Teaching Their Hearts-Raising Your EQ

Everything happens for a reason, right? In February, my district did a Learning Together PD where it was formatted like an edcamp, but with the sessions pre-determined. I was supposed to attend a session with an outside consultant that the district has been working with for the past 3 years, but I misunderstood the directive and thought it was optional and I opted out. Serendipity led me to a session by Mo O'Brien. She's a middle school teacher in our district and her session tag line was about supporting students emotionally. This is an area I wanted to grow, so I signed up for this slot.

Rewind-I had just finished co-leading my own session, and based on verbal feedback I was feeling like a real bad-ass. After an hour with Mo, I was put back in my place. This firecracker has created an LLC for the Schools of Tomorrow and has got to be hands down, the nicest person I've ever met. She just radiates kindess, and that was her whole message. I've taken several things back into my classroom that she taught us that day, and I think at the very least it has changed my attitude. So you could say it changed everything.

The message was really simple, openly appreciate your students. Specifically and frequently. One of the things I've done is her notecard challenge. I gave all my students an index card, asked them not to write their names on it, and had them complete this sentence:

This class is really ________________, and you are a _________________ teacher.

I am lifted up everyday reading those cards. They were not all kind, but most of them were. The ones that weren't give me perspective and make me realize the impression I might be giving to the students who need a smile and hug more than anyone. Mo mentioned that some people might not want to do this. I honestly couldn't think of a reason NOT to. She schooled me, again. If you don't want to do this, it's probably because you know what they are going to write and you don't like it. If that's the case, then you already know what you need to change. Professional evaluations and feedback from my peers, colleagues, and administrators is helpful. Feedback from the kids is more important and meaningful.

The second thing I took away was her idea of "Why Not?" talks. The gist is that you take the time to write 25 nice things, appreciations, about a student, faculty member, etc. Then you read it to that person in front of a group of people. When you finish the list, you walk away and leave them with a copy of the list. If they ask why you did it, you simply say "Why not?" The two times I did this, it was really hard. I chose people I genuinely care for, and it was still really hard. Afterwards, it made me feel those appreciative things I wrote down to my core. It made me want to do it again, so that I could be sure people know I care about them, value them, and love them. The idea is to do it on students, and I will. I can't wait to see how it changes things.

The last things I took from Mo's session was to explicitly tell my kids how much I enjoy being their teacher, and to express in public forums how much I enjoy being a teacher to anyone. There are plenty of reasons to be a scrooge about being a teacher: low pay, crazy hours, immense pressure, little planning time, etc. The list goes on! At the end of the day, I would not want to be doing anything else. I love my job. Saying it out loud has transformed the energy I carry through the building. It has transformed the way I talk about my day with my husband at home. It has made me look forward to going back after Spring Break, and it fuels me every morning. So next time you are in public and someone says, "Oh, you are a teacher," with rolled eyes and weight in their words, smile brightly and tell them, "Yes, I am a teacher, and I love my job." Let the world know we aren't all curmudgeons waiting for our summers off or our pension checks. We do this because we LOVE it. Through and through.

This one is for Mo. My eduHero.