Being the Educational Hype Girl: 4 Steps to Uplifting the Adults in the Room

 Being the Educational Hype Girl: 4 Steps to Uplifting the Adults in the Room

The Sunday scaries are here. As I return to school tomorrow, I’m filled with some worries about transitioning back into a routine, both at school and at home. Still, there is something special about working in education. The work we do is deeply meaningful, unpredictable, and exhausting at times. Sometimes we forget that while we pour ourselves into hyping up our students, lesson after lesson, our burnout often comes from forgetting to hype up the adults around us.

This school year, my goal is to continue to bring that same light to my peers that I bring to my students. We all need a hype person cheering for each other. Uplifting our fellow educators can make transitions and some of the most tiring points in the semester more bearable.

With purpose-driven encouragement and support for each other, we can all become the hype person for each other in our schools.

1. See the Best in People

Teachers often become unseen in their respective buildings. We silo ourselves in our classrooms, move quickly through the office, and forget to take a beat during our planning periods. Instead of rushing through each day, let’s take time to make our colleagues feel seen.

When someone tries a new tech tool, ask them to share the results. Is a colleague starting a new extracurricular activity for kids? Ask how you might show support. When a teacher produces a creative lesson, tell others about it in the staff room. Mention successes to leadership. Write a note or send a text—whatever works. Don’t let other people’s shine go unnoticed.

Note: If your work bestie doesn’t like public shoutouts, handwritten cards can be even more personal and meaningful.

At ISTE, I attended an incredible session about celebrating others. A small and intentional step toward seeing and amplifying the best in the colleagues around us makes the school and environment shine for our students. 

2. Show Up with Energy, Even When You Don’t Have It

Even on days when we are feeling tired, let’s be intentional with the energy we bring into our workspace. Focusing our energy on positivity and enthusiasm makes us feel more vibrant. Our energy is contagious.

A well-timed “You’ve got this” or “I believe in what you’re doing here” can change a person’s perspective or serve as the spark a colleague needs to get through the day. When you’re still feeling like your energy is low, borrow someone else’s energy. Collaborate. Laugh. Take a lap with a coworker between classes. Hype isn’t always loud. Sometimes it is just a consistent and encouraging presence.

This summer, my husband and daughters were in a musical. I had a few colleagues decide to come to see the show together to surprise them (and me). Their presence and the simple act of showing up fueled me. When we show up, we bring our energy with us, and that collective energy is powerful.

3. Name the Wins, Not Just the Work

Educators are champions at doing the work but not always at celebrating it. Being a hype person means creating space to pause, reflect, and celebrate what others have accomplished. Staff shout-out boards can be great for naming the wins. Intentional conversations during a passing period with a friend can be just as powerful. Let’s name the wins we see. Normalize being proud, and normalize being grateful for the amazing people we share a workspace with.

I co-host a podcast in my district. I am so excited to continue to elevate people's stories and name their good work.

4. Be a Mirror

Sometimes people forget to look at how far they’ve come or struggle to see the value they create each day. This year, let’s remind our colleagues of the impact they have. Growth occurs over time, and sometimes we don’t notice when we are making progress in the moment. Being a mirror reminds us to reflect the greatness we see in others.

TED Talks strives to amplify ideas worth spreading, and we can do that as well. Recommend their names in meetings. Celebrate colleagues in rooms they are not in, and celebrate their success.

Through the Google Innovator Academy, I was blessed with a small group of women who have continued to identify and celebrate each other's successes. Supporting and seeking to elevate each other's work is important, but also giving it a name for each other has fueled us all to continue to innovate. Sometimes we can't see our strengths ourselves, but when we can identify them for each other, we can carry forward with the work.

Remember, we all need a hype person in our corner. When we intentionally practice these steps, we help build a culture of celebration. Remember, another person’s shine makes the path brighter for us all. See the best in others, name their wins, and be a mirror that reflects their goodness back to them.

We’re going to make this year amazing.

The Power of Personalized Experiences: Insights from a Make-a-Wish Adventure at Universal Theme Parks

We just returned home from my son's Make-a-Wish trip. To say that I am grateful does not even begin to capture my feelings toward this opportunity and the amount of healing and joy it provided our family. This trip was the first time my kids were on an airplane, and we were away from home for more than 48 hours. COVID and medical treatments have kept us from venturing too far from home. Still, now that Jordan is older and medicine like Trikafta have given us reason to believe that our son's life expectancy and, more importantly, his quality of life will look relatively normal (with a little bit of work), we were finally ready to venture out into the world.

