For the Love of Kids

There is no better time than now to observe and then reflect. The actions of teachers, administrators, coaches, technology integrationists, and other support staff have provided us all with a lens to look more deeply at the profession of education and its vital role in the world. Questions are more important than answers if one wants to construct a new perspective on an issue.  Here are some for everyone to ponder.

Why do educators do what they do?

Why did they decide to go into a profession with low pay and a perceived stigma that pales in comparison to other career paths?

Why do they work countless hours after the school day and on weekends planning, grading, reflecting, and improving?

Why do they shun criticism from those who have never taught in a classroom or worked in a school?

For the love of kids, that’s why. These are just a few questions that have been answered in recent weeks.  Educators show up and do what it takes because of their love and passion for working with kids.  The calling is as simple as it is profound. It centers on the innate desire to make a difference in the lives of children by preparing them with the competencies to succeed in life.  They are showing us what real innovation looks like while simultaneously tackling relentless challenges that pop up continuously. It’s like they are living in a game of “Whack a Mole” every day.

To try to sum up what they are doing through this pandemic, I posted this on Twitter recently.

Educators are flying the plane while building it. What we have learned is that a virus cannot stop their commitment to kids.

— Eric Sheninger (@E_Sheninger) April 4, 2020

Commitment is a gross understatement. What we are seeing is dedication at unprecedented levels. In light of the fact that there is no one right way and a lack of any training in remote learning pedagogy, teachers and administrators are figuring it out the best they can. It’s not about perfection, as that is a fallacy in anything related to education.  What it is about is perseverance and empathy as families need learning in some form to continue so that their kids don’t fall behind. A powerful message has been sent. The eyes of the world are now open and finally seeing what those of us have known all along. Educators will always do what it takes for their students…period.

When it comes to education, business as usual is not the best course of action in a remote learning world. Here is my advice to educators in the trenches. Take a deep breath, gather resources, see what others are doing, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and above all else do what’s best for kids. Continue to let your commitment, dedication, and, most importantly, your love for those who you serve, be a driving force to not only facilitate remote learning but also to overcome challenges as they arise. In closing, this quote attributed to numerous individuals sums up the point I am trying to make, “A good educator is like a candle that consumes itself while lighting the way for others.” A lot of candles are being consumed as of late, and that’s a good thing — all for the love of kids.

Be sure to check out all the posts in my #remotelearning series.

The Challenges Educators Face

We live in amazing times.  Technology, most specifically social media, has flattened the world. Remember when we had to get all of our professional literature and information from journals, books, conferences, over the phone, or people that we came in direct contact with? Educators now have access anytime from anywhere to people, ideas, resources, strategies, and feedback.  As much as this has been a game-changer for so many, we now have better access to research and evidence of improved student outcomes to really hone in on the types of changes that are needed in classrooms, schools, and districts across the world. 

Even with all the positives associated with what I listed above, the truth of the matter is that much of it doesn’t matter when the realities educators face are not given the attention that they deserve.  Just because something sounds good on Twitter and during a keynote or looks good on Pinterest and Instagram does not mean whatever is being promoted will work. Context matters. Finances matter. Facilities matter. Staffing and community support matter.  I have been blessed to not only deliver keynotes and workshops but also to facilitate job-embedded coaching on a long-term basis. It is the latter component of my work where I see firsthand the challenges educators are facing regardless of zip code.  This work has provided me with a more empathetic lens and has allowed me to tailor and personalize the coaching process as well as the feedback that is delivered.  

Image credit: NEA Today

How I see things is still limited and can be influenced by bias. Now don’t get me wrong. I see some significant obstacles and challenges thanks to the long-term work I am engaged in. However, I wanted to move beyond me and focus on the people who are in the trenches on a day to day basis.  This led me to pose a question on Twitter, asking educators to share their particular challenges.  You can see the tweet below. 

