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.

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.

The Three Sister Seeds of Education

The three-sister seeds are a farming practice used to create a sustainable ecosystem in agriculture. Three seeds - corn, beans, and squash - work collaboratively to support and further each other's growth. The corn provides a structure for the beans to climb. The beans cohabitate with the corn and provide support as the stalks reach higher toward the sky. The squash grows low to the ground and spreads out, keeping moisture close to the earth and preventing the infestation of harmful weeds that might impact the growth of the other plants. Keeping the ground fertile helps all three plants thrive. I love this idea - the collaborative nature of these plants only strengthens their ability to take root and succeed.

Students and educators need support to progress in their educational journeys. Like the practice of the three sister seeds, our educational ecosystem should be balanced to thrive. When we seek to create a sustainable school system, we must remember that students need to have an environment that will allow them to flourish. Students can succeed with the right resources acquire knowledge, instructional practices that support their learning style, and social-emotional support to create the most effective environment possible.

First, we must have a foundation of learning and knowledge that can help elevate student learning to new heights. Like the corn that grows tall in the summer, a foundation of reliable educational resources and tools helps students navigate the world around them. How do we ensure that schools are filled with reliable resources? The school environment needs to be functional and have resources for the diverse learners that enter the school. Schools provide so much for students, from learning spaces to extracurricular opportunities, starting with that physical space. In addition to the physical space, the culture and climate should be nurtured by leaders. One of the most essential resources schools have is the teachers and staff themselves. When leaders lose sight of the needs of those who work most directly with students, the environment can quickly become uninhabitable.

When teachers are supported, they can use their content area knowledge and expertise to provide a supportive backbone for students to learn. Corn has many parts that together provide a strong, sturdy, and safe environment for corn to grow. From protective husks, long stalks, and tassels on the top, the parts of the corn plant represent a series of essential facets of a school community that work together to help students learn and develop. All of our resources - the physical space, materials, and personnel - are necessary parts of learning within the school environment.

In many gardens, bean plants often cohabitate with corn stalks. As a natural vertical farming support structure, corn provides a safe space for the bean plant to grow. Beans increase soil health, which makes them an important part of sustainable farming practices. Instructional practices, like the bean plant, work hand-in-hand with school resources to create student learning experiences. Our instructional practices must be adaptive and meet the diverse learning needs of our students. Preparing students to be career-ready and able to navigate a tech-rich world are key. Helping students to acquire literacy skills, think critically, and discern the accuracy of information must be at the forefront of the instruction we provide students in any discipline.

Personalized learning experiences that emphasize voice and choice can help students to acquire the information that will help them succeed. Collaborative learning experiences, project-based learning, and career exploration experiences must all be integrated into a school's ecosystem. Addressing all of these aspects of learning can be a challenge, but when a school is well-designed and led, it is possible to support teachers in creating and students in learning from these experiences.

Still, even the best-designed schools cannot succeed without a well-protected foundation. Squash in the sister seed approach to farming covers the ground, keeping it cool and fertile. This plant also prevents weeds from taking over the space. Social-emotional learning - like squash - can provide a caring and rich environment for the resources and instructional practices to thrive. As we continue to navigate the impact of the pandemic and significant global issues that trickle down in waves that impact mental health, we need to ensure that students feel safe and supported and that they belong in the school environment. This safe and nurturing foundation is necessary for the other aspects of learning to blossom.

As we consider what we want our schools to look like this fall, we must remember how interconnected every part of a school is. Diverse learning environments like gardens rich with various plants support every student, educator, and community member involved in the learning process. We all bring a different strength to our students and the school community. May we find ways to collaborate, celebrate, and support one another so that our students can thrive.

Coping with the Changes: Fostering Resilience in and Out of the Classroom

Today, I learned that Jordan may be the oldest child in the United States on Trikafta in granular form, the miracle drug that will improve the quality and longevity of life for people with cystic fibrosis. At the age of six (88 days), he will begin taking Trikafta in pill format.

Currently, Jordan takes this medicine twice daily. We've been dissolving the crystals in water and Gatorade and also learned that he can take them in yogurt instead of drinking a salty-tasting liquid. He's a trooper and continues to show his resilience. He never complains about the medication, treatments, or doctor visits. While his health is still closely monitored (especially for bowel obstructions), there is hope that this school year will be relatively normal for him.

