How do you demonstrate your worthy investment in the children you teach, colleagues you partner with, and school system/programs you support? How is that investment visible?
I thought about this today as I considered the good work possible in schools, and the fact that our positive teaching/learning relationships with children matter a lot. How do they know we care? How do their parents know we care? What matters?
As I think about this, I believe the following efforts matter.
Personal attention and support
That personal note on a paper, the sensitive side conversation, playing a game at recess, engaging in a project, and holding a class meeting are some of the many ways that you can demonstrate your care and attention to the students you teach. We need to know them well, consider their needs and interests, inspire their deep learning and positive development, and be present for them in ways that matter.
Professional learning and development
We need to stay abreast of what's happening in the education world and continually hone our skills to teach and learn better. The more we know what to teach and how to teach in effective ways, the better resource we will be for our students.
Positivity and a good demeanor
Children want us to be positive and bring a good demeanor to class. Our colleagues desire that too. I know that for me, that is sometimes compromised by the discouragement that arises from my great desire to re-make schools and the fatigue I feel as I work to master, meet, and develop my abilities related to countless daily tasks and lots and lots of people-to-people responsibilities. A teacher's day is very full with rare moments of reflection and rest. That's another reason why I believe we have to re-look at how schools are structured to make time for what is most important and worthwhile.
Teamwork and camaraderie
When we know each other well and work with shared vision and goals, we generally build positive teams and camaraderie which empowers the adage, many hands make light (and better) work.
Honesty and transparency
When we meet issues with honesty and transparency, we general build better teams, do better work, and not waste a lot of time.
Good communication
Keeping the team up to date with what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen creates a positive culture.
Clear goals and communication
When everyone knows what the teaching/learning community goals are, everyone tends to be on the same page supporting one another more. It's important to make the goals, objectives, and vision of an organization, department, or effort clear, and it's important as much as possible to use inclusive, respectful, timely processes to determine those goals, objectives, and vision too.
Good listening
The better we are able to listen to one another and hear what each other has to say, the better our worthy investment shows.
When we take seriously the tasks we do to empower students, serve families, and work with colleagues well, that investment shows and works to empower the teaching/learning team in valuable ways.
