6/7/2020 15 Comments "Being brave - having courage - means doing something where you can’t predict the outcome. If you know how it’s going to end, it’s not courageous." Dr. Jody CarringtonI think that the run of Covid-19 has produced not just one pandemic, but two. There is the illness itself that is affecting many around the world, but there is also a crisis of humanity that it impacting every single person on this planet at the same time; the crisis of social disconnect and the crisis of redefining who we are and our “place” in this world in the face of immense uncertainty.
I believe this crisis is particularly hard on teachers. As social beings who carry the successes and failures of others daily, and who feel the emotions and stressors of their students deeply (often to the teacher’s detriment), being disconnected from students is creating a crisis of teacher identity. What is our purpose when we are unable to serve in the ways we know have significant impact? How do we know if they are ok? Are WE ok??? I believe that with crisis comes opportunity. For the first time in my life (and likely longer than my 44 years) there is a palpable shift in the viewing of teachers and their role in society. Up until now, we have not held a respected place in the professional workforce that is comparable with our impact on society. Watson (2019) states we have a 200 year history that has groomed teachers to believe they must do anything and everything “for the kids.” We have been conditioned to accept that we will be underpaid, unvalued, and that we should be ok with that if we “really love kids.” In fact, the more a teacher sacrifices the more you are considered a dedicated and effective teacher! Now, suddenly, the internet and social media are now flooded with memes, videos, even filmed “apologies” (I’ve attached a few of my favorites below) to teachers that affirm that not only is teaching extremely difficult (and parents do not want to do it), it is an ESSENTIAL service! Gone are the derisive views of “teaching is babysitting” or “anyone can teach.” Joking aside, our economy is on the verge of collapse, in no small part due to the fact that children are not at school each day. Teachers now have the opportunity to capture their rightful place in society as respected, critically essential, professional members of society; however, this will have to start with the teachers believing this themselves. Teachers must view themselves as the agents of change. They must view themselves as a key relationship in each of their student’s lives that has the potential to be transformational. And this view takes courage. Brene Brown (2018) defines a leader as “anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and has the courage to develop that potential.” Isn’t that YOU? Isn’t that what you do every day as your work? Cranton & Carusetta (2004) describe authenticity in teaching as the way the teacher brings themselves to the work; that it is a passion to teach, almost a calling, and that it brings meaning to the teacher’s life. Their sense of self is rooted in the classroom and in its relationships. I know that each and every one of you takes up your work with children in this way; that you care deeply about them and that you are constantly cheering them on and supporting their success in the background. What I am suggesting is that it is time to come out from behind and believe, for yourself, that you have transformational power. That you are critically important to the children who are lucky enough to have you as their teacher. Can you imagine being so immensely proud of what you do? Wouldn’t it be awesome to tell people that you teach, knowing that you know, and they know, that you change the trajectory of lives each and every day? Brene Brown (2018) says “choosing to live and love with our whole hearts is an act of defiance. You’ll wonder how you can feel so brave and so afraid at the very same time.” I believe we can be brave together, which will make reclaiming our rightful, important place less scary. The first step is believing how truly important/impactful/impressive you really are. And know that I believe in you, too. Please follow this link for an interactive response slide. https://www.menti.com/zn4ri8fo7m View the results : https://www.mentimeter.com/s/fcce41a7ab6259a0fc78da6fd6ab94d3/2d84b51b5668 *. *. * Please share a comment below what this post made you consider or wonder about.
15 Comments
|