Observing Jordan's strength as a parent inspires me as I navigate challenges and life changes. We cannot control everything that happens to us, but we can control how we respond to these situations. Jordan is rarely phased by treatments, medicine, and being poked and prodded by doctors. How do we handle challenges and life changes like Jordan? How can we help foster resilience in our students?

Take stressful situations and times day by day.

Life is full of surprises, and unfortunately, not all surprises are positive. We will all face adversity that stretches our mindset and choices. My son is and appears to be an incredibly healthy child. The quality of his health can go from perfectly healthy to a potential hospital visit instantly. His bowel obstruction seems unexpected and can derail any plan our family follows at a given time. Because his health might become a concern without much warning, I have learned that I cannot worry about stressors that might come. I have to live in the moment, taking each day as it comes.

As an educator, I like many teachers, am a planner. I realize, however, that we cannot plan every moment of the entire school year at once. Should we still have overarching goals and long-term plans in place? Absolutely. But in difficult times, having short-term goals makes a negative experience feel more like a drizzle than a downpour.

Short-term goals allow us to feel the success of accomplishing a task or overcoming a small hurdle. The positive feelings from achieving a small goal begets future, long-term success. Teaching our students to create short-term SMART goals can also empower them to navigate their challenges and obstacles.

Be okay with being uncomfortable.

We can do anything for a short time. Embracing short-term discomfort can be informative and lead to unexpected lessons learned. As a parent and educator, my instinct is to clear the path and reduce the obstacles that my children and students face. Still, by doing that, I am robbing them of the learning opportunities that come from failure. When we accept discomfort and live in that space, we also become more confident. We start to identify our values and priorities and shift our thinking toward growth.

When we help students accept their discomfort, we allow them to stretch themselves, innovate, and reflect. If they feel safe to fail, they are more likely to grow. Creating an environment where failure is okay comes from frequent reflection and class conversation about what it means to be successful learners. These conversations must be ongoing as we constantly cycle through the learning process together.

Describe your feelings and model vulnerability for others.

Living in discomfort comes with many emotions that are likely to shift. Describing those feelings and putting words to how we are processing challenges fosters critical thinking. It also creates a space in which students feel safe to share their feelings. We cannot learn in silos, and working in isolation often wastes time and resources. As educators, we need to be able to talk through what we are experiencing and also problem-solve with other educators. No one is perfect, and even the best teachers have tough days. When we are open to discussing circumstances and working collaboratively with others, we can leverage our vulnerability to grow together.

We have to be intentional with helping students put their discomfort to words, too. Making it seem like we have life perfectly mapped out ourselves creates unrealistic expectations and exacerbates their insecurities if they aren't living up to a specific standard. When we show our vulnerabilities, students are more likely to self-disclose what they think, feel, and learn. This mutual sharing of feelings and ideas only leads to a stronger learning community.

Read, research, and reach out.

As stated in the book, Recipes for Resilience: Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators, "Learning is for everyone. Make a commitment to yourself to expand your knowledge and expertise, and in turn, your environment will flourish" (Robert Martinez). We are always learning about ourselves, our relationships, and our practices. To better serve students, we must be active learners ourselves.

I am working on being okay with not having all the answers and moving slower and with more intentionality. I am learning that to serve others, I cannot just give them all the answers; I have to empower them to discover more about themselves and their professional practice. We do not know what tomorrow brings, but when we embrace the learning journey, we are better prepared to face and learn from it. True success does not come from knowing all the correct answers ourselves; it comes from helping others to find their version of success.

 

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Rethinking Success: Shifting the Focus from Achievements to Personal Growth and Development (Part 2)

"Why would you want to be an English teacher?" This was an actual question I was asked when I was in high school. Be anything else BUT an English teacher was the message I received. The concern was that English is a popular subject, and I would need help finding a job. Note: Never let someone convince you not to pursue your dreams and passions.

Why English? I come from a family of math and science teachers, and I am the only humanities teacher. My love for literacy derives from my desire to connect and empathize with others. In the early oughts (2000s), the STEM push consumed the conversation around education. While I love and value STEM, my passion has always been empowering all learners to share their stories, create innovative ideas or projects, and collaborate with others. These soft skills, often considered secondary to other disciplines, are the foundation of academic, professional, and personal success. Regardless of the discipline we teach or pursue, how can we help our students find success?

