Secrets That Are Not So Secret
I love a list. And I really love a countdown list so you can imagine how much fun I have this time of year when there are endless things to count down for the year. I have seen lists for books, movies, music, food, sports, and I recently saw a list on social media called the Top 5 Rumors We Wish Would Come True in 2017. I (sort of) wish I had thought of that one.
In the spirit of “year-end list making,” here is my final list of 2016:
Top 5 Teacher Secrets That Are Not So Secret:
1. Teaching is the best and the worst all rolled into one.
If you teach, you know I am speaking the truth. If you don’t teach, you cannot imagine the highs and lows that can come all within one day in the classroom. Those of us who have been pulled into the educational arena and stayed there can tell you it is truly one of the most fun and rewarding things you could ever do with your time. Whether your passion is working with kids or content, there is extreme satisfaction in knowing what you did made all the difference in the world. On the other hand, we also know what it feels like to carry the weight of the world into work each day. The lows can be horrific and overwhelming and sometimes unbearable. Knowing this, see the next secret…
2. Blaming teachers is not a good use of time.
Without getting all political and stuff, the blaming is a total waste of time. Of course there are areas of improvement in all our schools and districts, but blaming sucks the life out of all of us. And when the life is sucked out, the kids are the ones who suffer. Instead of blaming (pointing fingers/labeling/shaming people) we really need to focus our efforts on support. If something is amiss, then let’s put our heads together and work to bridge those gaps. There is no shortage of data, information or ideas. Honest conversations that continue to HONOR the educator as a human is a great place to start. The numbers are important, but remember there are adults and children behind those numbers.
3. Teachers need differentiated support.
At ERG, we have logged thousands of hours in the classroom over the years. The one thing we hear over and over is that teachers want (and need) different things. What is supportive of one teacher can be a waste of time for another and downright offensive to another. If we really want to support the folks in our schools and classrooms, we need to find a way to meet them where they are and differentiate the support we provide. This is no different from what we ask teachers to do each day with students. Let that sink in for a minute…does our professional development of adults match best practices in our classrooms?
4. Teachers do not want another coffee mug.
Maybe some do, but I doubt it. Many teachers want some words of affirmation (and possibly wine and a gift card to Target). I see educators who are overworked and underappreciated, not to mention grossly underpaid. The funny thing is they will almost ALL tell you the money is not the worst part of the job. One of the worst parts of their job is feeling like they are working for something no one appreciates. Remember these are real humans who we trust with precious offspring everyday. Small gestures to remind teachers of how important they are in our lives and the lives of our students can go a long way. (And so can a gift card of any amount!)
5. Teachers have lives outside of school.
I think this is worth pointing out because I see more and more going on the plates of teachers which is also trickling over to the students and families. One way to bring things back in balance is to take something off the plates before we add more. Teachers have the same amount of hours in the day that we do, but are often the ones who cannot get to their “real life” due to on-going work obligations. Without taking time for themselves, they don’t get to recharge and once again, the students will be the ones who suffer. It’s a vicious cycle but I feel sure we can slow this down if we work really hard to remember that teachers are humans doing the very best they can in an odd era of education.
So that’s it. I hope you will keep these in mind as we usher in 2017 and get back into our school lives after the break!
~ A
