The Evolution of Your Why

The Evolution of your Why

Experiences shape who we are and who we want to become.  Educators make thousands of choices a day.  With every word spoken, every facial expression, and every non verbal gesture, we send a message to our students, staff, and communities.  Every day we choose whether or not we are going to uphold the values of our why.   What experiences did you give to your students today?  Was it aligned with your why? If it was, how can you magnify that experience tomorrow for more children?  If it was not, what obstacles are stopping you from living your why?

I want to challenge you to draft 3-5 belief statements around your why.   Then take a minute to reflect on the experiences that you are creating for your students inside and outside of your class.  Are these experiences aligned with your belief statements?  Are your belief statements inclusive of all types of learners? What policies and procedures do you have that might need to be altered because they are not aligned to your why?  Use this time at the start of the 3rd quarter to center yourself on your why and your beliefs about education.  Take time to draft belief statements that will drive you to live and breathe your why.

My Why: being the best role model I can be for my students

My Belief Statements:

1.  I believe that school is THE CORE of a community (it is the hub for nurturing positive relationships, risk-taking, and celebration of growth).

2. I believe that every student deserves the very best education (a teacher who believes in them, who sees them for who they are and who they want to become).

3. I believe all students have to capacity to learn and accomplish their goals with the right tools, opportunities, and teachers.

4. I believe that I have the ability to create meaningful experiences for my students that not only impact their academics, but also their development in being responsible and respectful citizens of their local and global communities.

5.  I believe every child is unique and that is what makes our job special, challenging, and never dull! (We have the opportunity to have different relationships with every child in our classrooms.)

Understanding Your Why

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

One of the most important pieces of leadership is being able to identify your "why".  What is your purpose for what you do each day?  This purpose is more than just a response that you share with others.  It is your aspiration, your motivation, your drive for every decision that you make each and every day.  Before you can truly be an effective teacher, colleague, and leader, being able to identify your why, living and breathing your why, is absolutely critical.  This is the piece of you that motivates you when challenges become overwhelming.  This is the piece of you that pushes you to reflect and grow.  This is the piece of you that makes you smile when you remind yourself of why you decided to go into your profession.  It is the heart of you.

I believe your why can change with experience, application, reflection, and circumstance.  It evolves because you are being shaped every day by your encounters with others that enable you to refine your beliefs and core values.  I know that my why has strengthened over the years because of the students I have met, the leaders who have influenced me, and the communities in which I have served.

Identifying my why for wanting to become a teacher began in high school.   I was fortunate enough to have wonderful education experiences growing up.  Because of those experiences I decided that the very best role model a child could have in their life (besides their parents) was their teacher.  I knew that I wanted to be someone my students could count on and look up to.  I wanted to be that example of someone in their life that they felt was the prime example of a great teacher.

Over the years, I have used Dr. King's quote to motivate me to stay true to who I have wanted to be for my students as a teacher and an administrator.  I chose to work back in the community that gave me so many wonderful experiences because I believe that our students deserve the same and even better.  Berwyn has its share of challenges and keeping my why of being the very best role model for my students has kept me focused on the experiences I want to give them every day when they walk through the doors of my school.

I have recently shared my why with other leaders in my building and in our district and they too have shared theirs with me.  Understanding a person's why strengthens your empathy for others and your ability to work towards common goals.  If you have not done so yet, I would encourage you to take a few minutes to jot down your why in a Sketchnote, on a Post-it, or even in an email to yourself, and keep it handy for rainy days when you are lost in the whirlwind of a school year and need a reminder of your purpose, your aspiration, your drive.