As a student who struggled early in education, I dedicated my life to understanding how to help others learn. My journey was completely shaped by an incredible 6th-grade teacher who taught me not just to learn, but to reflect on my knowledge and apply it to real life.
Years later, I became a 6th-grade teacher in an urban area of California, facing one of the most challenging classes of my career. My students came from diverse backgrounds, many having already given up on school. I had to reflect on my own journey and think outside of the box to give them a purpose for learning much like me in 6th grade.
💡I realized the importance of connecting their lessons to real-life stories and examples. We explored careers related to our readings, toured local colleges, and welcomed guest speakers who shared their journeys. I wanted my students to see that despite life’s hardships, their education was something they owned and could control. Especially for one particular student in that class dealing with major custody issues. She spent most of the year uncertain about her living situation and worried about who she would be living with next. I dedicated my time that year to helping her see the possibilities of a future.
⌛ Years passed, and I moved away from California. Then one evening, I received several messages from my old school. One of my former students had just graduated with an advanced degree in psychology and was on her way to becoming a counselor to help others. She came back to the school to thank me. It was that same student who needed to see what the future could look like. I cried happy tears that night.
🤗 At the end of the year, that class pooled their money to buy me a charm bracelet with my name, Mickey Mouse charms (because I love Disney), a school bus, an American flag, and an apple. I wear that bracelet every day. Although the charms are mostly faded, it is my reminder of why I do what I do in EDU. If you know me well, you know you have seen this bracelet.
Why it matters⁉️ Education is social. We can NEVER replace the social, human connection of educators. 💥 Do not be afraid of what is around the corner, because you, as the teacher, are unforgettable. 💜
🎯 So embrace the tools, and the technology, that can help you amplify what you do to help others learn.
👉 Pay attention, ask questions, bring your knowledge, experience, and expertise to the forefront and help make learning and education about what it should be – preparing students for their future. This is their future to own. We need to guide them with the best tools🧰 we have in the toolbox, so they have the opportunity to succeed on their own.
💥 As my daughter would say, “We can’t always be the author of the story life hands us, but we need to be able to have a chance to edit our own story”
Next Gen Education 