What specific challenges do you face in education? Please share as I am looking for topics to focus my writing on. Thanks! #edchat

— Eric Sheninger (@E_Sheninger) May 8, 2019

Here is a summary of the majority of the responses:

• Fear of failure and willingness to fail forward
• Helping educators understand and integrate maker-centered learning
• Helping teachers and leaders break down silos and understand it is not a competition but a concerted push to provide students with learning experiences they need.
• Effective strategies to remind adults we are preparing kids for the future not the adults for the future
• The mental health of students. We don’t have the support needed for emotionally or mentally challenged students that are in the regular education class.
• Dedicating time to fortify universal instruction and systematic procedures while continuing to attend to the intensive needs of the high volume of kids in crisis & experiencing trauma.
• Inspiring high school students to choose teaching as a profession.
• Attracting the best and brightest to the field
• Boys’ achievement and engagement. There is a considerable disparity at present in our school across all years.
• Finding the balance between "meet students where they are" and "getting them where they need to go." Many educators are clear on the former, then handhold & scaffold low expectations. Others are better at the latter then lose a good % of their class by not differentiating enough.
• Lack of alignment of educational institutes knowledge with the practical world. Educational institutions are preparing the future leaders, and due to lack of such coordination they fail to groom themselves as per new emerging trends and increase their absorption level in industry.
• Work-life balance 
• Implementing Innovative student-centered learning that improves outcomes 
• Matching sustainable grading practices that reflect learning
• Empowering teachers and maintaining alignment to mission, vision, curriculum, etc.
• Feeling genuinely supported in taking risks and being innovative in the classroom.
• Students not taking responsibility. Even taking responsibility for picking trash up that they dropped.
• Inclusion and REAL collaborative teaching... integration of universally designed practices to help all students (which covers social justice, restorative practices, SEL) and somehow helping more teachers embrace that accommodations are not cheating.
• Screen time for students
• Making technology purposeful, not just tech for the sake of it
• Students don’t hold the information anymore as they can get it anywhere. There is a need to teach them not only to access safely and critically but also to apply and construct new knowledge.
• Motivating digital immigrant teachers and administrators to have a growth mindset to try new strategies and tools.
• Using interactive whiteboards like projectors
• Teacher-student ratio
• Principals seem to be regretting their decision to go into leadership as they have too much on their plate and not enough time. More supports are needed.
• There is always a new program being purchased. It's used for a few years and then discarded, leading to a high level of initiative fatigue.
• Real evaluation and accountability
• School overcrowding, support of libraries by districts, and limited access to libraries
• Principals with control issues
• Antiquated buildings, facilities, and resources
• Ideas that don’t align to consider the realities educators have to deal with
• Drive-by, one and done professional development that is not on-going, job-embedded, aligned to research, have evidence to back up the investment and lacks accountability for growth.

There are a lot of challenges listed.  What would you add to the list above? 

By putting these and others front and center, efforts can be made to develop practical solutions. Before any new change or mandate, considerations have to be made as to the feasibility (and sustainability) of the idea, strategy, or investment.  Case in point. If you are asking teachers to differentiate instruction on a daily basis, class size and resources matter. Or if you are committed to blended learning, then a combination of pedagogical change as well as updated spaces is needed. It behooves all of us to consider reality when ideas are presented, whether through social media, workshops, professional development days, in books, or during keynotes and presentations.  The struggle for many is real, and they need our support.

The Impact of an Educator

I fondly remember when I was first asked to consider what my future career path might be.  Mrs. Williams, my kindergarten teacher, asked the class to draw a picture that articulated what we wanted to be when we grew up. I immediately knew exactly what I was going to draw. That was the easy part. The difficult task, for me at least, was to then utilize what limited artistic abilities I had to create an illustration that depicted my future career. To this day I still remember the image I created of a farmer tending to his crops. This was a natural career choice for me as a six-year-old having grown up in a rural area of northwestern NJ with a farm right across from our house. I had no idea how to farm, but being outside the rest of my life was good enough for me.

