stretched me and challenged me each and everyday. I don’t think I have ever done anything as demanding or rewarding. I became a better teacher because of my students. It sounds crazy, but the challenges they presented required me to evolve right beside them. I felt empowered in a way that I had never known before as a teacher.
If you are currently working in an at-risk school, I challenge you to consider what would happen to your students if you weren’t there. If you are not currently working in an at-risk school, I challenge you to consider it.
By coming to work each day in a more at-risk school and working to be the Best of the Best, you are changing lives. You are showing students how to be professional, how to communicate, and how to be a life-long learner. The results of your work may not be evident right now or even a few months from now. You have to trust that your work is real and that rewards will come.
In the meantime, that student needs you. They need you more than ever if they don’t have parents to guide them, books at home, can’t make sense of the world, and generally can’t see the purpose of education. Who else will fight for them and not against them? They need to see how the elite do it. How do the elite teachers create success? YOU may be the only way they see it.
Remember, we don’t make policy. Elected officials do that. We are the instruments of the policy. If you are the Best of the Best, where do we need you the most?