We spent five days at Universal Studios and the four Disney parks in Orlando. While my son does not do rollercoasters, we were able to explore and experience every facet that these parks have to offer and bond as a family of five. At Universal, it was clear that they had special protocols and training to work with Make-a-Wish families. The direct and immediate attention given to my son, especially by the characters, could make me cry just thinking about it, and it challenged me to reflect on hospitality practices and how we incorporate those practices into our own teaching and learning experiences that we build for our students in the classroom. Every student deserves to feel seen and cared for, as Universal made my son feel. Fortunately for classroom teachers, we have time and multiple opportunity to extend those relationships and experiences to span more than just a few minutes of engagement.

Read your students as they enter the gate.

At Universal, we were given the "backstage" or behind-the-scenes experiences. From the entry point of each ride, we were given a personalized experience. They understood their audience and quickly assessed his nervousness and apprehension as we approached each ride. As teachers, we must do our best to read the room on day one. We must carefully craft first-day surveys that challenge our students to fully answer who they are and what they need from us to succeed. The better our questions and more observant we can be, the more comfortable our students will be to "enjoy the ride" as the new semester takes off into the unknown.

Create an immersive experience in which students are the active drivers of their learning.

As we walked from ride to ride, the theme became immersive. Fog and dark corners crept up in Jurrasic Park, and the Harry Potter sections were equipped with magical spots and spells so children could feel like wizards. We were asked to be active participants rather than passive riders checking off rides from a list. As educators, we should strive to create similar immersive experiences for our students. Instead of passively taking notes or answering questions on a worksheet each day, we should build hands-on projects, collaborative activities, and real-world problem-solving. These activities challenge students to engage more deeply and retain knowledge more effectively. As teachers, we are not tour guides; we are world builders. Our goal is to make each student feel like the hero of their educational journey, with the power to learn, grow, and shape their destiny beyond the classroom.

Build connections and root for the team.

One of the most moving parts of the trip was seeing how the characters and staff members cheered on my son and made him feel special at every turn. They were not just doing a job; they made us feel like they were rooting for our happiness. As teachers, we must build strong connections with our students. One of our "whys" for becoming teachers is often that we want our students to have the best opportunities and lives beyond our classrooms. Their journeys start in our classrooms. We can celebrate their victories - great or small. We can demonstrate that we are invested in their success and happiness by showing that we are proud of them, recognize their growth, and believe they can reach their goals. A simple "I'm proud of you" or "I believe in you" can impact and build confidence to tackle any challenge, real or imagined.

Use the "slow parts" to build anticipation.

At a theme park, the action is often broken up with lines to wait for and slower-paced attractions, but even these moments in our experience were designed carefully to build anticipation and excitement for what was to come. In a classroom, not every lesson is high-energy and "fun." Quiet moments are necessary for reflection, and direct instruction is needed to learn valuable skills. Still, we can build anticipation for larger projects and collaborative experiences in moments that lull the energy.

I love asking thought-provoking questions or completing anticipatory-type discussions that challenge students to prepare mentally for more extensive learning experiences or readings. Another way to "set the stage" is to deliberate with musical choices played in the background while students work. Planting the seed of what is to come, sparking curiosity, encouraging students to ask questions, and building suspense can make experiences for students more meaningful and memorable while also keeping the pace and energy higher throughout the lesson.

Remember that the journey can always take a new path.

Flexibility is absolutely necessary at a theme park. We learned that different sections are closed during early admission for maintenance and repair and that messages are not always communicated clearly before entering a park. Despite all the planning, we adjusted our schedule daily based on what was available and what my son could handle. The same is true in education. Plans change. Students are different from semester to semester (or even from morning to afternoon). We must be ready to pivot, embrace new strategies, and allow students to guide us through the learning process. Sometimes, skills take longer to master than others. It is okay to step away from the plan and follow a new, unexpected path.

Reflecting on our Make-a-Wish trip, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the experiences we shared and the people who helped build this incredible experience for my family (Make-a-Wish, Give Kids the World, Universal, his doctors, and more). I also appreciate the lessons I can take back to my classroom and the opportunities I now have to pay forward the love and care that was shown to my family. I was inspired by the Universal Studio's staff and the experiences they build for my family, and I hope to take that same magic back to my classroom in 2025. After all, the magic of teaching isn't restricted to a location; it's in the quiet moments where we show our students they matter, and we believe in their journey.

Recalibrating in 2024: Reflecting, Refreshing, and Revising

As we wrap up 2024, I reflect on a tough year - really, a tough couple of years. The pandemic exacerbated problems in our world and made protecting medically fragile people challenging. My family went through both known and not public challenges, which forced me to realize that not everyone has good intentions. More often than I'd like to believe - people can be mean. Still, there are so many people and experiences for which to be grateful. I am hardwired always to see the best in every person and to make meaning from our everyday experiences. Despite a few bumps in the road, I am hopeful and still seeking the good.

