Will You Be Here Tomorrow?

This past week I had the opportunity to travel to Kansas City, MO for the What Great Educators Do Differently Conference and wow it did not disappoint. There were so many amazing things that were shared during the two-day conference that it was impossible to even keep up! I met some amazing educators, some that I was finally able to meet face to face after spending time being connected virtually. 

One of the biggest takeaways for me from this conference was the idea that Great Educators are different because they focus on building relationships first before any content is discussed. They also continue building relationships EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. It is not enough to say "relationships are important" if we don't model that on a consistent basis every day. Below you will also find some of my other major takeaways from the conference.

1. Great educators are great listeners

I can't tell you how many times I thought about this throughout the conference. On Day 1, Todd Whitaker talked about the differences between the average teachers and the great teachers in terms of how they greet students, work with colleagues, etc... Jeff Zoul and Jimmy Casas shared that great educators still understand that it's all about the 3R's, Relationships, Relationships, Relationships. Zoul mentioned the top 10 trust traits, paying specific attention to things like "showing you care" among others. It was clear that listening was a main emphasis of the conference.


2. Great educators care deeply about kids

Probably the session where this was most prevalent was Pernille Ripp's session on Passionate Learners. This was one of THE best sessions I have ever been to in my entire life, mostly because it was clear how much pride she takes in getting to know her students. I've never met someone who believes so deeply in the idea of truly putting students first. She talked about the fact that we rarely acknowledge students perceptions of our schools and that we should be asking the question "would I want to be a student in my classroom?" Probably one of the most eye-opening quotes of the session was when she stated "don't be someone's memory as to why school was a bad place." I'm being honest when I say I got goosebumps and even a bit teary-eyed in some parts of her session. 

3. Great educators are there every day

The question "will you be here tomorrow" came from a session featuring Salome Thomas-El, an educational leader from the Philadelphia area. He was discussing his journey as an educational leader and his focus on helping students achieve greatness through the game of chess. He shared that most students just want to know if you will be here tomorrow. I think this was powerful mostly because it's sometimes difficult for us as educators to push content back to make room for more relationship building and community building. My thought is that we can't afford not to do this...because we are not in the business of making robots. 

Call to Action:

We must be a shining beacon of hope for all of our students every day. Regardless of our own challenges, we have to be a champion for all of our kids. It's also important to remember too that it's ok to be vulnerable and show that vulnerability to students. Pernille Ripp states "it is not a display of weakness to admit that you need to grow- it is a display of strength." Remember that it is our responsibility to be the lead learner, regardless of what position you are in your school or district. Model this growth mindset and make sure that every decision that we make on a daily basis is always in the best interest of our kids!

Until next time, Be A Light!
-Derek