As educators we gather in school to share time and talent, and yet I wonder if we even know the names of the folks we pass each day. I am a ridiculous contemplator and as such, I've often begin wondering, "Do I give each of these amazing people who share this year's journey with me everything I have to offer? Do I lend an ear when needed? Do I give a smile every chance I have? Do I ask for their help, their opinions and their advice? Do I keep myself open to learn from them? Heck, do I even know the names of the over 70 people who are housed in this building with me on a daily basis?"
School is a home that we share with these other adults,
and yet we know so little about them..
With this in mind, I have made a commitment to myself. I will attempt to make connections and learn from these professionals I see every day. As a self-aware introvert, I have trained myself to make the effort to know every name of those teaching in the building with me. Some days are crazy, and so if someone starts mid-year it may take me a few days to ask for their name, but even if that is the case, I still commit the time to meet them and let them know I am here for them. As for others who have been in the building with me for years, I make it a point to say hello and smile when I see them, and when it's been a while since I've seen them, I say as much to let them know I noticed.
Here's the thing that bothers me though. While I know everyone's name and expertise, I have not visited most classrooms, and for that I hold out a personal challenge for the rest of this year. So often classrooms are demoted to a level similar to dorm rooms in college. We only visit the ones that house those with whom we work closely, or those from whom we need to borrow something. If we follow the dorm-room example, our supervisors and administrative staff are the Resident Advisors who come in to check things out. They visit each room and get to know the feel of the environment. But why should this advantage and honor be limited to administration? Last week's faculty meeting was held in the classroom of one of my colleagues, and I sat there stealing ideas and taking notes on what I can do differently/better in my own classroom. Afterward I asked myself, "How can I work in a building where ideas are readily on display, and I allow year after year to slip by without taking advantage of these amazing resources?" How insanely wasteful!
At the end of June last year, a co-worker jokingly told another that the first day of school was only 12 weeks away. Meant to instill horror, for me it was a challenge. I had 12 weeks to figure out what I wanted to work on for the upcoming school year. Teaching is so amazing in that we get this natural pause during which we can reflect, regroup, reset and redirect. I always end up with an extensive list, much of which seems so easy when there is no school in session, and so impossible once the reality of a new year sets in. The main thing I decided I want to do better, and stating it here will hold me accountable, is that I want to consider how I can more deeply connect with my colleagues.
My children have this odd behavior in which when we are out and about, they will look directly at someone from school without saying "hello" because, "Mom, that would be weird!" I say to them to imagine if they saw that same person while on a trip to a foreign country...no doubt they would be astonished to see that person and be compelled to say hello and share some information about what brought them both to this exact place and time. Why wait for extenuating circumstances to say hello and get to know one another? Exude kindness and familiarity daily with those who share this journey! These people are your family for the next several months of your life! It's an amazing honor to know and work with them in such incredibly humble profession. Plus, they have so much to teach you, even if just by their example and a quick visit to their classroom.
