Every student deserves a great teacher. They deserve memorable learning experiences, that transcend class periods, school days, or spending 13 years "doing school". We as educators can fix this by investing in ourselves and one another. This, in turn, brings fulfillment and honor to our profession. Unfortunately, we see far too many educators miss this opportunity.
"Every student deserves a great teacher, not by chance, but by design."
- Visible Learning for Literacy, Fisher, Frey, & Hattie, 2016
Make the investment...in yourself...and our profession.
There are many ways educators don't design our own meaningful professional learning experiences. This, in turn, prevents us from enhancing our students' learning experiences.
We don't lean on our neighbors.
We don't share challenges we face.
We don't celebrate our points of pride.
We don't challenge those who coach, supervise, and evaluate our work to do better.
Fortunately, it's never too late to start! That first step requires courage, but it's worth it.
Here's how:
Step 1: Use the "buddy system".
No matter how isolated we may feel at times, like adolescents in middle school, we are not alone. Nor are we the only one who is experiencing the challenges we face.
One activity we model for our teachers involves the use of "Clock Partners". Find one "old friend", one "new friend", a colleague who works in your expertise area, and another, outside your expertise area. Ask yourself and your clock partner: What are you good at? What are you great at? And what are you struggling with? Making investments in collaborative gradual improvement energizes us and fosters accountability. As we get better, we help others get better. Ultimately, this elevates the reputation of our profession.
Step 2: Share "what's working".
The best teachers are often known for being prepared and...humble. Being humble is one thing. Sharing what's working well, must never be kept to ourselves. Instead, let's embrace sharing. Helping a colleague, or one student or a class full of students keeps us humble, yet generous. Resist the urge to keep "a good thing" to yourself. Be humble. But be helpful.
Step 3: Lead up!
Far too often, administrators portray themselves as/teacher see them as someone to be avoided. The best school leaders are learners and coaches. At times, we're bogged down by "have to do's". So when we see a coaching opportunity (a "get to do"), we seize it. Invite us to join classroom activities. Ask for feedback. Share what you need us to provide. While this may, at first, seem overly ambitious and like a "heavy lift", it's not meant to sound easy. A former longtime teacher, I've worked with and for administrators of all varieties. One thing they all had in common: They appreciated when I invited them to visit my class. It provided a glimpse into my deep investment in "the work". And it created space for a relationship, dialogue, partnership, and growth. Lead up...and watch what happens.
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