As educators, we all have missions. Our reasoning for why we do the work we do. Our purpose.
No matter what our specific purpose in life is, we can all agree that our overarching goal and priority in the work we do is to support students and to help them reach their potential, to care about them, and to help them find out who they are as individual people.
We understand and value this as it applies to students. But, supporting a building of students to be all they can be is no easy task. It is work filled with heart, determination, and perspiration. As we support our students, we often lose sight of the adults around us and how they are doing. When we think about supporting our students, we often view supporting our staff as a separate entity. But, I believe that by working alongside our staff, we work alongside our students.
Within our kid-focused days, we, in the educational field, must be more aware of our colleagues. We need to reflect and think:
- How can I get to know my staff as colleagues and as individuals?
- How can I support them as a staff member?
- How can I support them as a human being?
Our students AND our teachers are both encountering trauma, hardships, family matters, health ailments, along with positive celebrations within their lives. How often do we know this? How often do we acknowledge this?
Life as a whole can be crazy, unexpected, joyful, and heartbreaking. As students are experiencing their lives, through good times and bad, so are adults. With that said, we cannot forget about one another: Our custodians, our secretaries, our police officers, our nurses, our paraprofessionals, our bus drivers, our teachers, our principals and each and every staff member we may encounter. We all need each other just as much as our students need us.
We all need each other just as much as our students need us. Share on XWe have to keep in mind that every interaction and choice that we make will trickle down within our schools. How we treat one another as adults will directly affect our students. In addition, students will follow our example, not our advice. Our relationships with our colleagues are the building blocks of support for our students; Let us build our school with love from every angle.
Remember this: We can support our students at the same time we are supporting our colleagues. Every single person matters. We do not have to choose one, we can support ALL. Moreover, when we better support our staff members, we are surrounding our children with adults who feel lifted up and who have even more to give the kids they serve.
Love breeds love.
Do you like what you are reading? My upcoming book, Unleash Talent, will be released in the Summer of 2018 by IMpress and DBC (Dave Burgess Publishing), Inc. Before the book is released, stay tuned for future blog posts to get more sneak peeks of ideas within my book.
When my book is released, I will share more information here regarding book resources, materials, book study information, and where to purchase my book. #UnleashTalent