So much of this is communication, folks. We are never done growing our communication skills.
Trust through Community
Coherent Work
Often complaining is a sign of overwhelm, fear, or simply a breakdown in community. Frequently, it’s a combination of all of these things. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of seemingly disconnected initiatives coming our way. Then, we become fearful that we won’t be successful which is terrifying because we know how important this work is in schools. This lack of clarity and lack of interconnected work, interdependence, and coherence leads to a breakdown of community. Perhaps it would be easier if I just shut my door, did my thing, and maybe this too shall pass.
When it’s Too Much
It also helps to interrupt anxiety with gratitude. I am grateful that I can afford a full tank of gas. I am grateful that I can afford to fill our fridge with nourishing food. Gratitude reminds us to see and celebrate the good.
Group or Team
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over twenty years of experience in our profession is that not everyone does things the way I would do them but just because it’s different than how I would do it, doesn’t make it wrong. There are certainly exceptions. And certainly people whose actions we struggle to understand.
Carrying it By Yourself
Whatever it might be, we are all carrying something heavy. And many of us are carrying it by ourselves.
Free Will & Free Listening
Titles organize us, but they also get in the way of real human connection. It’s not your fault that people bring their own negative perceptions or trauma to your title. But how you respond is your responsibility, always.
A Nod to Otherful
Every moment in schools- whether we intend or not- is spent sending messages of safety and belonging or lack thereof. The more consistently we model the good, the better schools and classrooms feel. When we show up in our humanity and with our best, it’s more accessible for students and staff to do the same.
I try to carry that lesson with me into schools. No job is below me. No detail is too small. It’s about honoring the work and the people who do it. It’s about the culture we’re building—one choice at a time.
I worry about this so much that I wrote about it in Legacy of Learning, “You are giving others the strength to move forward, the strength to believe in themselves, the strength to try to make this world a better place. Knowing this makes being an educator so meaningful. But we don’t have to suffer while we make this kind of impact. In fact, the more we can live well and be well, the more our impact will grow.”
Stay Curious
There’s a fine line between being selfless and about others and about the work without being too small.
MEGHAN LAWSON 