Your People

It is very tempting to be frustrated with the current state of education, get annoyed with colleagues and/or leaders, and work really hard to become an island. During this back to school season, it is not uncommon to carry our former issues right through the front door and hold them tight as we begin another year in a NOT so new frame of mind.

Just shut your door and teach, right?

Wrong.

This work is too difficult to do in isolation. When it comes to teaching and learning, we really are greater than the sum of our parts. There are many benefits that come from talking and sharing ideas with other professionals. Just taking time to talk with others you trust can decrease stress. Reflecting on a lesson and asking for another opinion can help you see other perspectives. Sharing a surprise success boosts confidence and much needed positive chemicals in the brain. And who couldn’t use a few more of those?!?

We are not talking about gripe sessions. Those can deplete you. Run – don’t walk – away from people who continue to be “the mud in your wings” as Oprah would say.

Instead, find a few people around you who are forward focused.

These are the people who ask you “What if?” and “How is it going?” and offer up thoughtful ideas that can work in your context. They don’t always agree with you. They ask questions, seek your intentions, and help you see things from different perspectives. They do more than offer a copy of a worksheet or Pinterest ideas. They may not be dressed like you or have a classroom decorated like yours. But at their core, they are cheering for you. These are the people who keep you relevant and real and stretch your thinking and practices all for the benefit of students.

At ERG, we work to connect with people who inspire us, teach us and help us do things we did not know were possible. You deserve these kinds of people and conversations, too.

You see, you cannot and should not do this alone. The work you do is hard, important work. Finding people to support you along the way is critical to success. Envision your best professional self and find people who support that vision. These are Your People.

ERG’s beginning-of-the-year wish for you is to take care of yourself and take care of Your People. We are smarter together.