As a teacher, many would think I would dread the opening of the school year. But I don't. I actually love it. Although it means that summer is over and I have to take a shower before 4:00 in the afternoon, it also means that I meet a new group of kids who I get to work with all year. Most importantly, I get to show these kids that they will have a safe space to be themselves and to be valued all year long.
For me that is the most important thing about the first day of school. Very few kids care about the syllabus or the textbook. Most kids want to know: will I be safe, will I be seen, will I be valued and will I be able to learn. So my job is to convince them as fast as possible that the answer to all of those questions is "yes!". (And then they can start worrying about the syllabus and textbook.
Don't get me wrong, I know it is my job to teach my students the content and skills needed to succeed today and in the future. But I cannot do that if there are barriers in the way. So before I can teach, I need to make sure to destroy or teach students how to get around those barriers. If a kid doesn't feel safe, they won't learn. If a kid doesn't feel seen, they will not learn. If a kid doesn't feel valued, they will not learn.
For many years, us teachers just assumed those needs were all being met outside of the classroom, but that is imply not the case now... I don't know if it ever was. Many of my students barely see their parents. They spend more waking hours in school than they do at home. And there is no guarantee that their parents' schedules overlap with theirs. Many papers work long hours or second or third shifts. Some may want an iPad or the internet to raise their children. Others are having such a rough time that they can't help their own kids. There is a reason that if the event of airbags needing to be deployed on a plane, they tell adults to put theirs on first before helping their children. Sadly, no everyone is able to help themselves, so how do they help their kids. This now means it is definitely a teacher's job to assist each student with their oxygen mask. And believe me, to a teenager, feeling safe, seen and valued is just as important as oxygen.
It is no easy task to make sure every student feels safe, seen and valued. There are too many students and not enough hours in the day. Therefore, I need to look for the most efficient ways to send messages that in my classroom, they are going to get those essentials. One of the shortcuts to this is by using posters and visuals. My room is covered with pop culture characters and quotes that I hope speak to the students and send the message loud and clear that "I see you". It's amazing how far a few Marvel, Harry Potter, She-Ra and Owl House quotes can take you. Toss in a little Batman, Steven Universe and Abbott Elementary and I think I have about 99% of my kids covered.
My second shortcut is T-Shirts. I used to dress up for school. But now I find it just creates an unnecessary barrier between the kids and me. I look far more approachable in jeans and a T-Shirt. Kids still know I am the boss without my having to wear a tie to show it. They pick up on that from the way I act and how I consistently set and enforce limits. That leaves me open to wear slogans on my shirts reminding my students that I see and value them. My favorite ones are the shirts that recognize and encourage people to take care of their mental health. Mental health is health! It should be cared for the way we do for our physical health. Just like we feed our bodies healthy things, people must also feed their minds and hearts healthy things. We need to avoid unhealthy habits. I want to make sure my students don't fall into teh trap of not seeking help for their mental health just because society puts a negative stigma on those who treat their mental health.
I had intended this to be a lighthearted and fun "start of the school year" post but I got serious. So as long as I am, I just want to remind all teachers and more importantly all parents, that kids need to feel safe, seen and valued as much as they need oxygen. Please keep that in mind when interacting with them. And make sure you take care of yourself too. Empowering kids is a tough job. It can burn you out. Its not selfish to take care of yourself. Because if you do, you will do a much better job of taking care of them.