Imagine sitting down, the school year has ended, and you open a Thank You note from one of your students. You take a deep breath, grateful for the impending break, but still wondering what type of teacher impact you’ve made.
You open the card and begin to read the handwritten note.
“When I first came to high school, I was terrified of math, and when I stepped into your AP class, I was even more nervous. You taught me that failure is an important part of life and something that I shouldn’t be afraid of. You created an environment where I felt comfortable and even though I wasn’t the smartest kid in that class, I still felt like I belonged there.”
Now THAT is teacher impact!
There is so much to unpack there. It’s hard to explain the empowerment and energy I felt when I read that, but I did feel a renewed sense of purpose and obligation to all the future students that will sit before me, in all of my classes, not just the AP ones.
People often wrestle with the question, “What are you willing to do to be successful?” It’s a great question to spend time with and reflect on, but like similar questions, the spark generated from any answers is likely to fade over time. Then hard times come. Difficult moments pop up. As teachers, we know that during a school year these moments are as guaranteed as an ill-timed fire drill or an inconveniently scheduled assembly. These moments test us, try our patience, and demand that we take “doing” one step further.
Too often, it’s what you don’t read or can’t see that provides some context for the important work we do in education. A few months earlier, this student asked me to read their college essay. Gracious for the opportunity, I got more than I bargained for. I was trusted to look through a very valuable window into this student’s life outside of school After reading the essay and offering my praise and suggestions, I marveled at how our relationship grew. The result on my end was a priceless perspective on how I could be a better teacher going forward. What a powerful example of knowing your students more than your content!
Woven throughout this poignant essay was a deeply personal reflection on the suffering the student’s family endured both here and in their native country, Ukraine. Suddenly, nerves in a math class couldn’t possibly compare to balancing the day-to-day emotions testing one’s resolve. For this student, AP mathematics was simply one piece of a larger, complex puzzle that involved monitoring parental emotions and the peril faced by extended family a world away.
Every day the student came to school, determined to push past the pain. Every day the student resolutely invested in other students and staff, making an impact that will last a very long time. Every day, the student “won the day” with a fortitude that few could possibly relate to. This display of endurance was all the help I needed to elevate my teaching and reach a new level even I didn’t think was possible. After 27 years in education, I was reminded that I have much more potential than I previously thought. I was reminded that yes, teacher impact is a real thing, and we can all achieve it – even when we don’t know it is happening.
The question isn’t what you’re willing to do, but what you’re willing to endure
I want you to realize your true potential this year. That might require change or discomfort but it will most certainly require endurance. The biggest beneficiary? Your students! After all, how can your students become everything they want to be if you aren’t willing to do the same? It is time to ask a new question – a better question. Stop thinking about what you say you’re willing to do to be successful.
Instead, what are you willing to ENDURE?
Reflect on that. Then it’s time to…..
Decide. Act. Commit.