Why: We believe in giving every child the tools and skills to achieve their wildest dreams and find their voice.
How: To do this, we will help all students unlock their potential by teaching them the growth mindset while giving them continuous feed forward feedback.
What: Helping all children find their voice and achieve their dreams.
"The difference between what we are doing and what we are capable of doing would solve most of the world's problems," Mahatma Gandhi.
One thing that brings me great joy is watching someone working in a space that many would perceive as their divine purpose. Often you know that a person is in this space by the pleasure you see from them as they do what they were supposed to do on earth. Sometimes the feeling is contagious for me. I often get this feeling when listening to an artist effortlessly sing notes, watching a person work with an evident passion for their craft, or when a student catches a glimmer of their potential. As an educator, I strive to educate my students on content, citizenship, and grit but one of the greatest lessons we can pass on to our students is the lesson and practice of finding their voice and purpose. This idea is at the core of my goal in education and my innovation plan.
I read an article in the New York Times recently that explained how nine year olds have lost ground in math and their scores in reading have fallen by the largest margin in more than 30 years. One of the article's concerns that jumped out at me was the loss of engagement for students who have fallen behind. When I see articles like this it is easy to add this to the pile of discouraging information that sometimes tells us that despite our best effort, we have failed. I’ll admit it. This can be intimidating. However, in that same moment, I go to my “why" statement. I'm reminded of my greater sense of purpose and mission that encourages me to not "quietly quiet" in my role as an educator but to fully engage in the work and my students. When I’m committed to my purpose, I can help students get closer to their purpose creating ownership of their dream and a passion for learning.
"I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be," Martin Luther King.
Comments