Learner. Human. Joyologist.
As I say in the conclusion, “Thank you for your commitment to nurturing the potential of other people’s children and each other. Every time someone goes out into the world to do good, those who nurtured, inspired, and stretched them along the way are part of that person’s story. Educators are changing the world through others every day. This is our legacy.”
I’m not saying we stop thinking critically or stop offering constructive feedback. I’m just asking us be those people. The light shiners. The people who unearth that one remaining burning ember inside educators and nurture it, so it can burn bright and light the way for others.
Be the culture you are trying to create. Lead yourself first.
And when the work feels like it’s more than we can bear, too much for us to handle, perhaps we have overcomplicated things, and we need to get back to who we (collectively) were meant to be. Back to what we value. Together.
Let’s not forget to acknowledge the good. Not just the good around us but the good within us too. And to trust what we know is right and good in our hearts.
Life right now is tiring and overwhelming. But I’m reminded of this story from Fred Rogers, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”’
We are human. The variables are endless. Perhaps we should give ourselves, others, and situations the room to be. Room where much can be true.
Saying we need to "do better" does not create a path forward. It might inspire some to try by throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. For others, it might feel scary and cause them to shutdown. Either way, it's unfair to expect people to lean on willpower alone.
And collective hope may have saved my life as kid. There are people who say hope is not a strategy. But I think, hope is THE strategy.
In the meantime, may we all simply work to be fully where are our feet are planted. May we offer others our fullest presence and attention. And may others feel this from us in small ways. Whether it's putting our phone away, asking thoughtful questions that allow us understand more clearly what is said, or remembering to follow up on little details shared with us.
MEGHAN LAWSON 