Thirty Years of Wisdom

Thirty years ago this month, I started teaching in Salinas, CA. 

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I had no intention of becoming a teacher. I was applying to graduate schools and needed to pay rent. In October of 1994, I landed a long term sub position teaching English Language Development to high school newcomers. Within two weeks, I fell in love with teaching and quit the grad school application process. I couldn’t imagine anything more fulfilling than teaching. 

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I’ve been reflecting on this milestone, and have come to some big insights. 

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What I’ve learned: 

• Children won’t get what they deserve until the adults that support them sort through their emotional stuff, because if we don’t do our internal work, we bring our complex messes and traumas into classrooms. Just as we can do in our families, we can break this cycle of toxicity in institutions. 
• Student success and wellbeing is correlated to the strength and health of the teams of educators who support them. One day research will validate this, but for now, I know it’s true. Which is why I focus so much on creating resilient, effective teams. 
• Make plans and identify professional goals, but hold lightly to them because life has its own ideas of where you should go. 
• Let “good” feelings help guide decisions. The attraction to good feelings led me into writing, publishing books, and starting my own business. 

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Beliefs that have changed:

• My grandparents told me, “you are alive to make the world better.” This is true, and there are other reasons why I’m alive. 
• I no longer believe that I have to work and work and work in order to justify my existence (thank you, therapy). I don’t have to be a martyr to deserve my life. 

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Beliefs that haven’t changed:

• We can transform schools and the experiences that children have in them.
• When I speak up, when I speak my mind and share my opinions, good things happen. 

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I’m now thinking about what I want to say in 30 years about this next phase of my professional life. 

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I think I want to say that I helped people, that I contributed to the healing and transformation of this world, that I continued my own learning and healing, and that I had some beautiful and fun adventures. I’m on track to realizing this vision! 

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I hope that as this school year starts, you’re reflecting on your journey as an educator and human, and finding some meaningful insights.

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Keep learning:

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