New years and new semesters are tangible fresh starts that encourage us to reflect and recalibrate our mindsets and goals. A mindful and intentional recalibration of our mindsets can help us to move forward and grow as people, teachers, and learners. What does recalibration look like in the classroom?

(Thanks to Rob Martinez for writing a beautiful book called Recipes for Resilience and for sharing his passion and joy with other educators)

First - it starts with considering where we've been.

As I think about where I've been, I have focused on asking myself purposeful questions:

• What worked well this year?
• What didn't work?
• What caught me by surprise?

Growth often happens in unexpected moments. I recently listened to the Hidden Brain podcast by Shankar Vedantam, in which we discussed "How to Be More Creative." One of the caveats of this podcast was that inspiration is often found in unexpected moments but is still the result of a purposeful thought process. We are frequently most innovative when we allow ourselves to cultivate our creative potential - when we have space to think, reflect, and consider. Another takeaway from this podcast was that our ideas and inventions do not occur in a vacuum. We need people to move forward. 

A takeaway from what didn't work is that I must surround myself with the right people. I have learned that stepping away from people who use my talents or expect me to give all of myself to them but do not reciprocate or show up when I need them is okay. Still, loving others and using my gifts can create great spaces for students. We are capable of so much, and we must find ways to refocus and redirect our energy to make a positive impact.

Something that went well this year was taking risks and chances. One of the most powerful experiences of my educational journey was being a part of the Google Innovator program. Shout out to #CHI24. After spending several months not feeling like myself, I applied to this program literally HOURS before the deadline. I have always wanted to participate in this professional learning program, and I was so blessed to be chosen as one of the 50 participants. Being in a room of inspiring and passionate educators was electric and reminded me that there are incredible people in the world who want to share, learn with, and lift others up. I am so grateful for this group of people and will definitely have to write another blog post on how this experience recalibrated my thinking and gave me back my joy.

 

(Shout out to the Sparkle Squad)

Through reflection comes renewal and refreshing our energy.

As an educator, I have always believed in servant-hearted leadership. As a collective, educators are here to support, guide, mentor, and teach others skills that will allow them to have a happy and healthy life. In my realization of this aspect of education, I have learned, though, that we cannot pour from an empty cup. We have to:

• Pause and rest.
• Reconnect and understand our why.
• Prioritize our families and ourselves.

When we rest, we are more productive and happier, which allows us to recenter ourselves and remind us of our purpose - or our why. Pouring into my family and creating spaces for my children to thrive, learn, and grow has helped me grow as a person and an educator. By prioritizing my family and trying to prioritize myself, I am starting to understand my goals and gifts more than ever. Rest is important; I see that now. Rest allows us to ignite our creativity and foster new ideas.

With rest and rejuvenation comes a reset to move forward.

Between Christmas and New Year's is a great time to set realistic goals. Now, I am not fond of "New Year's Resolutions" or lofty goals that quickly fade before January is over. Starting smaller and shifting our thinking are great ways to improve. This year, I learned that goals are not about the finish line; goals are guides to help us along the way. Being flexible is essential. Life happens, and sometimes it hurts. Learning to adjust and adapt has helped me immensely this year.

As teachers, adapting to our changing students can help us to improve and shift our practices. Collaboration and community are ways to reset and grow collectively. Some new teaching practices I hope to implement in 2025 involve more lit circles, ethical use of AI, and more communication experiences for students (podcasting, peer reviewing, presentation, etc.). Resetting our strategies can help us serve and stretch our students better. 

Revision means looking ahead like any good author during the writing process.

Practice makes progress - not perfection. For me, I will continue to learn and grow. My husband and I started creating again. We have a new season for our podcast, and we are co-directing a children’s show. We are fueling our creativity and exploring how to make safe and meaningful spaces for people to learn and grow. I will continue to take risks and put myself in spaces that challenge me to give my talents, stretch my thinking, and provide me with opportunities to lift up others. 

As we enter 2024, we must refresh our mindset and recalibrate our thinking continuously. Recalibration is a cycle of following our values and goals. What will 2025 look like? I'm gearing up to present at conferences, including IDEA Con and ISTE, in June. I will put myself out there again and take every experience in this new chapter as an amazing opportunity for growth, purpose, and impact. Here's to making it matter.