Students must be encouraged to set goals for personal growth.

Both organizations and individuals write SMART goals in the business world (and in education). However, a Harvard Business Study found that of the top MBA students from their program, only 3% had written down their goals. Of course, the study going that the percentage of individuals who had written down their goals earned 10x more money than the 97% combined.

While money does not buy happiness, having a clear direction and purpose can lead to a more fulfilling life. Teaching our students to write goals down physically is crucial. Where we might miss the boat as educators, however, is that we need to teach students to write smaller, more tangible goals. We want our students to dream big and reach for grandiose ideas. When a goal is set too far in the future, it becomes too much of a reach, and the drive to achieve that goal can fizzle.

I love the image above. Shorter goals and small steps toward a grander goal yield better results. We must show our students how to manage, set, and reset their goals so that they feel the energy to accomplish a task. That seemingly micro feeling of success will yield even more success moving forward.

In Atomic Habits, James Clear reminds us that "Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement." If we teach students to become just a little better each day, before they know it, they will feel transformed in their skill sets and will want to continue to grow.

We must foster a culture that maintains a positive mindset.

To succeed, we must also fail. Feeling like a failure can produce frustration and tension. Students look to us to see how we react to our failures. If we become overwhelmed when technology doesn’t work, for example, we demonstrate that it is acceptable to become angry if something doesn't go our way. Of course, we all have moments of anger and frustration, but as educators, we must be aware that our students are always watching (just like our children). They will react to setbacks in the same way that we do. The "do as I say, not as I do" mentality is a generation or two ago. If we want our students to have a positive mindset, we must start by evaluating our own.

How can we foster a positive mindset in our classroom?

1. Celebrate positive behaviors. Identifying what our students are doing and how those actions are positive can help students to recognize what behaviors will lead to successful outcomes.
2. Embrace struggles and problem-solve together. Discussing how to problem-solve provides students with a framework to refocus and reset after a failure. It is important to learn, reflect, and grow.
3. Identify the lessons learned. Talk through what was gained in a situation and use experiences to move forward.
4. Show gratitude for the people and experiences that have helped us become who we are today and who will continue to support us moving forward.
5. Focus on the word yet. When unpacking a situation, the word yet allows us all to understand that if something doesn't go our way, it means we are still learning and growing. Even though our desired outcome hasn't happened yet, it is still possible, and we can still see the positives in any situation.

I love Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote, "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year." I often remind my students and myself that even though not every day is exciting or life-changing, every day provides us with an opportunity to learn, grow, and build relationships with others. When we learn to appreciate and embrace those initial steps joyfully, we become stronger and find meaning in everyday experiences.

Preparation is key.

We must prepare our students for the challenges they will inevitably encounter by helping them take a realistic look at the circumstances while finding the nuggets of hope in the face of adversity. We must prepare our students to hear no, receive a rejection, and handle criticism gracefully. They will face rejection in many ways; we all do. What they choose to do in those moments will determine their success. Failure is a gift, but one needs to learn how to handle the package to reap the rewards of the lessons that this gift can teach.

Part of success is recognizing and understanding how to move forward from loss and rejection. Success is about navigating the obstacles and rethinking, recreating, or redirecting our path. I want to continue to empower my students to find meaning in their lives and experiences, accomplish their goals, and, most importantly, experience the joy of living a life that brings them meaning and purpose.

Someone told me boldly that I'd never find joy as an English teacher. While they may have been well-intentioned, I did not allow them to stop me from pursuing my dream. I understood that I might hear no. I recognized that I might not succeed on the first try, and that belief strengthened me.

NOTE: I was hired very early in the job hunt (before spring break), within 24 hours of my interview. My first principal told me not to interview at a neighboring school in the same district, which I was set to do the next day. Post spring break, I received calls for interviews from over a dozen different school districts. I was definitely going to find a job.

Again, don't ever let anyone discourage you from reaching your goals. While the vision of success in my life has shifted over the years, and that definition might shift for others, we can help our students see the steps they need to take to reach their goals. We can empower our students by helping them to shape their understanding of success and take those first steps.

References:

Acton, Annabel. “How to Set Goals (and Why You Should Write Them Down).” Forbes, 3 Nov. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/annabelacton/2017/11/03/how-to-set-goals-and-why-you-should-do-it/?sh=104307bd162d.

Clear, James. Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. Cornerstone Press, 2022.