August 20, 2016
We are in the middle of a construction zone at my school all the while preparing for kids to come on Monday. Our campus is currently under complete renovation until next August. I should begin by saying that our construction crew is phenomenal! The way our campus is being renovated is methodical, well thought out, and adheres to those strict timelines. You know timelines that demand kids be back on campus at specific times. Construction began my pondering about what the new year will hold for us as educators on my as well as any other campus. Our mantra for the year is "Building Excellence." It far surpasses physical construction. It should be a lifestyle for teachers and staff everywhere. It's easy to say, and we all know we should, but what does it look like?
I think it starts with "Building Excellence" in each other. We have all heard that teachers tend to work in silos, but until recently, I haven't bothered to really take that in. Silos...individual working spaces that don't allow for collaboration, creative thinking, or, and dare I say, others that can banter ideas, identifying the pros and cons of instructional decisions. What if that was the excellence we built in each other? What if we gave each other permission to actively participate in truly functioning PLCs? What if everyone felt safe enough to share ideas without fear? What if discussions were had that bring technology and 21st century skills to the forefront of instructional delivery? What could we do together if we were unafraid?
Then there is the "Building Excellence" in our kids. From the very first teacher class ever taken, we are taught that every student is capable of success. That kids come with potential that we are to help uncover. Do we all believe that? If not, why? How can we possibly stand up in front of kids everyday no matter what job we hold in a school without believing that kids can really be anything they want to be? But how? We all have students functioning at different levels, so how do we tap into everyone's potential? What if we gave students choice based on things they liked? What if we tapped into their "genius" as Angela Maiers teaches? Finding what makes all our kids tick is our responsibility if we want to build relationships and help kids achieve at high levels.
In thinking about the year coming up and wanting to start it off right, I wanted to just jot down some thoughts to help get me prepared. My goal this year is to tap into the genius of teachers and kids. I want the teachers on my campus to know that they are the most important people in the life of a child, and each one of those teachers is important, special, and has so much to offer the students of the campus. To teachers everywhere, you have the power to create, collaborate, design, and inspire the potential in kids. My goal this year is to inspire the potential of staff on campus. Hoping and praying for a successful year for you and yours!
Kara
