Transcript

Hello listeners. We are excited to BLaST the Airwaves with you today and provide educational solutions for all. My name is Rebecca Gibboney and I am the Coordinator of Professional Learning here at BLaST Intermediate Unit 17. I am thrilled to welcome you to this episode of BLaST the Airwaves.

Let’s go back to your first year teaching. Better yet, let’s return to the first day you decided you wanted to be a teacher. Let’s start back with your ‘why’. What’s at the root of all of this? Why do we do what we do? You know, the whole Simon Sinek Golden Circle and his infamous line, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Let’s start there.

And, I’m going to dig a little deeper, my friends, because this year is tough. It is really tough. And, you are not going to buy what you are doing, if you first don’t remember why you are doing it. The protocols. The uncertainty. The unknown of what tomorrow will bring. And the toughest part of them all, the mental game we play with ourselves because who knows what is best right now? Really…who does? All we can rely on is doing our best.

So, take it back to where it all started. Go on. Close your eyes and remember all the senses you felt when you first discovered your lifelong goal of being a teacher. That touch, that desire, that hasn’t changed. The idea that you wanted to make an impact, you are still that student’s impact. The idea that you wanted to be a constant in a kiddo’s life, you are still that constant. Whatever your idea, whatever you’re thinking right now, you are still that. And you are still living that idea into fruition.

It is important we continue to lead with our ‘why’ during these challenging times. We have been on this journey since March and this podcast since September. We have focused on the importance of teacher credibility, on meaningful ways to engage our students, on authentic ways to assess and provide feedback. We must keep these at the forefront when pivoting to distance learning and we must root ourselves in our why.

As season one comes to a close of this podcast, I want us to be mindful of the growth that has already taken place so far this year. Celebrate it. Celebrate maybe your first time logging into Zoom. Or, the first time you correctly did a breakout room. Or, something as simple as, you figured out how to post an assignment. Think about it. Think about how much you have grown since August. Focus on the silver lining. I urge us to pay attention to the recommendations by Fisher, Frey and Hattie.

To focus on what our students know and don’t know, paying extra attention to what they don’t know.
To be intentional about balance, not just for the students, but also, you, the teachers. And, I’m not just talking about self-care balance but also instructional balance. There can be a happy balance between synchronous and asynchronous. Setting up those boundaries, so you are not on call 24:7.
To spend your time on the subjects that parents are least likely to be able to help with.
To be at the forefront. You are the educator, after all. The parents are not. Therefore, have a way for students to reach you. Be visible and take ownership.
Remember, students aren’t just longing for grades. In fact, it might be quite the opposite. They want meaningful conversations. They want feedback. They want a relationship. They want anything to feel just a slight glimpse of normal.

As I sit here and take the time to actually reflect on the past thirty some episodes and truly think about what this podcast, what the Distance Learning Playbook, has taught me, I go back to the last episode. I go back to the challenge that Fisher, Frey, and Hattie gave me, gave us. They urged us to do better. Not more, better. They urged us to not just go through these times filled with emotions just seeking normal, because there is no normal. They urged us to take advantage of the present, to learn from our efforts, and to do better. We must not just do better for our students, but we must do better for ourselves.

While yes, a majority of that is taking care of ourselves mentally and physically, we must also make ourselves better by growing professionally. You have committed yourself to this field of amazing work. You have committed yourself to this identity. You must own it, but that can be tough at times, especially challenging times; because, this identity, this field of work, is far from perfection because it is evolving. You, my friend, are evolving.

It’s time to evolve from assessing your impact from a distance. It’s time to evolve with one another and have effective teacher talk conversations about how we have grown during these times. It’s time to evolve and view this pandemic as an opportunity rather than a loss. It’s time to evolve and engage with families and communities to change the narrative.

Yes, there is exhaustion but there is also excitement.
Yes, there are cries of frustration but there are also cries of success.
Yes, there are moments of disbelief but there are incredible moments of belief.

So, go on, pick up that pen. Turn the page. Start fresh and write our narrative. Write history as we know it.

Because, friends, there is no one I would rather write it with!

Be safe. Stay healthy and keep being amazing! While this does conclude season one for BLaST the Airwaves, you can look forward to season 2 starting this January where we focus on educational solutions for all, especially for caregivers!

We would like to thank you for blasting the airwaves with us today. If you like the show, please subscribe or leave a review. If you want to know more. Check out www.iu17.org for further resources and show notes. As always, we want to thank you for what you do every single day. Remember, keep shining. We’ll be back next episodes to provide you another educational solution for all as we continue to transform lives and communities through educational services.

Additional/Suggested resources mentioned in the episode:

The Distance Learning Playbook by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie

BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 – www.iu17.org 

Professional Learning Opportunities at BLaST IU 17 – https://www.iu17.org/professional-learning/ 

Find BLaST the Airwaves on: