Question #3: Am I worth it?

For the past month, I have been reflecting on the concept that every student comes into the classroom asking three questions: Do you like me?, Am I going to make it?, and Am I worth it?.

I have been challenging myself to think about the way I interact with not only my students, but my co-workers, parents, and family. Do my interactions communicate that I believe the answer is an unequivocal "yes" to each of these questions? If not, what do I need to change to make it better?

As educators, I believe letting a child know we believe they are worth it is a matter of intentional planning, preparedness, and engagement.

Intentional Planning - Students know we believe they are worth it, when we have well-planned, thoughtful lessons that

•  start with the question "Who am I teaching?" rather than "What am I teaching?"
•  are unswervingly committed to doing what is in the best interest of the students, not what is more convenient for the teacher.
• are differentiated so that each student's experiences aligns with his/her needs

Intentional Preparedness - Students know they are worth it when we are intentionally prepared to give the lessons. They walk in the door and see materials in place  and technology up and running. As students arrive, the teacher's only focus is connecting with them, greeting and asking questions, not grading papers, not writing on the board, not setting up for activities. To improve preparedness, consider the following strategies:

• At the end of the day, set up for the next day before you leave. 
• Recruit students to help with writing information on the board, setting up technology, moving desks. The most important thing you do is greet your students. Delegate the other tasks. 
• Intentionally schedule times in your day to check email, texts, grade papers that are not during transitions.
• Put your phone away unless using it to interact with your students. Students know when you are distracted by your phone AND they tell their parents.
• When writing lesson plans, on a separate sheet of paper, write a supply list in columns divided by days of the week.Before leaving on Monday night, check the supply list for Tuesday and set it up (or have a "prep team" of students do it.)

Intentional Engagement - If I want to plan a birthday party for one of my children, I am not going to shape it around my personality, preferences, or pre-conceived notions of what has worked with my other children. When planning, I would consult with him and do my best to make what he wants happen within the limitations that I set (time, budget, etc.).  The same is true with teaching. I can't engage someone if I don't connect with them personally. I need to know my students before I can teach them. There are ways to insure you are teaching in a way that engages your students:

• Ask - Ask your students what they like, how they learn,  what they know, how they would like to learn about a topic. Ask and then use what you learn to craft lessons. Be bold and allow students to give ideas about how to learn. What if a regular Friday practice involved students' brainstorming ideas on how to learn about next week's standards? When you incorporate some of those ideas in your lessons, your students will know you value them.
• Observe and reflect - Don't just assume that your methods are the best. Videotape your lessons watching the student's body language and interest levels. Be able to admit to yourself when a lesson is ineffective and make the changes needed. Observe other teachers in and outside your school.
•  Compare - Our initial reaction as educators is to not compare ourselves to others. We teach the way that works best for us, but the only way to learn and grow is to study what those in and outside of my school are doing. We have to dare to compare and be willing to admit that our way may not be the best way. 
• Connect - There is no excuse for stagnant classrooms. With Pinterest, Twitter, edCamps, blogs ,edWeb,  professional collaboration and growth is at your fingertips.
• Try before you speak - As teachers, we have to refuse to say the words "That won't work" or "They can't do that".  The truth is we have no idea what will and won't work until we try it, and if the objective is student engagement, and what we are doing is not effective, we have to be willing to do whatever it takes. The only thing we can't do is refuse to try. 

It may seem easy as an administrator to rattle off all these thoughts about what teachers should be doing but keep in mind, if this is what I require of my teachers, then I have to require the same of myself.  The best way to promote these intentional practices is to provide those experiences for my teachers. Intentional planning and preparedness have to be evident in my communications, meetings, and interactions. I have to put my phone away. I have to take time to step away from my desk and greet my teachers. And the one I need to do the most is not only ask my teachers what they like, how they learn, how they would like to learn, but also incorporate that information into what I do, so they know I value them.I have not done very well in my first few years as an administrator in answering these three questions for my teachers. It wasn't intentional. I have told my teachers on many occasions that I like them,. I believe they are capable of amazing things, they are all precious to me, but going forward, I want to show them.