Everyone knows a teacher! Think about it. Where can you go in the world and find someone who cannot tell you about a teacher they have had. The fact is the teaching profession is one of the most influential professions in society. Everyone learns from someone. As educators, we have an amazing opportunity to reach the world – literally.
Despite this fact, I find it so interesting that teachers tend to be some of the most narrow-minded, routine-oriented, in-the-box thinkers I have ever met. We want to sit in the exact same spot at every faculty meeting. We reuse curriculum year after year. We don’t want to try a new program or system of thinking about our craft because it’s just not the way we do things. All the while, we have a revolving door of young and influential minds that are often spending more time with us than they do their parents. They will move on to be the next doctors, politicians, actors, judges, educators, (and the list goes on.) And what do we have to offer? The same thing we offered last year or maybe ten years ago.
I have been teaching in public education for fourteen years. On average, I teach around one hundred new students per year. I have built relationships and taught over fourteen hundred students so far in my career. Forty percent of the towns in Texas don’t even have that many people. This is a huge sphere of influence!
So the question is not do we have access, but rather, do we have impact? How as educators do we guarantee that we are helping each student reach their full potential in our content area and push them to become independent learners with integrity, tenacity, and ingenuity? The first step is QUIT!
That’s right. Teachers love acronyms, so here is one to help you to have the most impact in your sphere of influence.
Question everything (I do)
Use technology
Insist on greatness
Take time to build relationships
Q – question everything
What is your why? This has to be your driving force. I encourage you to sit down and ask yourself “why am I doing what I do?” Once you dig deep and are satisfied with this answer, then begin to hold everything you do under this light. Every activity, every decision, every goal has to be driven by your why.
U – use technology
Whether you like it or not, technology is not an option. For today’s learners, they are immersed in a sea of technology and it is in the fabric of how they learn. Consider that right now you are using vast amounts of technological development to simply read this blog. Technology can be such a significant tool, and today’s students are quick to embrace things that are technologically driven.
I – Insist on greatness
In your lessons, in your delivery, in your students’ work, you must insist on greatness. Do not cut corners and you will find that your students will begin to copy your behavior. I find that most kids do not strive for greatness because they cannot find an adult who models greatness. I challenge you to pursue greatness in everything so that your students begin to see what that process looks like. It’s not perfection, it’s integrity!
T – Take time to build relationships
This step is really the over-arching safety net for all of your success. What every person longs for is positive and appropriate relationships. This takes time, but there is no substitute for it. If you want to see your students, your family, or your colleagues achieve more; then take time to invest in them. Find our their goals, their weaknesses, find out their why. When you know the people around you and they know you genuinely care, there is no limit to what you can do.
Be careful, sometimes we think we have to change the world and it can get frustrating or overwhelming when we don’t see huge results, but just focus on your sphere of influence; even if it is simply one student.
Now join me and let’s QUIT.
