Do the Most Good - take 2

I originally wrote this blog post about a year ago. This seems to be the time of year when teachers and leaders wonder if the grass is greener in some other district. I think it is important for us to reflect on our level of commitment to the students we serve and the vision of our organization. As with any marriage or long-term relationship, commitment is a choice. We could always choose another way, but staying committed...that takes patience, communication, and work.

Why did you get into education? What made you decide to be a teacher in the first place? I think it is important to revisit this connection at this time of year because it is a time of the school year when there is a lot of contemplation about how things could be easier or better or more convenient in another school or in another district.

I don't think I thought about the impact I could have on other people's lives or on the greater community when I got into education - I was 23 and I was so excited to have a job - my focus wasn't on my role in changing the lives of children or families. Soon after I got a handle on my new position, I became aware of how my role extended past my classroom and into the greater community. As I grew as a teacher, I reflected on my role as a teacher and I knew that I had to admit that I knew that there was places where I could have a greater impact. That was my draw to urban education.

I believe that we need to "do the most good" - that if we are capable that we have a responsibility to help others.

While we can do good in any district, not everyone has the competencies for urban education. And urban education is where we have the greatest need. The children in urban classrooms need the absolute best teachers. They need committed teachers who have deep content knowledge, extensive strategies for managing classrooms, and who appreciate the diversity of our urban classrooms. While the grass may appear a brighter color of green in suburban districts, the reality is that the same grass grows everywhere. Urban, suburban, and rural districts all face challenges. However, the challenges in urban education cannot be solved without the best teachers working to overcome the disadvantages our children may have and strengthen the future of our urban communities. 

Urban teachers have to have strong classroom management skills and have a deep commitment to educating our future. Those are the teachers that we need in urban classrooms. And we need those teachers to stay committed to solving the challenges of urban education. Too often in urban education, we invest in developing a teacher with potential and then after a couple of years they think teaching will be easier somewhere else. Suburban schools are smart - they know that successful urban teachers can be successful anywhere. However, the inverse is definitely not true. It takes grit to be an urban teacher. Anything that is worth doing in life will have challenges. There are classrooms everywhere - but really making a difference means teaching where you can do the most good. Even when it is tough. They say that teachers aren't "in it for the income - they are in it for the outcome." Being the one who can help to shape the future is the best perk that we can have as a teacher - better than summers off or great health insurance or snow days. We are opening doors to the future. 

What does it mean to be college and career ready?

My oldest son is a senior in high school, so the idea of college and career ready has a duality to me as both a parent and as an educator. I am seeing my seventeen year old son, who has so much academic potential, lack so much in the way of the soft skills that will determine success or struggle in college or career. I am continually trying to find the balance between pushing my son and letting him fail forward. It is the same for us as educators - trying to find the balance between academic proficiency and the kind of self-management and independence that will ultimately make the difference for our kids.

In this article from Educational Leadership called "What Makes a Student College Ready?," the author identifies four key pillars that relate to college success - Key Cognitive Strategies, Key Content Knowledge, Key Self-Management Skills, and Key Knowledge About Post-Secondary Education (Educational Leadership, 2008, 66:2). As a parent,  I am concerned about my son and those self-management skills - things like being able to get up on time, manage his own time, manage his own deadlines, and manage the stress of everything happening at once. As an educator, I worry about the students in my school who lack key content knowledge because they have struggled with being below grade level or they lack experiences that would give them prior knowledge to connect to. I also worry that so many of our students lack knowledge about post-secondary education and that will impact their ability to successfully complete college and be ready for a career.

David T. Conley (2010)

Our children, both biological and school, must have support from their teachers in being ready for college or career. Ensuring that our students have the skills that they need starts in elementary school and continues throughout their schooling. If we are going to ensure the future of our communities, we must ensure that our students have the skills they need to be ready for college and career. That's what I want for my own children and for the children in my school.

Dear New Teacher

Last weekend, I traveled to New York City to talk with potential teachers about the great things happening in my district and why they should consider a position in the Syracuse City School District. I met some extremely talented people with great potential and experience. In a meeting with Hunter College, I was asked what I look for in a high quality candidate. I was reminded of a letter I had written last summer after interviewing a number of potential candidates.

Dear New Teacher,

As you prepare to interview for a position in the field of education, whether it is for a daily substitute, a long-term substitute, or a probationary position, please take a moment to consider what you believe in and how we will see those beliefs come through in your interview. Your interview is the first step in establishing yourself as a professional - you must have a sense of who you are as a professional and what sets you apart from the other candidates who will walk through my door. There will be tough questions - about instruction, about classroom management, about teaching to get results - your answers should show that you have some experience thinking about these things. Please give this some thought. If all you know about differentiating instruction is "centers," then you need to really dig deeper. Your interview should set you apart and show that you are a well-read, thoughtful, and purposeful candidate who is going to be 100% committed to the children in my school. That's what I am looking for. I am looking for passionate, dedicated, hard-working individuals who will make a difference in the lives of my kids - what have you done, either personally or professionally, that demonstrates that and how will you make sure that I know you are the one that will make that difference? 

Our children are our most precious resource. Every minute that they are in classrooms must be purposefully crafted to move them closer to proficiency and intentionally implemented to ensure they have the skills they will need to be successful in their lives. New teachers must be able to take feedback, be coached, and see their practice with a growth  mindset. If you struggle with receiving feedback, being coached, or if you need to feel like you always have to get a gold star, you should spend some time reflecting on how that might get in the way of teaching for results. 

I need to see how you are going to love my kids. But not in that "oh, sweetie" kind of way. Love them enough to expect amazing things from them. Love them enough to have high expectations and consistency. Love them enough to be consistent in your planning, preparation, and instructional delivery so that they know you are always giving them your very best and they will give you their very best as a result. Love them enough to teach them that they can achieve academically and that they cannot act foolish. Love them enough to see past their surface and see them for who they can be. That's what I need from you, New Teacher. I need you to understand how important your role is. You have the power to change the world. You have the power to change lives. You will make the difference. 

With optimism,

Principal Reeve-Larham