What's New for 2019-2022?

 Written August 6, 2019

This year, after watching some very interesting talks on the Hive Summit and attending some very fun workshops this summer, I have plans to incorporate some new ideas into my classroom. I want to spice it up!

This year, I want to focus on developing leadership in my classroom. I have worked with FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) in developing leaders, and I have seem some astonishing changes in our officers and members, so now I want to make the next move at "creating the conditions" (as Ted Neitzke would say) for leadership in my classroom.

This summer, I experienced some interesting activities that were shared by Patty Hendrickson at our FBLA Illinois State Leadership Conference; Meg Ormiston's at the technology summer workshop at Sauk Valley Community College and Ted Neitzke through the Hive Summit. All of these amazing speakers had one thing in common: building student leadership in your classroom. Though they all took different approaches, I was amazed on how much commonality they all had.

According to Mr. Neitzke, the first step in developing leadership is "to create the conditions". This involves two concepts: empathy and reflection. With every workshop I attended this summer, all of these speakers had this concept in mind. It's not enough to just create a "safe" classroom, but as a teacher, I want my students to experience more. I want them to step up and be leaders in their learning and their collaborating. Thus, I want a classroom of "leaders: that create a "safe" environment for all.

To say the least, I am excited! In Ted's talk on the Hive Summit, he shared a great quote: "We don't judge; we understand". Wow! Based on his experiences with his grandmother, Ted learned an important lesson about empathy. As I reflected over my summer learning, Patty, Meg and Ted were all on the same wave length: empathy and reflection!

As I reflected on my experiences in education, I all too often hear that we need to "cut students some slack", or students need to be "let off the hook". Why? Because they are experiencing hard times. One statement that Ted emphasized is that there is "no room for sympathy" when dealing with our students. I found myself agreeing with him as well as the other speakers from my summer experience. Sympathy might work well in our brains, but it will do nothing to help the reality that our students are experiencing. Rather than sympathy, we need to listen and understand (the best we can)--empathy. Engulfed in our "empathy" is the demand for excellence--to help students know that they can accomplish great things despite their circumstances...that each and every one of them matters, and that we are here to support them. If we empower them with leadership skills, they can make the choice to rise above their circumstances. This may be a challenge, a risk; but what better risk can we offer them?

After all, aren't we as adults where we are today because we had people in our lives that were empathetic? I don't know of one person that has really helped me because they felt sorry for me.
In my mind, sympathy is the opposite of empathy. Sympathy lessens; empathy strengthens. Despite all of my struggles in life, it was the people who had empathy that helped me move forward,,,and that made all the difference.

Though I am still working out the details, and I know I will be adjusting as I work these concepts into my classroom, I am excited about the idea of student leadership. My experience in FBLA has shown me that even the quietest of students can become powerful mouthpieces for themselves and their school if they are provided with the opportunity to use leadership tools in  their decision-making process.