It's all in how they feel...

At the beginning of each school year, I always make it a point to watch Rita Pierson's TedTalk, Every Kid Needs a Champion.  This talk always inspires and invigorates me as I anticipate the coming school year.  It puts into perspective the true reason as to why we show up each day for our students.

In the talk, Rita says, "kids don't learn from people they don't like" and for me, this is the most intricate piece of the teaching puzzle.  Above all else, students and adults alike need a personal connection in order to create the most beneficial learning environment.  Rita references James Comer in her talk quoting that, "no significant learning can occur with a significant relationship."

In such a demanding profession, where time is the most limited resource and pacing guides seem to rule the day, remembering the true reason we are there makes it all so much more manageable.  

When I see former students of mine...who now have children of their own, my number one concern when I greet them with a smile and a hug is that they remember their year with me fondly as an enjoyable time where they grew and were loved, heard, and valued. 

In a way, it reminds me of my grandmother and I use her for inspiration.  She had fourteen grandchildren and each of us will claim until the end that we were her favorite...because that is the way that she made each and every one of us feel.  What a legacy to leave.  I want all of my students to feel the same.