Lessons Before Dying: Final Moments with My Grandma

A little over a week ago, my 96-year-old grandma passed away quietly after contracting pneumonia and suffering a stroke. While death and loss are difficult for the living and the dying alike, her death was peaceful. We should all be so lucky to live the full and mostly independent life my grandmother led until 94. At the beginning of 2023, my grandma fell, which led to a significant and slow decline in her physical mobility.  This past year has been difficult because physical challenges meant less connection with family and no independence. Dementia took hold, but still, when I was able to visit, she lit up and knew who I was even when a mask covered my face. The greatest blessing in this slow and steady fade was that she seemed happy and calm. She wasn't afraid and seemed to charm her way into the nurses' and workers' hearts - especially those who lovingly spoke Spanish to her and called her Mamita. Ella esta en buenas manos. 

My grandma and I were extremely close. Growing up about a mile from her house, she was my babysitter and caretaker as a child, and I carry deep gratitude for her presence (and all the pickups from school she provided) in my youth. We talked almost every day in my adult life when she (sort of) learned how to use a cell phone, especially after her sister died in 2018, and we saw each other once a week for a library and Happy Meal date. 

Sometimes, the school of life teaches us lessons we do not realize we need to learn. These past few years, throughout the pandemic, life has shown me that I had to face adversity in ways I had been too sheltered to recognize before. The selfishness of people, loss, and heartache entered my sphere in ways I had never faced before. Working through my grief and repressed trauma this spring and into the summer has made me realize the power of gratitude and the importance of doing the right thing even when no one is watching. 

After her stroke, my Grandma couldn't speak. As a result, I found myself filling the silence with stories of times we shared. She’d gesture with recognition when I talked about the times we trudged through Woodfield Mall and ate quesadillas at the Nordstrom Cafe. I hoped she felt love and knew I was there. From subtle squeezing of the hands and her fight to stay awake for as long as possible while I sat with her, I believe she knew me and was trying to impart her final bits of wisdom to me, even without a voice. When she fell asleep, I sat looking at her, trying to fill in the gaps of what she would have said. Here are the lessons I will take from her.

Lesson #1: Show up. 

When we are in times of grief or struggle, the people who show up unprompted and without judgment make the difference. This year, I have had people I thought were friends who did not show up for me, but I have also had an abundance friends and loved ones show up unexpectedly and compassionately. Every gesture makes a difference, from walks in the woods to lunch dates, text messages to goofy notes left on a desk. Those connections have meant the world to me, and I could not be more grateful.

Every person, at our core, wants to feel seen and valued. Showing up for someone provides comfort and validation. Grand gestures or public acts of service are not needed to express empathy and lend a listening ear. While I could not do anything to change my grandma's circumstances, I kept telling her that I was there for her and that she was safe with me holding her hand. 

Lesson #2: Be still.

We live in a culture that celebrates busyness and moving at the fastest pace possible. In her final days, grandma was unable to speak. Sitting quietly with her made me realize that pausing every once in a while is okay. Plans got canceled, and my life was put on hold. The stillness I experienced allowed me to consider what matters most to me and to my family. In that stillness, I set goals for the coming school year, considering what I want my next chapter to be. Even though my daily routines have returned since her passing, I will continue to listen carefully and trust my intuition.

Lesson #3: Recognize that little moments matter. 

During her final days, I tried to recall every silly memory I could that we shared. From babysitting my second cousins to getting lost when she tried to take "shortcuts" driving to places - I had to laugh at the seemingly mundane daily experiences we found ourselves in. Those are the moments I remember with her. Nothing was fancy or flashy about those moments, but they made me laugh, and from the squeeze of her hand, I believe they mattered to her, too. 

When we live with intention and love, we create environments and experiences that matter. Whether telling a student they are capable of incredible feats or pausing to listen to a person who needs a friend's face - our words and ability to show love make this world a better place. These connections often don't happen during championship games or great victories; they occur in the everyday experiences that we sometimes take for granted.

 

Lesson #4: Treasure those who hold space for you. 

My grandma and I didn't share similar hobbies. She was a talented seamstress and loved shopping. I find shopping anxiety-inducing and triggering. Still, she loved sharing these experiences with me. She made beautiful dresses for me as a child and dragged me to the mall more often than I ever would have liked to go. While we didn't always love the same things, we could find ways to enjoy each other's company, and she'd listen. Without fail, she attended my plays and listened to me practice the piano for hours as a child. She gave me space and encouraged me to be myself. I know she made sacrifices for me and prioritized the activities that I loved. Despite our differences, I was safe to be myself with her. 

My relationship with my grandma has shown me that it is essential to hold space for people who hold space for us. We do not have to have the same beliefs or interests, but we can show up for, sit with, and create beautiful memories with many people who cross our paths. 

As a teacher, I am called to work with so many different types of students. I love the "tough ones" who need a little extra love. Reflecting on my relationship with my grandma has taught me how important it is to embrace people, make the most of every moment, and treasure people who cross our paths. May we all find ways to show love in whatever capacity we can and make the most of the life and opportunities gifted to us.