As I aged the thought of becoming a farmer faded as I began to focus more on careers in the biological sciences. Growing up surrounded by nature and spending each summer at the Jersey Shore helped to kindle and sustain an interest in this area.  I never gave much thought, nor did either of my brothers, about becoming an educator. Quite honestly, I told myself, and my parents, that I would never become an educator.  My response might have stemmed from the fact that I really didn’t understand what they actually did and the impact they were having on kids. All I knew with a great deal of certainty was that a career in education was not in the cards.

My mom, after taking many years off to take care of us, eventually became an elementary teacher where she had a celebrated career.  I say celebrated because at her retirement dinner I was able to witness firsthand the impact that she had on students and colleagues alike. Their stories of her passion and dedication for helping kids learn made me so proud. My father was a successful school administrator for what seemed like forever.  He held many positions, but what I was most in awe of was the fact that he was an elementary principal at the same school for close to 30 years.  When he retired they gave him a key to the city. I don’t know if you can be more successful than that. I never knew the impact my parents had as educators until after I myself became one. Hearing story after story about their work as their careers ended taught me that sometimes the ultimate reward for an educator comes years after we have had direct impact with kids or adults. 

Image credit: http://www.teamworkandleadership.com/

Herein lies the motivation behind this post.  I recently received a text message from a former student and athlete of mine. It started off like this:

"Coach Sheninger, is this still your number?"

My response was a simple yep.

He then went on to text me the following:

"Well hey, its Spenser Brenn just in case you lost my number. Sorry if it’s super early. As sappy as this is going to sound…."

I really was not prepared for what followed next, but I can tell you that his words below touched my heart and soul.

"I was just working out with my athletes and kids yesterday and it reminded of when I was in high school. You let me workout with you and would push me in the weight room, classroom, and on the football field. I have always been asked why did you want to become a teacher and coach. To be honest, I wasn't sure of that answer until I had this moment yesterday when I realized that those seemingly trivial moments of the two of us working out at lunch or study hall were more impactful than most other moments during high school for me. You were tough on me (a pain in the butt, or at least in the eyes of a stupid high school kid), deservingly so, considering I was a pain right back to you. However, you taking me under your wing and motivating, mentoring, and challenging me (whether you knew it or not) meant and still means more to me than you probably know, or more than I knew until yesterday. So I just wanted to reach out and say this - a small gesture like working out with a pain in the butt kid meant the world to him. It showed that you cared, something he, and all people, needed at that time. Thank you. I now know why I became a teacher, a coach, and a mentor to the youth."

It goes without saying that I was totally humbled by Spencer’s message.  As educators we all chose a profession that would not lead to riches in a financial sense. We chose to become educators so that we could not only help kids learn, but hopefully impact them well beyond just grades and achievement.  Education is a calling. It is a calling to make a difference.  That’s what educators do on a day-to-day basis.  Never forget that your work matters and that each day you get up in front of a class, help lead a building, or collaborate with others to run a district that you have an opportunity to positively impact kids. This also applies to your work with adult learners. 

Below is the response I sent to Spencer.

Well you just made my day, well week actually (maybe the entire summer). Life is so much more than what we are made to think is important. Everything comes down to relationships built on trust, empathy, compassion, understanding, and honesty. I really never knew until later in my education career that one of the most important things we can do is to show kids we care. It's not until much later in life that we learn of the impact we have on our students. You will one day be in the same position as me, a proud person humbled by the feedback that you receive knowing that you positively influenced others. Thank you so much for taking the time to send that text. It meant more than you will ever know.

Why did you become an educator? Who were those people and experiences in your life that led you to your current role?  In my new role, I still see myself (and other amazing speakers and presenters) as an educator. Each day is still a calling to try to make a difference.  Whether or not I make a real difference is in the eye of the beholder. Nonetheless, I am driven by the same passion I had as a teacher and principal to help others see the greatness that is within all of us.  

Thank you to every educator out there for the work that you do.

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire" - William Butler Yeats

I am across this video recently and wish I had it for my opening day with teachers.  It is definitely a discussion starter in regards to what should be occurring in the classroom, our respective roles in the profession, and how we should be working with our students to unleash their potential.

Is there more that can be added to this discussion?