Teachers are coming back to school! They are entering the year with new ideas, new efficiencies, new curriculum, and a renewed commitment to children. They are considering their year and ‘the climb’ of learning before them.
I am reflective about the journey of a teacher. I mentioned to a friend this week, “A teacher has a difficult job: full of giving of themselves.”
A teacher musters tremendous courage to face the unlimited need in each classroom and choose to invest.
Much is unknown. It will be messy and full of humanity. The victories will be twirl-around, jump-for-joy amazing and the challenges ever-present.
How does a teacher see through the fray to offer a child what matters most, beyond the curriculum? The five most important journeys help us understand the heart of a teacher and what matters most in the classroom.
Teachers know that being, becoming, and believing is the signature of process.
1. Faith – Teachers choose the profession because they have a deep faith in the Greater Good. No matter your religion or particular belief system, I know teachers are offering a gentle invitation into the big ideas, the joy of life, and the connections we share with each other. They believe. They offer positive values and energy to children.
2. Worthiness – A teacher looks at a child with sincere belief in the ‘extraordinary potential living within every child.’ She cares more than we can imagine. He connects with laughter and life for a reason. He looks the child in the eye and smiles. The teacher offers difficult challenges, high expectations, and the invitation to learn with creativity and enthusiasm. The child feels worthy and thrives.
3. Selfhood – A teacher understands the individual child within the context of a group of peers. He observes with attention and calls out the very best attributes in each one. She disrupts or supports, encourages or invites with wisdom. A teacher expects each student to offer his or her best all the time.
4. Belonging – A classroom is a community of belonging; the teacher is shaping the community. The teacher is working hard to create a safe environment. Each child is learning to be authentic and respectful in a group of peers. The child is growing within a new context called school, different from the one at home
5. Changemaking – A teacher is inherently a changemaker as evidenced by their chosen career path. Those who aren’t don’t make it. The teacher sees the needs and responds. She makes compassionate choices to offer something to the vulnerable. He uses his life force to move the world forward. The child responds and follows the lead.
Teachers are coming back to school! They are going to help us focus on what matters most. They will teach math and social studies with creativity and energy. They will be insatiable in the quest to engage children. And most of all, they will understand the deep currents of the Learn Forward Journey: faith, worthiness, selfhood, belonging, and changemaking.
The new Learn Forward book will be released this September! We added a section Learn Forward in Practice at School. I know it will be helpful for teachers, administrators, and educators at every level to think with fresh perspectives about school. Subscribe here to get your Starter Kit and learn more.
How can we encourage teachers this fall? What do you believe about the teachers in your child’s life? How can you trust the ideals we discussed through the rough-and-tumble dynamics of the school year?
For the sake of the children,
Karine